There's a bit more to say, too, about Saturday's opener from a stats perspective:
* This is the first time City have netted four in an opener in 24 years. The Bluebirds beat Notts County 4-1 at Meadow Lane to kick off the 1985/86 season. It's only the fifth time City have scored as many as four goals in an opener. The previous four occasions include a 5-2 win at Stockport County to open the 1920/21 season (and City's account in the football league), the aforementioned 1951/52 lidlifter, a 4-4 home draw with Newcastle to begin the 1962/63 campaign, and that 1985/86 win at Meadow Lane.
* In scoring twice in an opener, Michael Chopra becomes the 12th Cardiff City player to net two in a season opener. No City player has had an opening-day hat trick, though Chopra came oh so close to becoming the first on Saturday. Jimmy Gill is the only Bluebird to net two twice, in 1920 and 1923. Others to turn the trick include Hughie Ferguson (1926), Ralph Williams (1930), Alex Hutchinson (1933), Wilf Grant (1951), Johnny McSeveney (1955), Barry Hole (1962), Brian Clark (1971), Derek Showers (1976), and Tony Bird (1995).
* Here's one more (vaguely?) interesting stat. Today's win gives City 23 opening day wins to go with 30 draws and 30 defeats. For the decade, however, they close their account with a record of 6-2-2 (wins in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2008 and 2009). This means that City have collected 26% of their opening-day wins in this decade alone!
* O.K., just one more of the vaguely interesting sort. In winning six openers in this decade, City doubled their previous best for wins in a decade. The Bluebirds won three in the 1920s, the '50s, the '60s and the '70s. Winning six openers in a single decade is fairly mind-boggling, then, when set against City's record in season lidlifters over the preceding eight decades.