Digging Up the Old Stuff
Alright, so yesterday I got this itch, right? Felt like peeling back the layers on some proper Premier League nostalgia. Specifically, that rollercoaster ride between Leicester City and Manchester United over the years. You know, Foxes biting Red Devils, Devils stomping Foxes – classic stuff. Wanted a proper timeline, not just headlines. Opened my laptop, stared at the blank screen for a good five minutes wondering where the hell to even start. Google? Nah, too messy. Decided to hit up the Premier League’s own archives first. Figured it was the most official, least likely to feed me total nonsense.
Typed in “Premier League past results” and got lost immediately. Their archive search? Clunky as an old tractor. Spent ages fiddling with dropdown menus for seasons and team names, feeling like an idiot. Couldn’t just type “Leicester vs Man Utd” and get a neat list. No way. Had to select Leicester City and Manchester United separately, then pick a season range. Hit “search” and waited. And waited. Wheels turning forever.
Wrestling with Numbers and Memories
Finally, this ugly table pops up. Dates, scores, home/away. Dry as dust. Stuff like 24 Sep 2016: Leicester 4-1 Man Utd. Whoa, forgot that pounding! But just seeing “4-1” doesn’t cut it. What happened? When were the goals? Any red cards? Drama? The table just sits there, smug and silent. Needed details. More digging.
Remembered fansites sometimes keep minute-by-minute stuff. Went hunting:
- Typed “Leicester City vs Man Utd 2016 detailed report” – bingo! Found a fan forum with someone who’d saved the BBC Sport live text.
- Searched “Man Utd v Leicester 2000” – found an old news report mentioning Beckham scored.
- Stumbled on a United blog ranting about that 2020 2-2 draw where we threw away the lead. Again!
Had like ten tabs open, flipping between them. Scribbled down dates and key moments on a notepad first. Got messy. Coffee rings on the paper. Cat jumped on the keyboard. Twice. Finally cracked, fired up a spreadsheet.
Made columns:
- Date
- Competition
- Venue
- Final Score
- Key Stuff (Goals, Cards, Big Moments)
Started filling it in, game by game, going backwards. Took hours. Cross-checking stuff constantly. That 2014 5-3 Leicester win? Verified scorers on three different sites ‘cos one had it wrong. Tedious.
The “Oh Yeah!” Moments
Sorting the spreadsheet by date, the pattern jumps out. United used to just smash ’em every time, especially at Old Trafford. Obvious. But then you hit that 2015/16 season. Oof. United lose at Leicester? Then draw at home? Leicester winning the league that year makes those results feel massive now. That’s when the timeline gets juicy.
Found some gold dust too:
- That crazy 1998 League Cup game Leicester won 4-3 on penalties? Forgotten that madness!
- Realised Leicester didn’t actually win at Old Trafford until… 2021! That surprised me. That Fernandes mistake, Iheanacho scoring.
- The number of late United equalisers/winners against them? Frustrating if you’re a Fox, typical United if you’re us.
Finished the spreadsheet late. Looked back at my scribbles compared to this clean(ish) grid. Satisfying. Posted a screenshot of the finished timeline on my blog, just the key dates and scores with a couple of sentences about the biggest shocks for context. Kept it simple.
Bottom line? The gap closed. Seeing it laid out year by year proved it. From routine United wins to proper scraps. That’s the story the timeline tells. More work than expected, but kinda cool seeing it all mapped out. Felt like I actually dug for it, you know? Not just copying someone else’s list.
