One of the keys to a successful campaign is creating a fortress on your own patch.

Leicester City's clash with Swansea tomorrow will be the sixth opening-day fixture since the Walkers Stadium opened in August 2002.

While one match does not make a season, there are perhaps one or two omens. For instance, victories over Watford, in 2002, and MK Dons last year, triggered successful promotion campaigns.

A draw against Southampton in 2003, when City were two goals up, and defeat against Blackpool in 2007, saw those campaigns end in relegation.

One thing is for sure – if City can get off to a flying start in front of their own fans, and build on it over the coming months, there should not be too much to worry about. Opposition beware!

Here is a run down of City's previous five opening-day matches at the Walkers.

City 2 Watford 0

(Sat, Aug 10, 2002)

Watford were the visitors for the first league game to be played at City's magnificent new home – and duly succumbed 2-0 to a Brian Deane double.

After a largely uneventful first half, the game burst into life in the 47th minute when Deane converted Muzzy Izzet's right-wing cross.

Eight minutes later, Deane settled the issue with a cool finish from James Scowcroft's accurate pass.

The success got City up and running in their bid to bounce straight back to the Premier League, sparking a super run of only one defeat in their first dozen league games. It all ended on a high with promotion back to the top flight for Micky Adams and his team.

City: Walker, Sinclair, Taggart, Elliott, Rogers, Summerbee, Izzet, Marshall, Scowcroft, Dickov, Deane. Subs: Benjamin (for Deane), McKinlay (for Elliott), Stewart (for Dickov), Flowers, Stevenson. Att: 31,022.

City 2 Southampton 2

(Sat, Aug 16, 2003)

City celebrated their return to the Premier League in champagne style.

Paul Dickov gave them the lead on five minutes with a penalty after Les Ferdinand had been fouled. Then Ferdinand doubled the lead on 10 minutes with a header.

City had chances to increase their lead but two goals in the last 15 minutes from Kevin Phillips and James Beattie snatched an unlikely point for the Saints.

From then on it was a struggle. City could muster only five league wins and were relegated.

City: Walker, Curtis, Elliott, Thatcher, Rogers, Scowcroft, Izzet, Scimeca, Gillespie, Ferdinand, Dickov. Subs: Nalis (for Dickov), Stewart (for Gillespie), Deane (for Ferdinand), Coyne, Hignett. Att: 31,621.

City 0 West Ham 0

(Sat, Aug 7, 2004)

On a hot summer's day, City and West Ham finished deadlocked – but that was not the major talking point. Dion Dublin had returned to his home club in pre-season but his debut lasted just 18 minutes before he was red-carded following an incident with Rufus Brevett.

New signing David Connolly looked the part but was unable to make the breakthrough. Brevett got his marching orders for a second yellow card in the 84th minute as the match finished goalless.

Micky Adams departed as manager in October to be replaced by Dave Bassett and Howard Wilkinson. They lasted just three weeks before Craig Levein came in and led City to a 15th-place finish.

City: Walker, Makin, Dabizas, Heath, Wilcox, Scowcroft, Williams, Nalis, Stewart, Dublin, Connolly. Subs: Keown (for Heath), Blake (for Wilcox), Gemmill, Gillespie, Pressman. Att: 30,231.

City 0 Blackpool 1

(Sat, Aug 11, 2007)

This was Martin Allen's first league game as manager and hardly ended the way he would have wanted against Simon Grayson's Blackpool.

City had their chances, James Chambers rattling the crossbar, but it was the visitors who got the only goal, Keith Southern swooping from close range in the 63rd minute. Substitute DJ Campbell went close to an equaliser and Mark de Vries hit a post, but it was not to be.

Allen soon departed, to be replaced by Gary Megson and then Ian Holloway. A turbulent season ended with relegation to the third tier of English football for the first time in City's history.

City: Henderson, Chambers, N'Gotty, McAuley, Mattock, Wesolowski, Clemence, Kishishev, Newton, Hume de Vries. Subs: Stearman (for Chambers), Hayes (for Mattock), Campbell (for Kishishev), Nielsen, Fryatt. Att: 26,650.

City 2 MK Dons 0

(Sat, Aug 9, 2008)

It was vitally important to get off to a good start under new manager Nigel Pearson, and that is exactly what happened.

Impressive they were too, and Matty Fryatt put City ahead on 24 minutes with a penalty after he had been fouled.

City dominated much of the game but did not seal the points until the 82nd minute when Fryatt steered home the ball after great work from winger Max Gradel.

City left the field to a standing ovation. And there were many more to come in a season when they dominated League One and finished as worthy champions.

City: Henderson, Gilbert, Tunchev, Morrison, Mattock, Gradel, Oakley, King, Dyer, Fryatt, Howard. Subs: Hobbs (for Tunchev), Dickov (for Howard), Martin, Kishishev, Campbell. Att: 23,351.