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23rd April 2022- Premier League, Manchester City 5 Watford 1

WFC.Net goal commentary: 1

Attendance: 53,013

BBC Sport: Watford tried their best, but they were outclassed by a rampant City team and remain anchored in the bottom three, seven points adrift of safety.

Sky Sports: It looked like the hosts would run away with the first half once again when Jesus scored his first goal inside four minutes. City scored five goals in the first 18 minutes when Watford last visited the Etihad in September 2019.

The Guardian: City could have been rampant from this juncture but fell asleep. Hassane Kamara initiated a move he would finish, taking a ball from Dennis that punched a hole in the home defence after Rúben Dias was dragged out wide on the left. When Kamara struck, Guardiola did the same to the turf in the technical area, hitting the grass with a fist.

BHappy: Briefly, the mood changes.  The course of the afternoon no longer seems mapped out… this is a competitive encounter all of a sudden.  Only for six minutes as it turns out, but it’s a decent six minutes – we’ve taken some blows but thrown some punches ourselves, not rolled over, and one has landed.  If you’re looking for evidence of life, here it is right here. 

Fran’s Watford Blog: The travelling Hornets then regaled the home fans with a chorus of “You’re not singing anymore.”  Normal activity resumed soon after as a corner came out to Jesus on the edge of the area, but he shot over the bar.  City restored their two-goal advantage after 34 minutes when Jesus found Rodri just outside the box from where he powered a shot past Foster.

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23rd April 2019- Premier League, Watford 1 Southampton 1

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The game was used to mark the upcoming release of the new Elton John bio-pic Rocket Man. A Rocket Man banner was displayed by the Rookery before kick off, Z-Cars was replaced by I’m Still Standing and there was a karaoke competition held at half time judged by John Barnes.
Referee:
Mike Dean
Attendance:
19,170

1-1

Relive our coverage of Watford’s match with Southampton in the Premier League

Andre Gray earns late Watford point after Southampton make history with opener

Javi Gracia ‘gives value’ to point after Watford draw with Southampton

Andre Gray says Watford’s draw at home to Southampton was ‘one point earned’

How we rated the Watford players against Southampton

Adam Masina believes Watford have right character after snatching late draw against Southampton

Andre Gray’s late equaliser salvaged Watford a point in a thrilling 1-1 draw with Southampton, who scored the fastest goal in Premier League history.

Shane Long had given the Saints an early lead when he scored the fastest goal in Premier League history. Long struck after just 7.69 seconds and Southampton held on to their lead until Watford’s Andre Gray levelled from close range.

This must count as one of the Premier League’s more surreal occasions, and not just because John Barnes graced this stadium’s turf again, this time with microphone in hand, to bellow a karaoke version of Rocket Man during the half-time interval. More remarkable still was Southampton scoring within eight seconds of Watford’s kick-off, or Shane Long’s continued transformation from shot-shy workhorse into prolific goalscorer. It was only when reality bit late-on that Watford made their own impression on the night.

 It’s a funny old night, really. Funny old game, funny old night. The celebration of the imminent Elton John biopic is rather awkward and misjudged, at least in parts. There’s nothing wrong with a bit of half-time nonsense, especially with John Barnes involved and some season tickets up for grabs. It isn’t my cup of tea, but we all find our fun in different ways and we often find other people’s fun a bit cringeworthy.

Having finished my pre-match ritual of putting on my replica shirt and retrieving my notebook, pen and camera from my bag, I noticed a big white envelope by my seat.  I opened it to find a sheet with the words of “Rocket Man”, as if I don’t already know them.  Irritation at this distraction was compounded when I looked up to see Shane Long bearing down on goal and shooting past Foster.  Only 7 seconds of the game had elapsed.  I had missed Cathcart hitting a pass at Long to lead to this chance.  I was devastated and, again, I blamed the decision to dispense with Z-cars.  You don’t mess with something so important at such a crucial point in the season.

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23rd April 2011- Championship, Watford 1 Barnsley 0

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Vince Pitt’s cartoon has not aged well.

http://watford.fcdb.info?id=4963

Captain John Eustace’s winner after just 43 seconds kept Watford’s slim play-off hopes flickering after a poor game against Barnsley at Vicarage Road.

Don Cowie delivered a corner from the right and after Troy Deeney hit the crossbar with a powerful header, Eustace was on hand to prod in from point blank range.

If Troy Deeney eventually blended into the anonymous blur, he took an awful lot longer than most. Often up-and-down in a rather Jordan Stewart kinda way – undermining a positive and encouraging contribution one moment with a distracted, infuriating error almost immediately (although never quite to Stewart’s peerless level) – his first half in particular was jam-packed with consistent, varied contributions. Strong headers, hard work, neat touches, bright vision. In a forward line featuring Danny Graham and Marvin Sordell, his was the star turn, the real source of impetus and momentum.

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2011-04-23
https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-championship/23-april-2011/
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23rd April 2005- Championship, Watford 0 Sheffield United 0

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Watford edged closer to safety in the Championship, after a nil-nil draw at home to Sheffield United.

So, let’s make this quick; in fact, let’s make the next couple of weeks quick, if we can. Let’s get it over with, then forget it all for a couple or three months. Because it deserves to be forgotten about, as much as it deserves to be remembered with a long-lingering bitterness. Amid all of the kerfuffle, there was a fair amount to be praised about this afternoon’s football, and a great deal of spirit evident throughout. We’ll need that spirit, and I’m not merely being churlish when I say that; we’ll need, for instance, the kind of willing, able attitude that saw Dominic Blizzard replace Brynjar Gunnarsson as the teams lined up for kickoff, then turn in a typically willing, able performance in the centre of midfield. That’s what’ll get us somewhere, wherever that might be.

http://watford.fcdb.info?id=4660
https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2005-04-23
https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-championship/23-april-2005/

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23rd April 2000- Premier League, Watford 2 Arsenal 3

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http://watford.fcdb.info?id=4397

Brief highlights from the Premier League website

Really, this made no sense whatsoever. A spewed, skewed mess of a football match, mercilessly thrilling throughout. Goals, misses, controversy, aggression, mistakes, mayhem. The thunderstorm that clattered around during the second half, blackening the skies except for occasional sharp flashes of lightning, could hardly have been more appropriate – this was furious, elemental stuff.

Oh what the hell, the season’s run-in is upon us – this is the batch of games we looked at from afar and thought, oh God, please don’t let us need the points from these games to stay up, please let us be sorted by then. And you know something? We don’t. And we are. So let’s party like last year was 1999, and next year we’ll be back in this division, this league, this wretched pandemic loadsamoney pissing contest…and we can send GT out on a high.

Taken from the programme 29th April 2000- Premier League, Watford 2 Manchester United

https://oldwatford.com/2006/12/26/26th-december-2006-premier-league-watford-1-arsenal-2/
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23rd April 1996- New Division One, Watford 6 Grimsby Town 3

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http://watford.fcdb.info?id=4192
Daily Telegraph, 24 Apr 1996
Evening Standard, 24 Apr 1996

BSAD imageIt says a lot about a performance when you come away from a game in which you’ve scored six goals feeling a bit disappointed. Grimsby were there for the taking and we could have made it towards double figures with a bit more luck and confidence.

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=1996-04-23
Screen Shot 2017-04-23 at 10.59.47.png
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23rd April 1983- Division One, Manchester United 2 Watford 0

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http://watford.fcdb.info?id=3496
20th April 2013- Championship, Watford 4 Blackburn Rovers 0
https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=1983-04-23
https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-one/23-april-1983/
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23rd April 1973- Division Three, Plymouth Argyle 1 Watford 1

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The result ensured our survival in the Third Division.

http://watford.fcdb.info?id=2976
Daily Mirror, 24 Apr 1973

Watford Observer match report

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=1973-04-23
https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-three/23-april-1973/
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23rd April 1969- London Five-a-side Football Championship (at the Empire Pool, Wembley)

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We had a bye to the second round where we beat Orient 1-0 on penalties after a 0-0 draw, Roy Sinclair scoring the winning kick. We then lost 1-0 to Brentford in the semi finals.

Evening Standard, 23 Apr 1969

Comicus Article- Football Nostalgia: London Evening Standard 5-A-Side Tournament

Evening Standard, 24 Apr 1969

Watford Observer report

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23rd April 1962- Division Three, Portsmouth 2 Watford 1

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The lovely front cover image is rather spoilt by calling us Watford Town.

http://watford.fcdb.info?id=2425
Daily Mirror, 24 Apr 1962

Watford Observer match report

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=1962-04-23
https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-three/23-april-1962/

21st April 2026- Championship, West Bromwich Albion 3 Watford 0

Watford Observer: Can Watford provide some optimism at motivated West Brom?

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY LIVE: West Brom 3-0 Watford

Match Report: Watford sink without a trace again in 3-0 West Brom defeat

Still insists Watford players are hurting after ‘hugely painful’ defeat

Non-response at West Brom marks this out as Watford’s worst end-of-season run

BBC: West Bromwich Albion secured their Championship survival as they eased past sorry Watford at The Hawthorns.

Sky: Isaac Price scored the first goal and made the second for Daryl Dike’s second in as many games before half-time as James Morrison’s side made it nine games unbeaten. On-loan Crystal Palace right-back Danny Imray scored a deserved third goal for the Baggies, who made it 488 minutes without conceding.

Fran’s Watford Blog: This was an awful game with almost no redeeming features. There was a lack of energy in the performance, but I put that down to a lack of confidence among a group of young players for whom nothing seems to be working. I don’t see a lack of effort from the majority of the players. Maamma was, again, a constant threat and I really wish his late shot had gone in as he deserved a goal. The other positive was the return of Ngakia who we have missed since he was injured. But we were well beaten on the night, and it is hard to see us getting any more points this season.

18th April 2026- Championship, Watford 0 Sheffield United 2

Watford Observer: ‘This is what Watford do’ narrative has made me angrier since Oxford, Still says

Still knows he needs results to secure Watford future – ‘I’m not kidding myself’

Team news: Maamma in contention to start, Ngakia and Bola could return

‘The summer is the time to discuss what leadership looks like at Watford’

Supporters’ anger ‘totally normal’ and not an overreaction, says Still

Nabizada: The fans want to see creativity – that’s what I’m trying to do

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY AS IT HAPPENED: Watford 0-2 Sheffield United

Match Report: Watford beaten 2-0 by Sheff Utd as lifeless season finale continues

WATCH: Immediate reaction to Watford 0-2 Sheffield United

Still: ‘Baah hasn’t had the impact I wanted’

Still adamant he is the man to lead significant change after another defeat

BBC: Patrick Bamford’s second-half double helped Sheffield United to victory at out-of-form Watford.

Sky: The striker’s sharpness in front of goal made the difference and lifted Chris Wilder’s side above their opponents in the bright spring sunshine at Vicarage Road.

Fran’s Watford Blog: It was another disappointing game. We should have taken the lead in the first half and certainly started the second half very brightly. The first United goal was fortunate and against the run of play. Their second was rather better and, once that went in, the fight seemed to go out of the players, and we never really looked like getting back in the game. Again, Irankunda and Maamma were the bright sparks, working to create chances, but shots from distance and a well organised United defence frustrated them.

From the Rookery End: Jon, Kieran, Mike and Jason are back outside the Hornet Shop after another tough afternoon as Watford FC fall to a 2–0 defeat at home to Sheffield United. There’s no hiding from it — this was a flat, lifeless performance that summed up where the football team is right now. The lads reflect on some hints at something successful, before everything unravelled in depressingly familiar fashion. With belief draining from both pitch and stands, attention turns to the bigger picture — from recruitment failures to the direction under Gino Pozzo, who was in attendance at the game.

11th April 2026- Championship, Oxford United 2 Watford 0

Watford Observer: Oxford call for ‘relentless support’ on Saturday – can Watford rise to the occasion?

Team news: Maamma set for return, Abankwah and Kayembe fully fit

Bove needs more time and Kjerrumgaard ‘hasn’t quite been on it’, says Still

Pre-season planning ongoing – but not Still’s priority for now

Still on Oxford: ‘I want our fans to see we wanted it more’

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY AS IT HAPPENED: Oxford United 2-0 Watford

Match Report: Abject Watford beaten 2-0 at Oxford United

Pollock asks to apologise publicly after ‘lowest point’ of his Watford career

Still on Watford fans’ reaction: ‘You have to stand up and take it’

BBC: Oxford United moved within a point of Championship safety and extended their unbeaten run at the Kassam Stadium to five matches with victory over out-of-form Watford.

Sky: Watford, who have a poor away record this campaign, were on a winless streak of three going into the game but they had beaten the U’s 2-1 at Vicarage Road at the start of October.

Fran’s Watford Blog: It had been a very poor performance with only Irankunda coming away with much credit. He created some decent chances and, if one had gone in, it would have been a different afternoon. Maamma was also bright when he came on and showed how much we have missed him. But apart from them, it was a miserable afternoon of football.

From the Rookery End: On From The Rookery End this week, Jon and Mike are joined by Watford Observer’s Adam Drury after Watford’s defeat at Oxford — but rather than pick apart another bad away day,the take a step back and the conversation goes bigger.

6th April 2026- Championship, Watford 1 Charlton Athletic 1

Watford Observer: Still on Charlton: All we can do after bad results is bounce back

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY AS IT HAPPENED: Watford 1-1 Charlton Athletic

Five talking points as Watford forced to settle for a point

Match Report: Irankunda equalises but Watford held to 1-1 Charlton draw

Coady lost consciousness after blocking shot, Jones confirms

Still takes confidence from ‘completely dominating’ second half against Charlton

BBC: Nestory Irankunda’s emphatic finish earned Watford a point and denied Charlton Athletic a first win in four matches in a chance-laden Championship draw at Vicarage Road.

Sky: Charlton’s Conor Coady was stretchered off being struck in the head by a venomous shot by Tom Ince. The former England international had lengthy treatment on the pitch.

BHappy: Irankunda levels after being released by Louza, a fine, confident, Premier League finish, and then thumps in an evil bouncing bomb that Mannion pushes away. Goglichidze, who’s had an erratic afternoon, gets on the end of a deep cross but heads criminally wide. I can sense Hutch combusting from half the stadium away. Shots are repeatedly fired in but are repelled, most tellingly and representatively when Conor Coady commemorates the 500th appearance of his career by getting in the way of a Tom Ince piledriver. He is knocked out cold interrupting play for a good ten minutes, the incident encapsulating Charlton’s dogged defiance in the face of mounting pressure.

Fran’s Watford Blog: There was applause at the end of the game after a terrific second half in which the Charlton keeper kept them in the game. It was a wonderful attacking performance from the Hornets. Irankunda was immense, running at the defence and hitting great shots. On another day, he would have had a hat trick. Chakvetadze also had a great game. He was unplayable at the start of the second half, constantly running at the Charlton defence and, unlike in previous outings, taking several shots. Long may that last. Nabizada built on his showing against QPR, putting in a very assured performance with no fear of crossing and shooting. I have admired his play in the U18s and U21s, so it is great to see him looking the part in the first team. Due to the extensive injuries, the defence is cobbled together with some square pegs in round holes and Goglichidze in particular had a poor game. I cannot make my mind up about him as he seems to alternate assured performances with absolute mares. In the end it was a game we should have won, but mid-table obscurity now beckons.

From the Rookery End: Jon, Jordi, Mike and Kieran are on presenting duties after Watford’s Easter weekend fixtures — a 1-1 draw at home to Charlton on Easter Monday, coming hot on the heels of the 2-1 defeat away at QPR on Good Friday.

3rd April 2026- Championship, Queens Park Rangers 2 Watford 1

Watford Observer: Team news: Watford down to ‘bare bones’ with Bola among doubts for QPR

Still exploring reasons behind injuries but believes it’s largely bad luck

Watford still aiming to ‘create some magic’ this season

‘Not many teams can win 6-1 in the Championship’ – Still on QPR threat

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY AS IT HAPPENED: QPR 2-1 Watford

Match Report: Watford lose 2-1 at QPR in flat display

Still: ‘The lack of consistency has caused us problems’

Micro and macro reasons behind Watford’s defeat at QPR

Still will analyse why key attackers are struggling to score

BBC: Paul Smyth scored one goal and made another as QPR claimed a third successive win to all but end lacklustre Watford’s already slim hopes of sneaking into the Championship play-off places.

Sky: Imran Louza pulled a goal back with a superb 85th-minute free-kick, but the visitors were unable to find an equaliser.

Fran’s Watford Blog: It had been a poor performance from the Hornets whose injury-ridden squad struggled. The first start for Bove was not an impressive one. Maybe he was too keen to make an impression, but his great touch was little in evidence, and he committed a series of rash tackles, that endangered his presence on the pitch. Kjerrumgaard generally struggled although he did have an excellent strike early on which, had it gone in, would have changed the game. There was a lively finish to the match, as the introduction of Baah injected some energy. This game featured the good Baah, who is always fun to watch. Louza’s goal was a thing of beauty and made sure that there was some tension in the final minutes. But my highlight was the debut of Nabizada. I have seen some excellent performances from him at U18 and U21 level and it was good to see him take his opportunity in the first team. He started a bit slowly, but grew into the game and put a few decent crosses into the box. I hope that this is the first of many first team outings for him.

21st March 2026- Championship, Watford 0 Leicester City 0

Watford Observer: Still on whether he judges himself on points or performances

Still not focused on the ramifications of Leicester game

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY LIVE: Watford 0-0 Leicester City

Five talking points as Watford held to Leicester stalemate

Match Report: Selvik saves penalty as Watford and Leicester slog to goalless draw

Still: Watford played through the pain barrier and wanted ‘close game’

BBC: Patson Daka had a penalty saved as relegation threatened Leicester City were held to a goalless draw by play-off chasing Watford.

Sky :Daka’s 40th-minute spot-kick was brilliantly tipped on to the post by home goalkeeper Egil Selvik. The striker also headed wide of a near open goal in the second half as the Foxes failed to climb out of the bottom three.

BHappy: Forgive me, I know that ranting about referees is unspeakably dull and I wouldn’t for one moment suggest that his performance had anything to do with the disappointing outcome of this game, but I do need to try to extract some pleasure from the exercise. As the second half descended into mind-numbing stalemate, Smith seemed determined to inject some randomness into proceedings with a series of absurd decisions in both directions. The most bizarre, a yellow against Doumbia which saw him drop to his knees in astonishment after he held off an aggressive challenge from behind. In the first half, the official had dropped the ball and run off the pitch and down the tunnel during a break in play that contributed to eight minutes being added before the interval; one can only assume that in the interim some sort of alien abduction took place, or an unwise experiment with hallucinogenic drugs such was his performance in the second half. No surprise at all that when Bobby Decordova-Reid obstructed Egil Selvik’s attempt at a clearance even the Norwegian, that mildest-mannered of mild-mannered janitors, was at a boiling point that saw a significant scuffle ensue. “That was the ref’s fault”, said everyone in the stadium (as well as the interfering extra-terrestrials, one assumes).

Fran’s Watford Blog: There was disaster for the Hornets ten minutes before the break as Fatawu went on a dangerous run into the box, getting behind Formose Mendy who tripped him. The referee had no choice but to point to the spot. The penalty was at the same end as Knockaert’s all those years ago and Selvik did an Almunia by diving the right way and pushing Daka’s shot onto the post where it rebounded out sparking joyous celebrations in the home stands

From the Rookery End: Watford served up the full emotional buffet this week — from the genuine high of a feel-good win over Wrexham (and that moment), to the all-too-familiar frustration of a stop-start, slightly baffling 0-0 with Leicester.