By Craig Hope

NEWCASTLE United's opening day trip to champions Manchester United will be the seventh time in nine years that the Magpies have kicked off their campaign on the road.

The Geordies were at Bolton last August as first-half goals from Charles N'Zogbia and Oba Martins (2) swept aside the Trotters during an impressive 3-1 success.

Two years previous and a dubious refereeing decision to dismiss Jermaine Jenas at Arsenal had a major impact as the Gunners triumphed 2-0 in what was our last ever game at Highbury.

The start of 04/05 saw Sir Bobby Robson's black and whites robbed of a Tyne-Tees derby win at the Riverside Stadium as Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink used his hand to snatch a late 2-2 draw for Boro.

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A trip to Leeds United 12 months earlier threw up the same scoreline, current Toon pair Mark Viduka and Alan Smith on target for the home side with Alan Shearer bagging both goals for the visitors. 

Laurent Robert and Craig Bellamy made league debuts at Chelsea in 01/02, Chilean midfielder Clarence Acuna nicking a 1-1 draw for United.

And it was at Old Trafford in 2000 that former Magpie Andy Cole and future Toon player Ronny Johnsen netted for the Red Devils in a game which marked Newcastle bows for Carl Cort and Daniel Cordone.

Here's United's full list of opening day Premier League matches;

1993/94: Newcastle 0 - 1 Tottenham
1994/95: Leicester 1 - 3 Newcastle Cole, Beardsley, Elliott
1995/96: Newcastle 3 - 0 Coventry Lee, Beardsley (pen), Ferdinand
1996/97: Everton 2 - 0 Newcastle
1997/98: Newcastle 2 - 1 Sheffield Wed Asprilla (2)
1998/99: Newcastle 0 - 0 Charlton
1999/00: Newcastle 0 - 1 Aston Villa
2000/01: Manchester Utd 2 - 0 Newcastle
2001/02: Chelsea 1 - 1 Newcastle Acuna
2002/03: Newcastle 4 - 0 West Ham LuaLua (2), Shearer, Solano
2003/04: Leeds Utd 2 - 2 Newcastle Shearer (2, 1 pen)
2004/05: Middlesbrough 2 - 2 Newcastle Bellamy, Shearer (pen)
2005/06: Arsenal 2 - 0 Newcastle
2006/07: Newcastle 2 - 1 Wigan Parker, Ameobi
2007/08: Bolton 1 - 3 Newcastle N'Zogbia, Martins (2)

Summary: Played 15, Won 6, Drawn 4, Lost 5, For 22, Against 17