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28th January 2024- FA Cup Fourth Round, Watford 1 Southampton 1

WFC.Net Jon Marks Goal Commentary: 1

Watford Observer: RECAP: Watford 1 Southampton 1

Hornets taken to cup replay after late Saints equaliser

Lack of composure in possession cost Watford says head coach

Sky: Watford and Southampton face a replay for a place in the FA Cup fifth round and a trip to Liverpool, following a 1-1 draw at Vicarage Road.

BBC: Substitute Stuart Armstrong struck late to earn Southampton an FA Cup fourth-round replay with a draw at Championship rivals Watford. Matheus Martins’ early free-kick had looked like being enough for the home side until the Scotland international levelled in the 89th minute.

Fran’s Watford Blog: While it was disappointing to concede so late in the game, the draw was a fair result.  The Hornets had dominated the first hour of the game and had enough chances to ensure the win.  But, once the visitors strengthened on the hour mark, they were much the stronger of the two teams and could have won it in time added on.  The late equaliser meant a check of my calendar to see what I will miss in order to go to Southampton (likely Belinda O’Hooley at the Green Note), although the prospect of a fifth round at Anfield is not filling me with excitement.  The positive on the day was all the young fans around us enjoying supporting their team from the middle of the Rookery.  I hope that they enjoyed the day despite the late opposition goal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023–24_FA_Cup
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28th January 2023- Championship, Middlesbrough 2 Watford 0

Attendance: 25,469

BBC Sport: Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough side leapfrogged Watford and moved up to third in the Championship table by winning the meeting of two play-off hopefuls.

Sky Sports: First-half goals from Chuba Akpom and Marcus Forss enabled Boro to bounce back in impressive fashion following last weekend’s North East derby defeat by Sunderland.

Fran’s Watford Blog: The travelling fans who were still in the stand at the end of the game offered sympathetic support to the players when they came over to applaud us, but that didn’t mask the fact that it had been a poor performance.  There had been a promising spell midway through the first half and a very good start to the second, but Middlesbrough were on top for most of the game, were incredibly dangerous when they attacked and, once they scored the second goal, the Hornets never looked like getting back in the game.

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28th January 2006- Championship, Watford 4 Crewe Alexandra 1

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Watford claimed third place in the Championship after thumping Crewe. Matthew Spring’s first-half double set up Watford’s win, the midfielder powering in a shot on 18 minutes and then applying a close-range finish.

Watford’s season may be defined in the next 15 days. Sheffield United loom a week today, and eight days later comes a daunting trip to Elland Road. The Leeds manager Kevin Blackwell was in attendance here and Spring’s display made it easy to understand why United insisted on a clause preventing the midfielder from lining up for his new team in what will be a vital fixture.

Now we shouldn’t become blasé about this great form, we can be fairly sure that Boothroyd will not allow any of the players to get complacent and the build up to this game against Crewe was given the full “our most important game” treatment, which sometimes comes over as a manager trying to convince himself as much as anyone else. Not our Aidy.

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2006-01-28
https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-championship/28-january-2006/
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28th January 1984-FA Cup Fourth Round, Charlton Athletic 0 Watford 2

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http://watford.fcdb.info/index.php?page=matches
Sunday People, 29 Jan 1984
Sunday Telegraph 29 Jan 1984
Sunday Mirror, 29 Jan 1984
Observer, 29 Jan 1984
Guardian, 30 Jan 1984
Daily Telegraph, 30 Jan 1984
Daily Mirror, 30 Jan 1984
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https://oldwatford.com/2014/02/11/11th-february-2014-championship-watford-1-birmingham-city-0/
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28th January 1967-FA Cup Third Round, Watford 0 Liverpool 0

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Watford Observer match preview

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http://watford.fcdb.info/index.php?page=matches

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Taken from www.lfchistory.net/SeasonArchive/Game/382

Evening Standard, 28 Jan 1967
Sunday Mirror, 29 Jan 1967
Sunday People, 29 Jan 1967
The Observer, 29 Jan 1967
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Daily Mirror, 30 Jan 1967

Watford Observer match report

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Taken from the programme on 4th February 1967-Division Three, Watford 4 Doncaster Rovers 1

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28th January 1961- Division Three, Grimsby Town 1 Watford 3

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http://watford.fcdb.info/index.php?page=matches

Watford Observer match report

Sunday People, 29 Jan 1961
https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=1961-01-28
https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-three/28-january-1961/
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28th January 1956- Division Three (South), Watford 0 Queens Park Rangers 1

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=1956-01-28
Sunday Dispatch, 29 Jan 1956
https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=1956-01-28
https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/division-three-south/28-january-1956/
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28th January 1922-FA Cup Second Round, Tottenham Hotspur 1 Watford 0

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This game was the first Watford match to have been recorded.

You can see the short clip on the BFI website.

https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-second-round-of-the-fa-cup-1922-online

A copy of the programme is on the excellent Watford Gold website.

1921/22 Watford at Tottehham FA Cup Programme for Recorded Game

Taken from Sunday Pictorial, 23rd January 1922

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statto.com

21st January 2026- Championship, Watford 1 Portsmouth 1

Watford Observer: Gracia pleased to have another home game so quickly after Millwall loss

Watford aiming to ‘take each game by the scruff of the neck’

https://www.watfordfc.com/supporters/digital-digests

Match Wrap: Watford 1-1 Portsmouth – Watford FCDownload

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY AS IT HAPPENED: Watford 1-1 Portsmouth

Five talking points after Watford held by Pompey

Match Report: Doumbia equalises but Watford held to Pompey point

WATCH: Immediate reaction to Watford 1-1 Portsmouth

Gracia ‘very upset and disappointed’ with Portsmouth performance

Gracia confirms Chakvetadze sub was tactical but Pollock had muscle issue

BBC: Portsmouth climbed out of the Championship relegation zone, despite being denied a rare Vicarage Road victory by Watford substitute Mamadou Doumbia.

Sky: Adrian Segecic put Portsmouth ahead in the 73rd minute but Watford levelled through substitute Mamadou Doumbia six minutes later.

17th January 2026- Championship, Watford 0 Millwall 2

This game was designated as the annual Graham Taylor Matchday.

Watford Observer: ‘Expect them to press high’: Millwall reporter previews game at Watford

Millwall preview: Watford must prove they are here to stay on big afternoon

Team news: Gracia on Chakvetadze’s fitness and Formose Mendy’s playing prospects

Gracia on Graham Taylor: ‘Not just what he did, but the way he did it’

https://www.watfordfc.com/supporters/digital-digests

Match Wrap: Watford 0-2 Millwall – Watford FCDownload

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY AS IT HAPPENED: Watford 0-2 Millwall

Five talking points as Hornets beaten by Lions

Match Report: Watford’s unbeaten home run ended by 2-0 Millwall defeat

Watford ‘have to learn’ about physical side of the game

Gracia on Millwall defeat: ‘We couldn’t find a way to play our football’

BBC: Millwall striker Josh Coburn came off the bench to score his second Championship goal of the season as the Lions beat promotion rivals Watford at Vicarage Road.

Sky: Femi Azeez returned to the club which once released him to inspire Millwall to a 2-0 victory over promotion rivals Watford at Vicarage Road.

Fran’s Watford Blog: Then there was a bizarre incident after a defensive header dropped for De Norre whose shot was flying well wide of the target when the ball boy decided to run on to the pitch to retrieve the ball right in front of the Millwall fans. The visitors were awarded a drop ball allowing Ivanovich a shot that flew wide of the target. The home fans started chanting “one of our own” at the ball boy, which I found a bit strange as his actions had ensured that the visitors regained possession. Meanwhile, the travelling Millwall support were giving him grief, so he was eventually moved to a safer space in front of the SEJ stand. This move was greeted with a chant of “We want our ball boy back” from the Millwall fans.

From the Rookery End: Mike, Jas and DCW headed to the Mad Squirrel to have a beer and look back at Watford’s 2–0 home defeat to Millwall, another miserable afternoon against the Lions and yet more frustration for the Hornets. They discuss how the momentum built over Christmas appears to have vanished, whether any players came out of the performance with credit, and what it all means as the January transfer window continues to tick on.

10th January 2026- FA Cup Third Round, Bristol City 5 Watford 1

Watford Observer: Team news: Gracia to give squad players a chance at Bristol City

Gracia reminisces about Woking visit and 2018/19 FA Cup run

Match Wrap: Bristol City 5-1 Watford – Watford FCDownload

BBC: Emil Riis scored his first Bristol City hat-trick as the Robins claimed an emphatic win over fellow Championship side Watford to sail into the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY AS IT HAPPENED: Bristol City 5-1 Watford

Match Report: Watford out of the FA Cup after 5-1 Bristol City hammering

Watford defended ‘really badly’ at Bristol City, says Gracia

Gracia on Pollock, Louza and bouncing back from FA Cup defeat in the league

Bristol City verdict: Response needed in more ways than one to maintain momentum

First senior goal is ‘very proud’ moment for boyhood Watford fan Grieves

Fran’s Watford Blog:  It was a truly abject second half performance. The first half had been competitive, and the Hornets had created some decent chances and could have been 2-1 up at one point. But once the third goal went in, the Hornets fell apart. This coincided with the substitutions and showed a worrying lack of depth in the squad. Once Pollock went off, the defence disappeared, which highlighted how much we rely on him and what a great asset Max Alleyne had been.

From the Rookery End: In the first – and last – FA Cup podcast of the season, Mike is joined by the Watford Observer’s Adam Drury to reflect on Watford’s 5–1 defeat away at Bristol City

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025–26_FA_Cup

4th January 2026- Championship, Hull City v Watford, Match postponed

The game was called off just 23 minutes before kick off. The Watford players came over to the away fans to tell them that the game was off before any announcement had been made in the ground. The news then started to appear on social media before finally confirmation was given in the stadium that the match was postponed.

Watford Observer: Hull City preview: Gracia expects winning run to energise one more push

News: Hull City Match Postponed – Watford FCDownload

The club released a further statement later in the evening.

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY RECAP: Hull City v Watford postponed

Watford’s game at Hull City postponed at VERY short notice due to safety concerns

‘We were ready to play’ – Watford release statement after Hull City postponement

EFL to ask Hull City and Watford for observations after late postponement

Hull City v Watford postponement saga – what happened and what next?

Referee and safety officials – not clubs – must agree to postpone EFL match

Ince explains ‘strange’ Hull postponement from Watford players’ perspective

From the Rookery End: Watford’s away trip to Hull City was dramatically called off just 18 minutes before kick-off, leaving hundreds of travelling Hornets fans frustrated after making a 400-mile round trip. Among them was our own Mike, who left home at 7am and didn’t make it back until his 7pm train that evening. With no full From The Rookery End podcast this week, we’re sharing Mike’s appearance on BBC Radio Humberside, where he joined host James Hoggarth on Monday night to give the Watford fans’ perspective. Mike talks through the disappointment, the logistics, and the emotions felt by supporters left stranded after a long day of travel — and asks what more could (and should) have been done.

1st January 2026- Championship, Watford 3 Birmingham City 0

Watford Observer: Birmingham preview: Gracia believes Watford squad ‘feel part of something’

https://www.watfordfc.com/supporters/digital-digests

Match Wrap: Watford 3-0 Birmingham City – Watford FCDownload

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY RECAP: Watford 3-0 Birmingham City

Match Report: Ince hat-trick inspires relentless Watford to 3-0 Birmingham win

Gracia on Birmingham win: ‘The squad believe in what we are doing’

Hat-trick hero Ince: ‘I never doubted that I could be exciting again’

Birmingham City verdict: Powerful Watford let rip at Vicarage Road

Gracia on Irankunda’s return to form and ‘high quality’ Ince

BBC: Tom Ince scored a hat-trick as Watford made it four successive Championship wins with a comprehensive victory over a lacklustre Birmingham City.

Sky: Ince should even have added a fourth goal when he fired over an open net inside the six-yard box with 20 minutes remaining.

BHappy: You really don’t want to be falling behind against this Watford side. Admittedly we’ve not taken the lead in games often enough to demonstrate the veracity of this theory conclusively (though, whisper it, one goal conceded in four games in case you missed that detail) but… rarely, perhaps not since our promotion season of 20 years ago (eek) under Aidy Boothroyd have we had a side so well-equipped for attacking on the break.

Fran’s Watford Blog: There were great celebrations in the stands and on the pitch. The players spent some time on the lap of honour and it was lovely seeing Tom Ince walking around with the matchball and a huge smile on his face. He was deservedly man of the match after scoring a hat trick and taking them all well.

From The Rookery End: On this week’s episode, Jon, Mike and DCW revel in Watford FC’s red-hot start to the year as the Hornets make it four consecutive victories and confidence begins to surge. There’s plenty of love for Tom Ince after a stunning hat-trick, with the lads discussing what his form means for the balance and belief within the side. Attention also turns to the hugely important return of Georgi Chakvetadze, whose influence has brought control, cohesion and calm back into midfield, helping to ignite an electric atmosphere at Vicarage Road.

29th December 2025- Championship, Norwich City 0 Watford 1

Watford Observer: Preview: Sargent returns for Norwich as Watford aim for three straight wins

Match Wrap: Norwich City 0-1 Watford – Watford FCDownload

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY RECAP: Norwich City 0-1 Watford

Match Report: Dramatic Semedo winner lifts Watford into top six at Norwich

Gracia on Norwich win: ‘The substitutes made the difference’

Norwich verdict: Irankunda burst shows why 2025/26 may just be different

Norwich boss Clement claims Watford staff told him victory was lucky

Gracia pleased Watford are ‘more solid’ but is not thinking about league position

BBC: Vivaldo Semedo’s late winner against Norwich moved Watford into the Championship play-off places.

Sky: A disappointing game of few clear-cut chances appeared to be heading for a goalless draw until Semedo’s deflected shot found the back of the net after a fine run down the left from fellow substitute Nestory Irankunda.

Fran’s Watford Blog: The final whistle was greeted with shouts of “Yellows, yellows” and the post-match celebrations were joyous. The players all came over to applaud us, and Semedo was pushed to the front as the crowd sang his name. The crowd then lauded Irankunda who had made the goal, and he came over to give his shirt away with the biggest smile on his face. Finally, Javi came to the front and was given the ovation that he deserved.

From the Rookery End: Watford have finally packed their bags and remembered how to win on the road — and Jon, Jordi and The Brigadier Colin are here to enjoy every minute of it.  Back-to-back away victories at Leicester (2-1) and Norwich (1-0) give the Hornets something they’ve been missing for a while: momentum. The lads dig into a mature, disciplined performance at the King Power, ask whether this side is starting to look like a team rather than a collection of individuals, and assess the calm, gritty win at Carrow Road that showed real backbone.