Featured post

5th May 2019- Premier League, Chelsea 3 Watford 0

Leave a Reply

Programme images courtesy of Matt Hall

Referee:
Paul Tierney
Attendance:
40,650

Watford lose at Chelsea in the penultimate weekend of the Premier League

Watford beaten by Chelsea in last Premier League away day of season

Javi Gracia rues ‘very tough result’ after Watford lose at Chelsea

Chelsea vs Watford: Javi Gracia looking beyond the results against Premier League’s top clubs

Watford players rated after losing away at Chelsea

Chelsea vs Watford: Javi Gracia praises Nathaniel Chalobah’s display

Watford midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah speaks about tough battle to regain fitness

FA Cup finalists Watford started brightly, going close through Troy Deeney and Gerard Deulofeu, but were left to rue their slow start to the second half that saw Chelsea quickly take the game away from them.

Watford created Maurizio Sarri’s side numerous problems, especially in a one-sided first-half, with Kepa Arrizabalaga making one of the saves of the season to deny Troy Deeney.

Even at a club where life is never simple these are strange times indeed. Chelsea have secured Champions League football, reached the League Cup final earlier this year and could secure passage to Baku and the Europa League final later this week, yet Sarri remains unloved. Perhaps the rather chaotic first-half showing here partly explained why, given their lack of pattern or focus as Watford, slicker and stronger, threatened to run riot.

To be fair, and as was reflected by a venerable Chelsea panel in the tube afterwards, we started the game as unlike a side preoccupied with the Cup Final as it’s possible to imagine.  We were lively, assertive and direct, pinning the home side back with some verve and energy.

We left plenty of time for our walk to Stamford Bridge and to negotiate our way past the multiple phalanxes of security guards.  There was a surprise in store as we were greeted by a voice announcing, “FA Cup Finalists to the left.”  I was still smiling when I heard another directing us on “The road to Wembley.”  A rather lovely and unexpected welcome which meant that my opinion of Chelsea went up massively.

Featured post

5th May 2018- Premier League, Watford 2 Newcastle United 1

Leave a Reply
DcW6uE8XkAA2pkG
Screen Shot 2018-05-07 at 21.36.10
Screen Shot 2018-05-07 at 21.39.33

screen-shot-2016-09-12-at-23-36-22clips of Jon Marks BBC 3CR commentary   Goals: 1   2

Watford Observer

LIVE – Watford vs Newcastle United: Roberto Pereyra and Andre Gray on target as Hornets return to winning ways

Goals from Roberto Pereyra and Andre Gray secured Watford a 2-1 win over Newcastle United

Abdoulaye Doucoure: Watford midfielder wins Players’ Player of the Season award

Javi Gracia: Proud Watford boss hails resolute display after Newcastle United win secures Premier League survival

Watford vs Newcastle United Player Ratings – Roberto Pereyra and Etienne Capoue shine at Vicarage Road

Watford: Javi Gracia would ‘definitely like’ Will Hughes to get England recognition

Will Hughes believes Watford have needed to be more consistent in the Premier League this season

 skyTwo first-half goals confirmed Watford’s Premier League status and gave them their first win since early March as they saw off Newcastle 2-1 on Saturday in the Premier League.
Screen Shot 2018-05-07 at 22.17.52
Screen Shot 2018-05-07 at 22.19.58
Featured post

5th May 1996- New Division One, Watford 0 Leicester City 1

Leave a Reply

When GT took over in February we were bottom of the table with just 25 points, 7 points from safety and 10 behind ‘them up the road’.  Even though we got relegated it was still some achievement to have almost doubled our points total under GT, take it down to the final day and to finish higher than them.

Scan 56
Scan 57
Scan 58
Scan 59
Scan 60
Scan 61
Scan 62
Scan 63
Scan 64
Scan 65
Scan 66
Scan 67
Scan 68
Scan 69
Scan 70
Scan 71
http://watford.fcdb.info?id=4194
Daily Telegraph, 6 May 1996
Screen Shot 2018-05-05 at 11.43.08
Screen Shot 2018-05-05 at 11.42.19
Featured post

5th May 1984- Division One, Watford 0 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0

Leave a Reply
http://watford.fcdb.info?id=3554
English Division One (old)Table »
Birmingham City0-0Liverpool
Coventry City2-2Luton Town
Everton1-1Manchester United
Ipswich Town1-0Sunderland
Leicester City2-1Nottingham Forest
Notts County0-3Queens Park Rangers
Stoke City1-1Southampton
Tottenham Hotspur2-0Norwich City
Watford0-0Wolverhampton Wndrs
West Bromwich Albion1-3Arsenal
West Ham United0-1Aston Villa
Screen Shot 2017-05-05 at 17.06.44.png
Featured post

5th May 1979- Division Three, Sheffield Wednesday 2 Watford 3

Leave a Reply

Scan 118Scan 119Scan 120Scan 121Scan 122Scan 122Scan 123Scan 108
Taken from the programme on 11th September 2004- Championship, Watford 1 Brighton & Hove Albion 1

http://watford.fcdb.info?id=3290

Watford Observer match report

Sunday Mirror, 6 May 1979
Sunday People, 6 May 1979
Screen Shot 2018-09-11 at 11.57.41
Screen Shot 2018-09-11 at 11.57.16
Featured post

5th May 1959- London Five-a-side Football Championship (at the Empire Pool, Wembley)

Leave a Reply

The tournament had been held annually since 1954 but this was the first year we were invited to take part. We beat Millwall 1-0 with a Peter Walker goal in the first round before going out by the same score to Leyton Orient in the second round.

Evening Standard, 5 May 1959
Evening Standard, 6 May 1959

3rd May 2026- Ed Still is removed as Watford Head Coach

Watford Observer: Ed Still sacked as Watford head coach after miserable end of season

LIVE: Reaction as Ed Still is sacked as Watford head coach

WATCH: Immediate video reaction to Ed Still leaving Watford

Ed Still sacked – but that won’t fix the dysfunction at Watford

BBC: Watford have sacked head coach Ed Still after less than three months in charge at Vicarage Road.

2nd May 2026- Championship, Watford 0 Coventry City 4

Watford Observer: Coventry are a great example for Watford to follow, says Still

Ed Still reacts to reports he is set to leave Watford

Duxbury outlines recruitment plan as he addresses mistakes and ‘strong foundations’

Watford Observer: Pollock crowned Watford’s 2025/26 Player of the Season

MATCHDAY AS IT HAPPENED: Watford 0-4 Coventry City

Match Report: 4-0 Coventry loss completes Watford’s worst end to a second-tier season

WATCH: Immediate reaction to Watford 0-4 Coventry City

‘You can evaluate the team by the energy in the stands’

Still reflects on miserable finale to Watford’s season – and what next

BBC: Ellis Simms scored a hat-trick as Premier League-bound Coventry City waved goodbye to the second tier with victory over Watford at Vicarage Road.

Sky: Cheered on by around 2,000 fans bedecked in sky blue, Frank Lampard’s side ended a memorable season with 95 points and 97 goals. By contrast, swathes of empty seats in the Watford sections spoke volumes about the apathy that has engulfed a club which appears to be directionless after another mediocre mid-table campaign.

BHappy: The low key awards ceremony was the right call, I think. Pomp and ceremony in the middle of the pitch would have been inappropriate, misreading the room… but at the same time, not doing the awards would have felt dreadfully performative, perversely. Melodramatic. As if an(other) underwhelming season is somehow beyond the pale. We’re Watford, after all. Lower mid table is going to happen and is part of the story. “Watford ’til I die”, not “Watford ’til I die unless we’re a bit crap again”. That doesn’t mean you have to enjoy it, but let’s not go clutching our pearls.

Fran’s Watford Blog: The awards were presented prior to kick-off with Mattie Pollock deservedly winning Player of the Season. Maamma was equally deserving of the Young Player of the Season award. While Jeremy Ngakia won Goal of the Season for his tremendous strike away to Bristol City.

From the Rookery End: A season that promised something—maybe not everything, but something—ends with a whimper, five straight defeats, and a performance that barely felt worth dissecting.

25th April 2026- Championship, Middlesbrough 5 Watford 1

Watford Observer: Team news: Ekwah returns for Middlesbrough, Ngakia and Bola closer to starts

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY AS IT HAPPENED: Middlesbrough 5-1 Watford

Match Report: Watford complete miserable away run with 5-1 Boro loss

WATCH: Immediate reaction to Middlesbrough 5-1 Watford

Still: Reset needed ‘on many points’ as Boro defeat shows lack of togetherness

BBC: Middlesbrough remain in the race for automatic promotion from the Championship as they demolished mid-table Watford.

Sky: Boro’s 5-1 victory was their joint-biggest win of the season and came courtesy of doubles from Morgan Whittaker and Tommy Conway plus a goal from David Strelec. Watford’s goal came at the start of the second half from James Abankwah, but while the visitors were a match for their opponents for most of the first period, they were comprehensively outplayed after the break.

Fran’s Watford Blog: Ed Still’s team selection had been interesting. He had dropped the youngsters for a more experienced line up and it had worked. Not only did the team look more solid, but it was a surprisingly attacking performance and we were very unlucky to be behind at half time. Once the wholesale changes were made and the youngsters brought on just after the hour mark, it fell apart. But the hosts certainly had luck on their side with a couple of the goals, and the penalty was a silly mistake by Abankwah.

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.