Sheffield Wednesday were the team chosen to face the first day of the new venture as they faced Burnley at Hillsborough with the unusual, TV-enforced kick-off time of 6:15pm.
It, too, was a disaster, with the Lancashire side running out 2-0 winners thanks to an Ian Thomas-Moore goal and a Paul Cook penalty late on. It was Peter Shreeves first game as permanent Wednesday boss.
From Italian enigmas and brothers of England internationals to promising youngsters later charged with drugs offences, let’s take a look at what happened next to the Wednesday players that took the field that day 19 years ago.
5. Derek Geary
The second of three players in this side to have crossed over to the Blades, Irishman Geary was a diminutive, attacking full-back who played over 100 league games for Wednesday between 1997 and 2004. He left for a short spell at Stockport before Neil Warnock picked him up and having played 94 times for the other side of the city he retired in 2010 aged just 30 due to injury problems. He now works as a youth coach at Bramall Lane. Photo: Jamie McDonald
6. Danny Maddix
A combative defender signed having made over 300 appearances for QPR, Maddix was seen as a leader in the Owls' post-Premier League rebirth and played as such, making 54 league bows before his release after relegation to the third tier in 2004. He went on to play for Barnet where alongside Ian Hendon he enjoyed a short spell as caretaker manager. After retirement he moved back to London and is now involved with Sunday side Colebrook Royals. Photo: Clive Rose
7. Steve Haslam
Once an England youth international who captained Michael Owen, Steve Haslam was another youngster brought in as Wednesday attempted to blood younger, less expensive faces, Haslam made 143 appearances in Owls colours before making the move to Halifax in 2008. Shorter spells at Bury and Hartlepool followed before he retired at Fylde in 2008. He's back at Wednesday as academy manager, bringing through the likes of Alex Hunt, Osaze Urhoghide and Liam Shaw in recent years. Photo: Ben Radford
8. Paul McLaren
Having signed from Luton and scoring eight leagues goals in 96 league games, Paul McLaren was one of a raft of players to leave the club in 2004. He signed for Rotherham United, enjoying two years there before moving on to Tranmere Rovers, Bradford City, back to Tranmere and then to Oxford United, where he retired in 2012. McLaren now works as a scout at Manchester City having performed a similar role at Arsenal. Photo: Craig Prentis