Updated at 17.35
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN MARKED their top flight return with a remarkable 3-0 win at Crystal Palace that sent them top of the table, while Wayne Rooney bagged the winner on his Everton comeback in a 1-0 victory over Stoke City in the Premier League today.
Frank de Boer made a losing start to life as Palace manager after a Joel Ward own goal and a Steve Mounie double earned Huddersfield a 3-0 win on their return to the top flight after an absence of 45 years.
Mounie’s goals were the first repayments on his club-record £11.4 million transfer from Montpellier and sent David Wagner’s men to the top of the fledgling standings.
Rooney crowned his first appearance for formative club Everton since 2004 by notching the only goal against Stoke, heading in Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s cross for his 199th Premier League goal.
Debutant Ahmed Hegazi’s first-half header earned West Bromwich Albion a 1-0 win over Bournemouth, while Mauricio Pellegrino’s tenure as Southampton manager began with a 0-0 draw at home to Swansea City.
Pep Guardiola’s big-spending Manchester City launch their campaign at promoted Brighton and Hove Albion later on Saturday.
Premier League 3pm results:
Chelsea 2 (Morata 69, Luiz 88) Burnley 3 (Vokes 24, 43, Ward 39)
Crystal Palace 0 Huddersfield 3 (Ward 24-og, Mounie 26, 78)
Everton 1 (Rooney 45+1) Stoke 0
Southampton 0 Swansea 0
Watford 3 (Okaka 8, Doucoure 32, Britos 90+3) Liverpool 3 (Mane 29, Firmino 55-pen, Salah 57)
West Brom 1 (Hegazi 31) Bournemouth 0
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#4 is madness (if Ive read it right), a team that doesnt get to the Ulster final (eg Armagh lets say) will have a knock out game against (randomly) either a Dublin/Kerry etc or a Clare/Westmeath.. The provincial championships are too unbalanced to be the basis of any seeding
A definite no on the first one. The others might be interesting, though unlikely to see every club introduce an underage hurling team.
@Ian Cunningham: Me thinks number one a great idea. Watching underage players now when they get onto a divisional never mind county panel, think they don’t have to show up for club games. Club ought to always come first for players, unfortunately though, there’s no money for the association incoming from club games, it’s inter county that generates that, alas this motion be turned down
@Jed Ward: Cork have enough injury concerns without having to worry about fellas playing meaningless RedFM League matches. If it was county championship matches maybe. That’s what the split season is for.
@Jed Ward: . The demands on inter county players at both underage and senior level are huge. Younger inter county players between the ages of 19 and 22 have in many cases the very significant additional demands of university competitions to cope with. A balance has to be struck. These huge demands are leading to soft tissue injuries. Additional demands being placed on this group of players are highly questionable.
@Richard Ford: as you say “the demands” on amateur players. There is actually no need to elaborate on this. The top brass don’t give a fiddle about “the demands” on players, players are just a commodity for their chunky pay packets and Croke Park
Would love to see football format returned to lose a game and you’re out of provincial championship. Four province winners go to all Ireland semi final and winners of that game onto final. Then again, it’s all about the money, so not a hope of ever seeing that format again in either code
@Jed Ward: given the commitment and training that players put in these days, you can’t have fellas knocked out after one game.
@Jed Ward: Catch yourself on. That format is outdated and way past its sell by date.
@Richard Ford: all about the money money money,
@Ian it’s taking to absolute Michael out of players who are amateur with all the training and commitment they put in. Again it’s all about the money money money. The Grab All Airgead association.
@Jed Ward: OK, you’re one of them. A GAA hater, who knows nothing about the GAA, but has a smart nickname.
@Ian Cunningham: 100% correct there Ian. Actually I’m an ex county player, now coaching an underage level and vice chairman with my juvenile club.
@Jed Ward: what a crock of … .