Watford Fc 1-0 Millwall - 24/04/2021 - Promoted To The Pl

Feel guilty about not picking Luther but:
433 - Sarr Johnston and Barnes

 

We are talking about (I will whisper it) 42 years ago so to be entirely fair to you, flares and flip flops were still considered a fine combination. I was more of the zip and safety pin persuasion at the time which I suppose made us stand out as more likely to cause trouble. Did you find the flip flop? I lost my glasses in the winning goal celebration when we beat L*t*n in that 4-3 extra time FA Cup replay at the Vic but I guess that was more likely to happen. It didn't make getting home very easy but who cared that night!

 

Cally, Mo and Barnes. No better supplier of goal assists than Cally, and he weighed in with a few goals too.

 

I was at that game and the most memorable part of the game was a ferret running amok on the pitch

 

I was there, still think it’s the best crowd reaction I’ve been part of, everyone went absolutely mental

What people might forget is we had been massively on the ropes for the 5 mins before that, so the goal was a combo of winning the game and killing off all the nervous energy all it one go, was an amazing release of emotion!

My favourite video angle is the one below, the closest I’ve seen to capturing how it felt to be there that day

https://twitter.com/czazzera/status/1253960894796705793?s=21

 

He tried to win 1-0 in a country where the footballing culture renders that a massively over-risky approach. Even being 2-0 up against the bottom club with only 5 minutes left cannot be assumed to be totally safe. It seems he could not get his head around that.

 

He squeezed all the joy for the game out of everyone; players & supporters. I think it takes some doing to make Sarr look so miserable and play so conservatively.

 

I think the Ivic style of management just won't work in this country anymore. With player power the way it is, disciplined and tough managers just need to upset a few "stars" and the players with push him out.

I'm not sure if even Ferguson would make it now if he were just starting out tbh.

 

I think that a fans' group collected enough money to help put a roof over the original shallow terracing of the original Rookery End in late 1950s. And you're correct in saying that it was from the mid-60s that "The Rookery" as the end for chanting & associated scrapping with visiting fans took hold. The away fans would stand on the left hand side of the main central divide with a forlorn double-row cordon of police attempting to keep the two groups apart. Which was of little use against the showers of coins, bottles, light bulbs & even darts that used to be lobbed in both directions. Once we'd been relegated from the old Div 2 in 1972, attendances dropped & as the original Rookery "members" dropped out, few were interested in replacing them, especially not after a further relegation to Div 4.
The congregation of a group of lads near the Red Lion corner probably started in the 1976-7 season as the police had started to try to shepherd away fans into that corner by then. A memorable meeting was during the game versus Huddersfield in April 1977, when Mike Keen had been told he was being sacked after the game. We won 2-0 with 9 men after Geidmentis & Mayes were sent off. A crew of Huddersfield fans calling themselves the "YRA" as in "Yorkshire Republican Army" attempted to run amok in the Vic Road end. They had a reasonably humorous chant of "We've been in the pub & filled up with grub, we're the Yorkshire Republican Army". Anyway, the lads on the opposite side of the gangway that split the Red Lion corner in two had some fun seeing them off. As the area they stood was in front of a set of outside toilets, I assume that's why they adopted to moniker "The Bogside", which, similar to the "YRA" name had connotations with the violence in Northern Ireland. For the next 10 years, Watford's away support was not really viewed with any disdain, notwithstanding the MuGS' selective amnesia. GT was obviously not happy with their shenanigans, being particularly vocal about them after the away game at Crewe in March 1978 when he accused them of attacking 'innocent Crewe fans', seemingly unaware that many wearing red & white scarves that day were actually Stoke's firm, who were quite notorious at the time. (As it was Good Friday, Stoke did not have a game.) After the semi-final defeat to Spurs, things quietened down as far as Watford was concerned, with the growing move to all-seater stadia etc adding to the effects.

 

What a rollercoaster that tie was....2-0 down at the kennel at half time, got them back to 2-2 (I'm pretty sure all the goals were in front of the away terrace and at that age I was too short to see any of them!!) For both Watford goals I ended up in a completely different part of the terrace to where we were standing. Then winning in extra time at the vic under the lights with all 4 of our strikers scoring. Pure heaven. Can't believe thee orns are still giving us days/nights like that decades later. We are so lucky to be part of this club.

 

I'm glad some of you are remembering that 4-3 game, which rarely seems to be mentioned in the great pantheon of Watford memories. I still maintain it's the most exciting game I've ever been at.

 

In the light of his BBC commentary escapades, seems unlikely there was ever any hope of that.

 

Still Wembley in 99 for me.

The mood when the Wright goal went in was delighted disbelief, people around me hugging complete strangers, absolute unfettered joy.

When Smart scored it was simply sheer euphoria.

The entire of that day is etched in my memory and hasn't faded at all. Just one long day of emotive high upon high. I'm glad I got to share it with my dad, makes it all the more special.

Not to mention our two streakers. A first for a Watford game?

 

My first game at the Vic. What a game that was, it had a bit of everything on and off the pitch. It was crazy to go down to 9 men at 0-0 and end up winning 2-0 with 2 goals from Keith Mercer.

 

My memory may be playing tricks with me but I seem to remember before the final game of the season in 1996 against Leicester (the day we went down and they made the play offs) there was some act on the pitch before the game which involved naked men which was done for a bet? As I say I have a hazy memory of it or I have had difficulty trying to block if from my memory as certain things you prefer you had not seen.

 

I still rate them as amongst the most exciting, entertaining games I've seen. They were both good quality sides in those days, too.

 

Definitely MoJo - best finisher and only needed one chance.

to paraphrase John Arlott “the romantics would pick Blissett, the realists, to a man, would pick Johnston”

 

Not sure if mentioned yet...

But Millwall will still be missing 2 of their 3 CBs for tomorrow. Sadly the gigantic Cooper isn't one of them.

 

Fantastic moment and day but tinged with sadness looking back at those highlights....great goal and emotion from Vydra, Angella & Connolly first there to celebrate, mass celebration on the touchline for Joka and his coaches....4 months later all of those had been moved on and never got to enjoy the fruits of what they'd achieved in a Watford shirt....

 

Agreed it was sad how the team was dismantled, but on the other hand they all got to end on a high and will always be associated with this triumph.

 

I always think Angella is about to deck vydra in that celebration - looks like a massive uppercut to the jaw

 

Up there as one of my favourite away days. I was on crutches, god knows how I didn’t do myself anymore damage during the celebrations. Fabulous day and such a shame we won’t be there tomorrow.

 

we have that patch of dirt to thank for the fort goal.

 

I wonder how many more more than normal they will sell

 

Another one that isn't accessible to overseas subscribers - there have been a lot of these. Luckily I can watch them on DAZN where I am, but it would have been nice to have the Hive commentary for this particular one!

 

Yes, far more than anticipated. I think about half of the games haven't been watchable, in the end, which is a significant drop in value.

Unless you are somehow able to watch it in one of the broadcast exempt countries, of course.

 

smacked my knee on the back of the seat in front of me after the second goal. Everything was so wonderful from that day that the pain didn’t kick in till the next day+a massive hangover

On a different note.....didn’t those red shorts look lush!

 

A nice little reminder of what a good player Deeney was back then .

I know he’s past it , and when he plays forces us into aimless long ball football, but he’s been a immense player for us , especially from 2012-2016.

 

No.

 

Liked for the shorts

 

So it's happened.

I've convinced myself Millwall are Sacchi's Milan reincarnated. I've been watching clips of their away games this season and Jake Cooper has been looking like Maldini. **** me I just need us to win this tomorrow so the nerves can stop and I can watch a game from anywhere other than behind the sofa. Being at the Vic was so much easier.

 

Use a VPN set to the UK.

Sent from my Nokia 7 plus using Tapatalk

 

Had a good guffaw reading this.

Someone get this man a xanax!