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20th August 2022- Championship, Preston North End 0 Watford 0

https://www.watfordfc.com/post-match/preston-north-end-first-team-watford-mens-team-2022-08-20/statistics

Attendance:15,317

BBC Sport: Preston North End played out a fourth goalless draw in five Championship games against a Watford side who also continued their unbeaten start to the season.

Sky Sports: The home side had the better of the first half, with Alan Browne and Ryan Ledson forcing saves from Daniel Bachmann. Vakoun Bayo and Rey Manaj squandered huge chances for the Hertfordshire side either side of the break.

BHappy: The team selection betrays a dilemma that would have been difficult to anticipate at the start of last season when, after promotion on the back of a solid defensive record we attempted to re-arm the attack.  Things didn’t go well for Ashley Fletcher, whose recruitment was surely with half an eye on the possibility that we wouldn’t get promoted in 2021, but if he’s the sixth cab off the rank for a newly promoted side (and without the benefit of “less than the sum of our parts” hindsight) you’re surely doing OK. But all six are unavailable for today’s game.

Fran’s Watford Blog: This game remained goalless through a combination of another sterling performance from Dan Bachmann and wasteful finishing from Manaj and Bayo.  While they were both disappointing in front of goal, at least they were getting into position to cause problems.  Asprilla was brilliant again both in attack and getting back to defend.  He is going to be some player.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62529130
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20th August 2016- Premier League, Watford 1 Chelsea 2

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screen-shot-2016-09-12-at-23-36-22clips of Jon Marks BBC 3CR commentary
Goal 1

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The post-game analysis took one of two themes.  Either we were robbed or we gave Chelsea the victory.  Some argued that Costa who, television pictures confirmed, was guilty of ‘simulation’ having already been booked should not have been on the pitch to score the winning goal.  But it was mistakes by a tiring Watford team and the tendency to sit back and defend the lead that led to the goals.  Also, given that the Chelsea substitutions changed the game, you have to wonder why we didn’t introduce some fresh legs to challenge them.  But, taking a positive view, it says a lot for the progress of the team that we are bemoaning a narrow loss to Chelsea, having been the better side for the first 70 minutes.  I was expecting nothing from this game so, having seen an entertaining match with no little quality from the Watford players, while I was disappointed I left the stadium with no complaints.

WATFORD 1-2 CHELSEA: With Mike away topping up his tan in Greece, Jon and Jason are joined by Jordi to react to the home loss against Chelsea. They talk about the rise of Etienne Capoue “Goal Scorer”, how the final 25 man squad is shaping up, and who might lose out after the signing of Roberto Pereyra and Younes Kabol.

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20th August 2005- Championship, Watford 3 Burnley 1

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http://watford.fcdb.info?id=4666

BBC SportMatthew Spring scored on his debut as in-form Watford secured victory against patched-up Burnley at Vicarage Road.

BBC-SPORT-_-Football-_-Championship-_-Watford-3-1-BurnleyDownload

BSAD imageBSAD report: At long last, we’re seeing the results of spending some proper money on the squad: some of Adrian Boothroyd’s early work might’ve been for die-hard fans only, but recent additions have been unquestionably tremendous. There remains much work to be done on the training ground, of course…but the last two-and-a-half games have offered more than mere promise for the future, and we’re likely to be spared a repeat of the Vialli fiasco, waiting for months for cold water to “gel”. That’s not to say that we yet have enough strength in depth; it is, however, to applaud the manager for delivering the quality that he promised throughout the summer clear-out.

Another BSAD report: From the moment Malky Mackay and Ade Akinbiyi emerged side by side from the players’ tunnel at 2.56pm and, incredibly, Akinbiyi delivered a two-handed bar-room push to Malky’s chest like Mackay had just been chatting up Ade’s girlfriend, you absolutely knew, no question, that this was Family Day. Certainly it reminded me of parts of my family, and I’d be surprised if we’re all that different from most of you out there.

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20th August 1960-Division Three, Watford 2 Notts County 2

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http://watford.fcdb.info?id=2321
Sunday Dispatch, 21 Aug 1960
Sunday People, 21 Aug 1960

Watford Observer match report

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Taken from the programme on 30th August 1960-Division Three, Watford 6 Brentford 1

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=1960-08-20
https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-three/20-august-1960/
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20th August 1955- Division Three (South), Watford 4 Millwall 2

Programme images courtesy of Matt Hall

https://watford.fcdb.info/index.php?page=matches
Evening Standard, 20 Aug 1955
Sunday Dispatch, 21 Aug 1955
Sunday People, 21 Aug 1955
https://watford.fcdb.info/index.php?page=matches

16th August 2026- Championship, Watford 2 Southampton 1

Watford Observer: Dionisi on tough start: ‘It won’t be easy for the opposition either’

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

Match Report: Outstanding Watford produce memorable 2-1 win over Southampton

WATCH: Immediate reaction to Watford 2-1 Southampton

‘We were one team’ – Dionisi hails Watford mentality in Saints win

Dionisi: ‘Keben was probably better than everyone’

Keben and Bravo lead the way as Watford walk the walk

Nabizada: ‘I want to live this feeling every week’

BBC: Southampton were beaten in their first Championship match since the Spygate scandal, as Watford got off to a winning start under new boss Alessio Dionisi.

Sky: Summer signing Iker Bravo and teenage academy product Amin Nabizada gave new Watford manager Alessio Dionisi a fine win, while Southampton’s players were heckled, both on the pitch and from the stands, for their actions at the end of last season.

BHappy: The visitors look confident, capable, and are dominating the ball while we look a bit edgy. Dobbin escapes down the left and squares… we clear it unconvincingly, he’s flagged off anyway. Hector is booked for a clumsy foul… we can’t surely be this desperate, this stretched after only ten minutes? Then we score, and everything changes.

Fran’s Watford Blog: The pre-match tributes to Kevin Keegan and Kenny Jackett were both very emotional. Kenny is someone that I watched emerge from the youth team to become a legend. I was also lucky enough to meet him a few times and found him to be a lovely man who just wanted to chat to you about football. He was taken far too soon. The flag was a thing of beauty and the least that the fans could have done to honour Kenny. Special thanks to the 1881 for arranging it and to Roy and Phil for driving to Poland to collect it in time for the match.

From the Rookery End: A 2-1 win over Southampton gave Vicarage Road the sort of afternoon that has been in short supply recently, with two young players finding the net, a captain leading from the front and plenty of early signs of what Alessio Dionisi wants from his team.

8th August 2026- League Cup First Round, Watford 1 Crawley Town 0

Watford Observer: Team news: Ngakia close to return but Akomeah suffers injury

Watford out to defy poor EFL Cup record in Dionisi’s first competitive match

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY AS IT HAPPENED: Watford 1-0 Crawley Town

Match Report: Last-gasp Bola rocket wins it for Watford against Crawley

WATCH: Immediate reaction to Watford 1-0 Crawley Town

Dionisi hails ‘incredible’ Bola winner but has mixed views on Watford display

Bola raves about ‘breath of fresh air’ Dionisi, style of play and culture shift

Dionisi asking for daily updates on centre-back hunt and wants Irankunda replacement

Crawley boss to clip up Watford’s goal celebration as motivation

BBC: The Alessio Dionisi era at Watford began in unconvincing fashion with a last-gasp 1-0 Carabao Cup victory over League Two side Crawley Town at Vicarage Road.

Fran’s Watford Blog: As the clock reached 99 minutes, the ball came to Doumbia in the box, his shot was blocked and the clearance fell to Bola outside the box where he powered it home, to send the home fans wild with celebration. It was a cracking goal and no more than the Hornets deserved after a game in which they had 36 shots, 11 of which were on target.

29th July 2026- Friendly, Watford 0 Fiorentina 1

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY AS IT HAPPENED: Watford 0-1 Fiorentina

Match Report: Watford beaten 1-0 by Fiorentina in final Vicarage Road friendly

Fiorentina Official Site:

BHappy: There was lots to like here beyond, you know, it just being football at Vicarage Road. There were things that weren’t quite right too, but we know that we have players to come in and the onset of actual competitive football to sharpen things up. As ever, looking forward to it.

25th July 2026- Friendly, Watford 3 Hansa Rostock 0

Watford Observer: Inside the safety plans as 6,000 Hansa Rostock fans set to head to Watford

Hansa Rostock tell fans to ‘treat the venue with respect’ as 6,000 head to Watford

WATCH: Hansa Rostock fans’ ‘walk-up’ to Vicarage Road

MATCHDAY AS IT HAPPENED: Watford 3-0 Hansa Rostock

Match Report: Watford beat Hansa Rostock 3-0 in remarkable Vicarage Road atmosphere

WATCH: Immediate reaction to Watford 3-0 Hansa Rostock

Hansa Rostock: https://www.fch.de