This was a special game, the very first game of the 2017/18 season and the only game kicking off on Friday evening. I was doing a tour with my daughter. It had been three years since the last time. She would go home after four games and I had plans for four more. Stadium of Light was my 71st league ground and my daughter's 19th. 

We had flown in to Heathrow the day before and gone up to Newcastle on an evening train. During the day we had been to St James Park and in the afternoon we took the metro train down to Stadium of Light. Not every football ground has its own train station. 

Sunderland had been relegated from the Premier League the season before and aimed to get back as fast as possible, but it didn't start well. Derby scored on their first attempt in the 11th minute when Johnny Russell's bobbling cross was converted by Bradley Johnson. Lewis Grabban got the equaliser from the penalty spot after Jacob Butterfield had handled the ball just before half-time. Grabban came closest to a winner in the second half, but his shot hit the post. 

After the game we had to walk back to St Peter's Station for our train back to Newcastle since the Stadium of Light Station was closed in that direction. The next morning we were on an early train down to Birmingham to get to Coventry for the next game.