Watford FC - History Thread

Discussion in 'The Golden Years' started by Nuandy, Apr 18, 2015.

  1. Teide1

    Teide1 Squad Player

    He did some training up at Sheffield Wednesday,,putting procedures and plans in place for future Watford players to be transferred and loaned to them!
     
  2. Stevohorn

    Stevohorn Watching Grass Grow

    Yes i'd forgotten about that. Played in Hong Kong & some games in Cyprus before hanging up his size 12's :)

    Retired to Spain to become a bar owner. Anyone know if he's still there?
     
  3. Clive_ofthe_Kremlin

    Clive_ofthe_Kremlin Squad Player

    Earliest Watford Film Footage?

    What's the earliest footage of Watford FC?

    The earliest I've seen is this one from 1965 training in the frozen north. Is anyone aware of anything earlier though?

    [video=youtube;7Nr_Nw3jPtQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Nr_Nw3jPtQ[/video]
     
  4. Otter

    Otter Gambling industry insider

    I'm pretty sure I read somewhere once that our FA Cup match v Wolves in 1912 was recorded on film and shown at a local cinema, I doubt the film still exists though.
     
  5. Oscar calling

    Oscar calling Squad Player

    There was a big battle at Stamford Bridge in 1066. If we participated it was probably filmed!
     
  6. Optimistichornet

    Optimistichornet Penguin Assassin

    Pozzos could learn a thing or too. Scrap the preseason tour to Austria next year and go up to the lake or Peak District. We would soon know if our players are tough enough to hack it at Burnley on a cold Monday night
     
  7. Warrington Hornet

    Warrington Hornet Reservist

    I have seen footage of an FA Cup match at Peterborough in 1963/64 on Youtube and there is footage of Watford v Man U in 1949/50 at Vicarage Road on Pathe News and I think even Newcastle away in the FA Cup in 1923/24
     
  8. reids

    reids First Team

  9. Stevohorn

    Stevohorn Watching Grass Grow

    The Peterborough game is the oldest footage i have on my YT channel..


    [video=youtube;8I3x-ndfTek]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I3x-ndfTek[/video]

    Pat Jennings in goal!
     
  10. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

  11. Wilkinson

    Wilkinson Academy Graduate

    One of my early experiences of supporting "The mighty Orns" was in the early seventies, walking down Occupation Road a bloke came out of the social club with what I found out to be a Belgian flag and asked me to hang it on the toilet wall of the old toilet block that used to stand on the open terrace of the Rookery. I think it used to be a grass bank but my memory may be playing tricks? When I competed my task a Copper came over to me and said I can't put up away supporters colors in the home end and through me out!
     

  12. "The Fighting Blues"
     
  13. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

    Indeed so GOBE. We were in days of yore known as The Brewers thanks to the association with Benskins and The Blues due to the colour of the kit we wore.

    This is the history of the Watford kit over some one hundred and twenty years and as one can see the 1950/51 kit was a bright blue with white trim possibly as a tribute to one of the clubs that by merger created Watford FC, Watford Rovers.

    http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Watford/Watford.htm

    Watford St.Marys who I presume were affiliated to the church (many notable clubs have their origin as church teams for example Southampton and Aston Villa) played in the stripes. The Rovers played very close to the current ground at Colney Butts meadow. Given that this land was in possession of The Red Lion public house and that Watford Printers is on the site of Colney Butts House the old ground of Watford Rovers must be nearby and not too far from that the former location of the St.Mary's ground at Wiggenhall Meadow.

    Ground is a rather an inaccurate term. A more apt description would be an area of grass marked off by rope. before the merger Watford Rovers became part of West Herts Sports club and the 'ground' moved to the current site of West Herts CC.

    Before either of these clubs were created and at the time when association football had it's first official rules created the sole local side were Hertfordshire Rangers. They were not a working class mens team more a gentleman and players outfit that played somewhere off the Earl of Essex's still then extant estate in Nascot Wood and later somewhere off Langley Road before folding due to a lack of interest. Which is when Watford Rovers took off along with Watford St.Marys.
     
  14. Siohmy

    Siohmy Reservist

    Better coverage than we get on MotD.
     
  15. StuBoy

    StuBoy Forum Cad and Bounder

    I wish we were called Watford Rovers.
     
  16. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    We will probably be re-named just before the announcement of the move to that industrial estate by the side of Aldenham reservoir (which is quite close to Watford).
     
  17. onion8837

    onion8837 Reservist

    Leo Markham was our super sub but think we went down that season 74-75, having sold Billy Jennings to West Ham
     
  18. Teide1

    Teide1 Squad Player

     
  19. Nnnn

    Nnnn First Team

    My first ever Watford game was standing on the Rookery terrace in about 73 with a few school mates (I can't remember who against). My overriding memory is of Ross Jenkins running around like a headless chicken on stilts in a poor performance & defeat. "What a bloody waste of money" was the general comment from the fans around me.

    Little did they know...
     
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2016
  20. onion8837

    onion8837 Reservist

    No I mean Leo markham - he used to come on late and score important goals. Never a first team regular
     
  21. onion8837

    onion8837 Reservist

    He got loads of stick when he first arrived - 15k was a lot of money for us but he looked terrible for a few seasons and was never an established first teamer until gt arrived and even then it took him a while
     
  22. Nnnn

    Nnnn First Team

    Was that a record fee for us at the time?
     
  23. V Crabro

    V Crabro Reservist

    I am almost certain we paid £30K for him from Palace......
     
  24. onion8837

    onion8837 Reservist

    You are correct and it was a club record fee at the time
     
  25. V Crabro

    V Crabro Reservist

    Anyone remember the night at the Vic in March 1973 when we were 1-0 down to the bottom club in Div III, S****horpe, at HT. Ross came on and scored his first two goals for the club, Pat Morrissey also bagged a brace and Ron Wigg scored in his final game for the Hornets. Lowest crowd of the season - under 5,000 - but a great atmosphere in the Rookery as we turned it round in the second half. Those two goals were the only ones Ross scored in 28 appearances that season - slow starter is an understatement!

    Different world now - you have to pinch yourself sometimes.....
     
  26. Nnnn

    Nnnn First Team


    £30K in 1972, 44 years later...£13.5M
     
  27. Teide1

    Teide1 Squad Player

    Well he scored 3 goals for us and I believe at least one was away from home (at Plymouth) so still think he needs to play a few more games to be known as a super sub (in my mind anyway)
     
  28. Teide1

    Teide1 Squad Player

    Do people remember David Woodfield we paid £25.000 (club record) for him in 1971, central defender from Wolves, was injured in his first game came back probably still injured went on to make 15 appearances in total, was on a large contract so instead of paying him off they made him coach!
     
  29. onion8837

    onion8837 Reservist

    God, is that all ? In my memory (I was about 8 or 9) he came off the bench fairly regularly to get late winners as a makeshift centre forward (I think he was really a centre back)....
     
  30. Teide1

    Teide1 Squad Player

    We got him from Marlow and he ended up at Aylesbury! Bit different where we do our shopping now!
     
  31. Stevohorn

    Stevohorn Watching Grass Grow

    Also available on Pathe's Youtube channel..


    [video=youtube;weHUVFB30bM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weHUVFB30bM[/video]

    [video=youtube;FD10BwbXfk8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD10BwbXfk8[/video]

    [video=youtube;zIFjpxhcDSA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIFjpxhcDSA[/video]
     
  32. Stevohorn

    Stevohorn Watching Grass Grow

  33. bert slater

    bert slater Reservist

    Bad knee injury in vic rd goal mouth, think it was early in game too.
     
  34. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    I remember my brothers talking about him.

    Thereafter any player we bought who was soon injured they would say "Another Woodfield!"
     
  35. onion8837

    onion8837 Reservist

    Bobby Svarc
     

Share This Page