Five Games I Still Regret Missing

Discussion in 'The Golden Years' started by ST1968, Aug 2, 2022.

  1. ST1968

    ST1968 First Year Pro

    The MOTD clip wfc4ever (thank you) posted from 1984 the other day got me thinking as to the five games from the past I still regret having missed.

    - Birmingham Away. FA Cup 1984. The Barnes goal wfc4ever posted. Needed the money from work.
    - Southampton 7-1. Suffice to say I was one of those who can not claim to have been there
    - Kaiserslautern Away. Still at school. I so wanted to go on that European tour
    - A bit random. Leicester Away. Christmas 1993. Went, got to the ground, locked out/sell out, went back to pub. Ended 4-4
    - Luton 4-0. Had a ticket. Flew in from US overnight. Took a quick nap before going. Woke up at half time and switched on radio and uttered "oh fcuk" many many many times.

    I was realistically too young for United 2-1 Away in the League cup and definitely for the battle of Kennilworth Road in 1969.
     
  2. Diamond

    Diamond First Team

    Went to the Brum away cup game in 84. It was the best game of the cup run by far.
     
  3. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    Just to irritate you, I was at all five of those.

    My list however is:
    Man Utd away 2-1 in the League Cup, 1978. It was just around the time I started going to away games. I went to the 0-0 at Stoke later in the run but not the semi-final at Forest.
    Levski Spartak Sofia 1 Watford 3. UEFA Cup 1983. One of the great away wins. I was in the midst of an evening course at the time and missed all the UEFA Cup games after the Kaiserslautern ones.
    Watford 2 Leeds 1. League Cup 1992. Leeds of course were champions and had Cantona at the time. I must have been away somewhere, probably for work.
    Liverpool 0 Watford 1 Mooney's goal in 1999. I think I just didn't believe enough that we could win to go up there.
    Brighton 0 Watford 2 Promotion day 2015. I was on holiday in Spain and didn't think that would be the day we went up. I console myself that the final whistle was not the actual moment of promotion. However, some celebrating was done that afternoon at a bar in a village in Andalusia.

    A special mention too to the Cup win v Liverpool in 1970 and Barry Endean's famous goal. I hadn't been to a match at that stage but that was the moment I though Watford might be worth following. I've been very lucky to have been at almost all the great occasions since.
     
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  4. Knight GT

    Knight GT Predictor extraordinaire 2013/14

    Watford vs Leicester, yes that game! I was in Lanzarote watching it in a bar, Walked out in disgust when penalty was given so missed the goal!
    Watford 3-2 Wolves Semi Final. Watched in a bar in Philadelphia surrounded by bemused Americans who wondered what on earth was going as I'm jumping round like a mad man
    Any of the European away games. I was just too young
    Man United 1-2 Watford League cup
    Watford 1-0 Scum, no fans in attendance due to pandemic. Hate to miss any games against them that we win
     
    ST1968 likes this.
  5. ST1968

    ST1968 First Year Pro

    You achieved the desired result ;-)
     
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  6. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    Agreed. We were simply outstanding that first half playing with the wind behind us. Should have been 3 or 4 up at HT. Then they battered us 2nd half, equalised and it was looking bleak until our 2 late counter-punches. A truly great match and a great win. Brilliant atmosphere.
     
  7. Otter

    Otter Gambling industry insider

    3 of mine were play off semi finals.

    1) At Brum in 1999, I had a minor operation that day at Mount Vernon, the nurses were a bit bemused with me going nuts listening to the commentary of the shoot out on hospital radio.
    2) At Palace in 2006, I was unable to get a ticket for it.
    3) Home to Leicester in 2013. I had a ticket but my wife had other plans as that day was Mothers Day in Peru (I think the UK is the only country to have it in March) so she arranged something else so I couldn't go. I switched off the TV on about 88 minutes, I didn't know the result for a couple of hours.
    4) 6-1 at Millwall, the wife and kids were away and I had some DIY to do, I was tempted to go but ultimately I didn't.
    5) Brighton in 2015, I didn't attempt to get a ticket, I wish I had, that would have been a great day out.
     
  8. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    We've had both joyous days and nightmares at Millwall over the years, but we really stuck it to them that day.
     
  9. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    Watford 8 Sunderland 0 when I was away for a romantic weekend on Paris. For 10 seconds I was over the moon when reading the score on a newspaper stand the next day. Then the fact I’d missed it sank in and ruined the rest of the weekend.
    …..and 4 great Arsenal wins.
     
  10. Otter

    Otter Gambling industry insider

    Yes, I saw the 4-0 victory on a Boxing Day in the early 90s at the old Den but otherwise a couple of heavy defeats at the new Den, a 4-1 and a 4-3 I think.
     
  11. hornmeister

    hornmeister Tired

    I would have liked to have seen Sir Lloyd of Doyley score his first.
    Can't think of another 4.

    I can think of at least 5 I would have preferred not to have seen.

    The best match I ever saw was the I think playoff with Cripled Alice when Boothroyd had a punch up with their bench.
     
  12. Keighley

    Keighley First Team

    What channel is the 'I think playoff' on?
     
  13. hornmeister

    hornmeister Tired

    Dave
     
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  14. SkylaRose

    SkylaRose Administrator Staff Member

    I was at that one. I'm not entirely sure what started that, I think it was something to do with the ball boy and throw in? Ian Dowie is vile man, never liked him and we had the game wrapped up at Selhurst. However, I was worried we would face a few suspensions for the final - thankfully a verdict of "No case to answer for" was given a few days later.

    For me, I wish I had gone to Leicester when we won with a very, very late goal. I was in Coventry at the time and could of gone - but chose not to.
    The 3-3 draw at the Vic against Liverpool on the opening day under Snake. Was tempted to go, but I really thought we would get battered, happily we did very well.
    The day we won the old Second Division - I had food poisoning so had to miss it. Gutted. Would of loved to of been there.
     
  15. Heidar

    Heidar Squad Player

    I was not there when Doyley scored. Only missed one league match and that was it.
     
  16. SkylaRose

    SkylaRose Administrator Staff Member

    Flying header against QPR. They even had t-shirts about it a few days later... madness. But he was an icon for that generation of the Watford fanbase. He wasn't the most technically gifted footballer, but he was very likable and always tried.
     
  17. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    At the time it was a great moment but expectations back then were quite low, so looking back on it from this distance it now seems a little ‘meh’ to me now. It certainly doesn’t compare with, say, the Deeney goal and many other great Watford moments over the years. That’s not to take anything away from Lloyd, who was a great servant to the club.
     
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  18. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    Yes the level of thrills has increased dramatically since the Pozzos came along. Discuss.
    :)
     
  19. Davy Crockett

    Davy Crockett Reservist

    Halifax away circa 1976 , 0-0.
    Scarborough away FA cup 1993? Was there but wish I wasn't
    Fulham away 1979: 0-0 ditto
    Sunderland away 0-4 1980 ?
    Luton away 1982 was not there but a MIG (mug) picked a fight with
    the wrong person .
     
  20. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    Good selection. I never got to Roker Park. I was at the legendary Scarborough game and I suspect the Fulham 0-0. L*t*n ‘82 must be the Christmas game, which was absolutely packed, and was the usual 1-0 defeat. As for The Shay, it was the most basic ground I ever went to. I was there for a 1-1 in ‘77 (pre GT), notable only for me spilling ketchup down my jeans from an overladen hot dog.
     
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  21. Davy Crockett

    Davy Crockett Reservist

    It is frowned upon these days but I remember at Halifax a couple of coppers trying to separate about 15 to 20 13-16 year olds !.
    The Scarborough scrap was with the old bill . Oop there they think Watford are King hoolie and not the family club that we are !!
     
  22. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    I don’t remember trouble at Scarborough. I thought everyone just nodded off. Maybe it was in the town?
     
  23. Otter

    Otter Gambling industry insider

    Agreed I don't remember anything at Scarborough. I remember a fight kicking off outside the ground after a horrendous cup defeat at Shrewsbury when Perryman was manager
     
  24. Knight GT

    Knight GT Predictor extraordinaire 2013/14

    Kicked off on the left hand side of the terrace. I remember a chap called Dave Taylor wearing a policeman’s helmet. Little bit outside the ground but nothing too bad
     

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