Favourite Watford Matches

Discussion in 'The Hornets' Nest - Watford Chat' started by ITK platypus, Jun 5, 2020.

  1. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    Remember that game.

    They had 3 sent off - Andy Cole was goalscorer for City.

    Luther and Gibbss were 2 of the scorers for us.

    Around the mid 90s I remember we had a couple of late winners v Southend in a 1/0 win and 3/2 v Port Vale with a Craig Ramage lop over the keeper.
     
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  2. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    We had that funny 4-7 win at Burnley before the semi final v Southampton I remember when Chopra hit 4.
     
  3. Mazzereth

    Mazzereth Academy Graduate

    Just remembered another...

    3rd March 1990. Watford 1- 0 Leeds.

    Travelled up from Wiltshire with my dad, my dad was not really into football but used to take me to about three games a season so it was always a big deal to me. Got to the game and it was all ticket, as my dad did not follow football he did not realise that this would be possibility. Anyway, he tried to get a ticket from the booking office, no dice, he was about to buy me a Watford away shirt when he saw a tout. My dad is not the kind of person who would get tickets from touts, just as the game kicked off he asked the tout and we got two tickets for the Vicarage Road end. Up until that point I had only been in the Rous stand so I was pretty pleased to be standing with the plebs.

    Rod Thomas scored and the place went mental.
     
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  4. Steve Leo Beleck

    Steve Leo Beleck Squad Player

    We played three home games in the space of 11 days towards the end of 95/96 and won 5-2, 4-2 and 6-3. Even though ultimately we were relegated that season, everything clicked in those home games and the buzz around the place was incredible, what with GT having returned.

    Those 15 goals in three games were only shared between three players - David Connolly 7, Devon White 4 and Craig Ramage 4. Gets a bad press because of the way he left but 19 year old Connolly was one of the best finishers I've ever seen.
     
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  5. Supertommymooney

    Supertommymooney Squad Player

    Another Wiltshire Hornet, I didn't come across many others as a kid!

    In fact, none...
     
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  6. Happy bunny

    Happy bunny Cheered up a bit

    My all-time favourite will be the one this season where our escape from relegation is confirmed and we send Muff down
     
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  7. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    One my favourites was the win at Norwich immediately after this featuring Gary Porter’s glorious winner. After the final whistle all the scores coming in seemed to be going in our favour and it really looked like we could escape.
     
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  8. Hornpete

    Hornpete Squad Player

    Yeah but you won't be there. Takes away about 70% of the enjoyment.
     
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  9. Happy bunny

    Happy bunny Cheered up a bit

    True - it would be lovely to sing to the Muff fans.
     
  10. onion8837

    onion8837 Reservist

    Would add :

    4-3 home to Bolton in 1993
    2-1 home to Tranmere in 1999
    2-0 home to Huddersfield with 9 men in 1976
     
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  11. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    Keith Mercer’s finest hour.
     
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  12. AndrewH63

    AndrewH63 Reservist

    For me it was the play off final win at Wembley. Nothing beats a second coming
     
  13. Manatleisure

    Manatleisure Squad Player

    My vote also goes to the play off final against Bolton at Wembley.
     
  14. Maninblack

    Maninblack Reservist

    In view of Friday's must win game against West Ham, I would also like to offer the 4-2 win at the Olympic Stadium on 10th Sept 2016 as one of my favourites. They went 2-0 up as a result of the showboating Payet's piss-taking rabona cross and we replied with 4, including a delicate chip from Deeney. The home fans were 'slightly' upset which made the victory even better!

    That result would suit us fine on Friday. COYH!
     
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  15. We hate 48

    We hate 48 Reservist

    Agreed-i think it was the last time we won away after being behind-over 70 games ago. NP away record in PL with us is 1 win in 9 so time for a change
     
  16. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    January 2019: Palace 1 Watford 2. We were 1-0 down at half-time.
     
  17. LondonOrn

    LondonOrn Squad Player

    Not taking anything away from the 1999 play-off win - but what makes it better than Cardiff 2006? That game sealed an even more unexpected promotion and brilliant play-off run where we cruised past Palace and Leeds without conceding a goal (and Leeds on paper were tough opponents because they'd beaten a Preston side with the best defensive record out of the four, and a team that I most wanted to avoid in the play-offs), and a better and more consistent season than 1998/99 with better football by all accounts.

    But I say the last bit because I just missed the 1998/99 season and am relying by what I read on BSaD - I guess you had to be there? How do people rate old Wembley vs the Millennium Stadium as a match day experience?
     
  18. Humpty Wazzok

    Humpty Wazzok Academy Graduate

    ah, yes. I was there as a guest of my West Ham supporting neighbour. He was happy at 2-0 :) the West Ham fans were too - baiting the Horns, who we were about 10 seats away from. It was difficult not revealing I was an ‘orn as the four goals went in.

    Seeing West Ham fans fighting each other on the opposite side of the stadium was fun, as was our “Two nil, and you ****ed it up” chants. It is the only time I have left a match early, as my neighbour was a bit cross. :)
     
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  19. leighton buzzard horn

    leighton buzzard horn Squad Player

    Old Wembley was better than Millenium Stadium for me but each will have their own view. The whole day was better - our first time in the Premier League, first time I'd seen us at Wembley, back to back promotions, a likeable squad. Wembley '99 was a great day as was the run up to it with that incredible run of games. Tranmere at home a particular highlight.
     
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  20. Supertommymooney

    Supertommymooney Squad Player

    As a rule I don't really enjoy our matches.

    Even when we're winning I'm just waiting for us to concede

    Guess the Wolves semi was the exception in that we should already have been out, so once ahead we had a while to be happy during the game.
     
  21. LondonOrn

    LondonOrn Squad Player

    I too was surprised when We Hate 48 didn't mention the Sunderland massacre, I can only assume it was for a similar reason to the above (without mobile phones and Internet access, the only way of keeping track of football scores before they came out in the papers was through the radio or Teletext/Ceefax, and if you were away that kind of stuff may not be available).
     
  22. Manatleisure

    Manatleisure Squad Player

    I was at Wembley which made it better for me.
     
  23. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    Also ‘99 had the GT redemption factor and that team was so much more lovable than the ‘06 team.
     
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  24. hornetgags

    hornetgags McMuff's lovechild

    Wembley 1999 was far more enjoyable than Cardiff 2006 as you have to take in consideration the whole day.

    Wembley - the pubs around Watford Junction were packed, everyone savouring the atmosphere. Travelling up on the short train journey, everyone singing on the train. Arrive at Wembley Central and go to the Watford designated pub. Get into the stadium, see one of the greatest goals to grace Wembley. The noise when Smart scored the second - even a couple of Bolton fans after called it deafening. Seeing Graham Taylor lift the trophy.
    Short train ride back to Watford, the town awash with Watford fans celebrating. I was in the Ice-O-Bar where they showed the entire game again at 9pm - everyone spills out when the goals go in to celebrate. Finally left to go home at 11.30pm, completely fulfilled content and very drunk. A brilliant brilliant day.

    Cardiff - decided to go by coach. It was a shambolic free-for-all on Greenhill Crescent, managed to get on an old coach that had seen better days. Roadworks on the M4, it's raining and we hit 30mph for an eternity. Arrive in Cardiff, try and find a toilet as our coach didn't have one.
    Ask for directions to the Millenium, given the long way round and me and the girlfriend at the time had to walk past a pub with about 100 Leeds fans outside. Subjected to a fair amount of threats and abuse. Get into the stadium, soaked and not enjoying the day at all. Great performance and win - overjoyed but want to get home. Walk back to the coach park, a goup on our coach decided to celebrate in a pub and we're kept waiting an hour. We're the last coach to leave. More roadworks and snails pace home. Finally arrive back in Watford around 10.45pm, drive past the Coliseum to see the town centre dead. Everything's shut so it's anticlimatic.

    Apart from the game, I hated going to Cardiff and would never want to do it again. Wembley and the whole day was just so much more enjoyable.
     
  25. Bish Shrodells

    Bish Shrodells Academy Graduate

    Have been following WFC since 1967, listed below are a handful of games that standout for me for varying reasons that may not have been mentioned before, I have listed them in chronological order:

    Swindon town 0-1 Watford Div3 Mar 1969: First WFC away game for me, went with my Dad & Granddad, this game was played on a Saturday night, which for me being only 9 made it even more exciting, it just so happened to be the same day as the Boat Race, Grand National, FA Cup Semi-Finals & The Eurovision Song Contest (Lulu joint first with three other countries). Barry Endean scored the winner, Keith Eddy had a penalty saved by Peter Downsborough, the only pen I ever saw K.Eddy not score from. Going into the game it was Div3 Top playing second place. The game could not have been any bigger at the time, given the sides respected league placings coupled with Swindon having won the League Cup Final two weeks earlier at Wembley against Arsenal and check the attendance out 29,106, WFC were seriously well supported that night, difficult to put a figure on our turnout but I would say approximately 5-6,000 hornets. WFC took the Swindon home terrace that night and made plenty of noise, and in keeping with the times kept singing 'we all came in a yellow submarine'. How times have changed in football, we arrived at Swindon that afternoon at about 4pm, queued up for what felt like an eternity to pay cash on the turnstile to get in, we stood on the Stratten bank open terracing behind the goal, and I remember twirling my wooden black & yellow football rattle (who remembers those) when Endean scored. Happy Days. Bye the way that attendance figure has only ever been bettered once since then at Swindon, this was for their FA Cup 4th Rd match against Arsenal in 1972 (32,000) and it has never been bettered for Swindon in a league match.

    Watford 0-1 Queens Park Rangers Div2 Aug 1969: My first WFC home game in the Second Division (Promised land for us at the time) I had missed the first home game that season home to Bolton Wanderers due to me playing football for my school. It was a Wednesday evening game and QPR had just been relegated from the First Division the previous season. I remember the game for a couple of reasons firstly the attendance was 27,968 a record league crowd at the Vic which still stands today and secondly due to the exceptionally large QPR following which made for a great atmosphere. QPR won the game Barry Bridges scored down at the rookery end, much to my everlasting disappointment the rookery exploded (in today's parlance Limbs) as it must of been two thirds occupied by QPR fans that night, even to this day it is a vision I cannot get out of my head.
    I am reliably informed by QPR friends of mine that the fighting between WFC & QPR fans on the way back on the train to Carpenders Park was legendary and spilled out on to the tracks. Due to the fact that I lived in Ickenham (Middx) and when at School and socially where I lived there were a good number of QPR fans, I firmly believe this is why I always think of QPR as our main local rivals and not Luton, I am aware this would not sit favourably with those who follow the Hornets and live in Watford and / or Hertfordshire.

    Chelsea 5-1 Watford FA Cup Semi-Final Mar 1970: At the time this was probably the most excited & anticipated WFC game I had waited for, just to think we (WFC) were in an FA cup semi-final and playing at the time a very fashionable Chelsea team, it was all I could do to contain myself. My Dad & I went by tube from Ickenham to Seven Sisters and what a walk from there to White Hart Lane it is when your only 10 yrs old. We had seat tickets in the Upper East Stand level with the 18 yard box towards the Paxton Road End, the terrace where most of the WFC support was, for those that remember the old White Hart Lane ground that is the seats above the 'Shelf'. As you can imagine the atmosphere was electric (particularly before the game and the first half) the attendance was 55,209 I believe WFC had been allocated 18,000 tickets (something the club complained bitterly about at the time) at this point the largest crowd I had ever been in by some distance.
    Until December 2013 (got a DVD of the Highlights) I had never seen Terry Garbett's stonking 20 yard first half equaliser apart from on the day, in the context of the first half the goal (and boy was it good) was certainly the least WFC deserved. However it all unraveled in the second half and the game became a bit of a damp squid, and for me very disappointing (I had a good number of Chelsea fans at school to face on the Monday) I do not remember much of the journey home other than, having to shelter a couple of times in shop doorways, whilst walking up the Tottenham High Road, due to WFC & Chelsea fans fighting.

    Brentford 0-3 Watford Div4 Oct 1977: This was the beginning of the First Taylor Era, I had been to Brentford a couple of years earlier November 1975 and we had lost 1-0 to a reasonably late Steve Phillips goal, which had rankled with me for sometime. So I was looking forward to this visit to Griffin Park for revenge and what revenge it was, possibly the most complete WFC performance I had seen to that point. If memory serves it was on a Monday night Dad & I got seat tickets for the main stand and there were plenty of WFC fans all around us, and again a good following on the open terrace behind the goal (these days this terrace is covered and now the home end) as indicated earlier it was a complete WFC performance and satisfying revenge for our defeat in 1975. As with so many things as you get older apart from the obvious facts documented about any professional match the rest of what happened is down to how well I can remember it, so with that in mind, I am pretty sure a large number of Brentford fans invaded the pitch during the game, may have been the second half, and I think it was to some degree born out of our comprehensive performance and humiliation of Brentford on the pitch. The other thing i remember was seeing Brian Moore & Jimmy Hill taking in the game in the main stand, possible to check out what this young upcoming manager GT was building at Watford. On leaving the game and trying to make our way back to the car Dad and I got caught up in the fisticuffs between WFC & Brentford fans outside, fortunately we found a hole in a fence where we had been pushed up against, crept through it onto some wasteland and made our way unscathed back to the car. For the record the attendance was 14,500, as far as I am aware they have not had a bigger league crowd at Griffin Park since that game. Given that football was a little more rigid in those days in when and what time it was played, I am still unaware as to why this game was played on a Monday night, not a traditional day to play football back then.

    Stoke City 0-0 Watford FL Cup 5th Rd Dec 1978: My first WFC away game by football special (train) I was on the first of two special trains that left Watford Junction that day for Stoke. We were at the top of Div3 and Stoke were 2nd in Div2 so the game was eagerly anticipated by all those leaving for Stoke that afternoon, unlike today (where you can find everything out in seconds) I knew little to nothing about Stoke or even who played for them, the only player of there's i was aware of was Garth Crooks (cannot remember how I even knew about him). The game for me anyway seem to be played by two teams determined not to lose, not to say it was not exciting it was, but it just seemed tempered by nerves on both sides. The one piece of action during the game that sticks out for me was Garth Crooks (I knew I had heard of him) hitting the post down at our end of the ground towards the end of the game. For the record the attendance was 26,070 and looked pretty packed to me, WFC were well represented at a guess i would say between 3,500 to 4,500 hornets, the vast majority of those (including me) were in the open terrace behind the goal, for those that remember the Victoria Ground, this was their usual away end but before the seats had been added to the back of the away terrace. The walk back to the station after the game was long and winding but incident free as far as I recall, and for me a happy one, as I was now convinced that we would beat them in the up and coming reply at the Vic, I genuinely believed that was Stoke's best chance of winning and it was all in our hands now.

    Watford 2-0 West Ham United Div2 Sept 1979: I remember this game particularly because both my Granddad, Dad & Mum all went, meaning I would be standing on the terraces (our family had three season tickets in the Shrodells) so I was a little nervous as I was aware WHU lovable hooligan element would be infiltrating onto the vicarage road end of our ground. For those that were there that is exactly what happened, a fair bit of fighting on the Vic End terrace, I vaguely remember WHU fans getting on the pitch (short livid as far as I recall) and I for one spent a fair chunk of the game roaming between the vicarage road end and the shrodell terraces, trying to avoid aggressive hammers. As for the game it was played in brilliant sunshine and we won comfortably, without looking it up, I cannot remember exactly but Blissett certainly scored one of our goals. The interesting thing for me was, that it was not until I met up with the rest of the family on the way home that I found out that Ian Bolton had been sent off, I remember the Ref speaking to him I just did not realise he was sent off and we were down to 10 men (that sort of thing just could not happen today). For the record the attendance was 23,329 at a guess 4,500 to 6,000 Hammers, not that I went anywhere near the town centre that day, but I believe there were many unsavory incidents, before and after the match.
     
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  26. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    You predate me by a few years in supporting Watford, but this was a good read. Here’s a few reactions.
    You mention Keith Eddy who was captain when I started going in 1970. The first Watford goal I ever saw was one of his penalties.
    My first away game wasn’t until 1974 when my Dad took me to Reading. Robin Friday destroyed us at the old Elm Park in a 3-0 defeat.
    I was at the Brentford game you describe with the packed crowd. When I went there at that time I used to stand in front of the main stand behind the dugouts. The pitch invasion was the one by some young teenagers and repelled single handed by the fearsome Sam Ellis. I think that was the night we first knew we were going somewhere under GT.
    I also went on the football special up to the Stoke cup tie. I was supremely confident of a good result, despite Stoke being in a higher division. I’m pretty sure the closest we came to scoring was a header just over the bar from Luther. Being escorted to and from the station by the police was strangely thrilling at that age.
    The 79/80 season was particularly exciting, first because we were back in the 2nd Div but also because West Ham, Chelsea, QPR and L*t*n were all in that division. I think all those games at home attracted 20,000+ attendances and it was pretty much the height of hooliganism around Vicarage Road.
    Great memories. Thanks.
     
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  27. Forzainglese

    Forzainglese Reservist

    Excellent 'self-indulgence'. I'm a little surprised you didn't include the other Kaiserslauten match.
     
  28. Davy Crockett

    Davy Crockett Reservist

    Showing my age here however : Watford 5-1 Doncaster on a Friday night in 1977
    for some reason. The wheels were starting to come off our promotion push that
    season but the team put in a great performance that night .
    The same season and after we had choked, sacked the manager , we managed to piss
    on Swansea City's parade and beat them 4-1 away from home which ultimately cost them
    promotion.
    Man Utd away 1-2 in the league cup although I wasn't there but saw it on Sportsnight
    without knowing the score .
    Stoke City at home , beating them aet in the q\f.
    Gillingham away in the fa cup 1976 because it was my
    first away game at 14 years old which we won 1-0.

    Maybe another thread could be "worst game ever" and I have been
    to loads !! Halifax away 0-0 and Scarborough away in the fa cup also
    0-0 . However traveling away to far flung corners to watch a "dog with fleas"
    football match is a rite of passage.
     
  29. Bish Shrodells

    Bish Shrodells Academy Graduate

    Many thanks for the reactions, just following up on a couple of them:

    Oddly enough, our first ever second division goal scored at the Vic was a Keith Eddy penalty v Sheffield Utd, and what a player and captain he was, got a picture of him (somewhere) listening to the FA cup draw with other WFC players on the wireless, whilst smoking a fag, how times have changed.

    I remember Robin Friday had quite a career at Reading, I am envious of you though, as I never went to Elm Park sadly.

    Your memory of the pitch invasion at Brentford is clearly better than mine, I had know idea of the Sam Ellis part in it.

    Your quite right that whole Stoke City experience including the long walk back to the station was very exciting at the time.

    That 79/80 season also included (from a local perspective) Fulham & Cambridge not massively different from the relatively local number of games we will have this coming season (if only we could go to them) , as regards Chelsea, QPR & Luton in 79/80 as you said crowds in-access of twenty thousand: 24,716, 22,341 & 20,227 respectively

    Good to chat
     
  30. 3000

    3000 Reservist

    Great read

    Stories like these just remind me how placid and boring going to premier league games actually is. There is no substance or character to the experience at all.
     
  31. Kesgravehorn

    Kesgravehorn Academy Graduate

     
  32. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    I did exactly the same with that Man U game on Sportsnight! It seems incredible now that you could do that.
     
  33. Eastcoastorn

    Eastcoastorn First Year Pro

    Interesting to read these accounts of football back in the day. There was a real difference in attending then to now.
    For me it was so exciting to travel to obscure places with your mates and as a youth and some of the things we got up to were just nuts. My first away game was at Northampton 1974 aged 14 and remember getting chased around the town by a load of locals after stepping of the club coach, we lost 0-3. A few years later we played them again up there and you can imagine my delight as watford fans invaded the home Hotel End terrace, we won...justice was served. I can’t remember anything about the football even though we won! Northampton used to be our main rivals at that time with Brentford as Luton were Div 1 or 2.
    I think the Fulham win as champions (we actually won something) and the Bolton Wembley game were the best. I remember having tears in my eyes seeing the players run out in the first ever Div 1 game against Everton in 1982, very emotional day but there have been so many great matches over the years along with the disasters.
    I’d put Everton and Man City cup finals and Sheffield Weds Draw in the disaster section with the whole of last season.
     
  34. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    I remember in the 70s arriving by train at places like Halifax and Huddersfield and not having a clue where the grounds were. You basically relied on following the crowd or spotting the floodlights.
    I quite agree with the emotions on seeing ‘our team’ make its debut in Div 1, something that was literally unbelievable a few years earlier.
     
  35. The Voice of Reason

    The Voice of Reason First Team Captain

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