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1st April 2024- Championship, West Bromwich Albion 2 Watford 2

WFC.Net goal commentary: 1  2

Sky: Darnell Furlong scored a dramatic late equaliser for West Brom as they took another point in their efforts to secure a Sky Bet Championship play-off spot with a hard-fought 2-2 home draw against Watford.

BBC: Second-half strikes from Edo Kayembe and Mileta Rajovic put the Hornets in control. Brandon Thomas-Asante halved the deficit with an angled shot, and Darnell Furlong’s piledriver in added time completed an impressive comeback by the Baggies.

Watford Observer: Late equaliser doesn’t hide another step forward for Watford

Watford boss felt only two points from Easter was harsh

Cleverley says Watford changes in attack helped team defend

BHappy: A word for Mileta Rajović, who got a proper run here for the first time in Tom’s three games to date.  I’ve been fooled by suggestions like this before that haven’t been followed through in subsequent games, so let’s see but…  one of the frustrations with the big striker has been his reluctance, perhaps inability to weaponise his size.   He grapples, he competes, though his total lack of acceleration makes him less of a nuisance than he might be…  but he’s not shown enough evidence of an ability to bully opponents. He bullied West Brom here.  His forty minutes or so was aggressive and effective…  somehow he no longer seemed to be lumbering slightly haplessly after the game but was very much at the centre of it.  Competing for headers he had little chance of winning but leaving something on his marker anyway, just to let him know he had a scrap on his hands.  Pushing away challenges and spreading the play as teammates scampered away from him.  Bellowing at Emmanuel Dennis’ selfishness (yes, really) as the Nigerian picked up the pieces after Palmer had pushed away a TDB drive and smacked a shot against the post from a ridiculous angle rather than pulling back for the Dane to tap in.  Arguing with fellow sub Martins, claiming rights to a free kick won on the edge of the area… Martins prevailed and curled a shot gently into the keeper’s chest, a Rajović set piece would have been morbidly fascinating.  Finally, flying in at the far post to stretch and turn in yet another Lewis cross; the celebration was in front of the away section and screamed both joy and relief.  We screamed with him, a fine moment irrespective of what happened subsequently.

Fran’s Watford Blog: After the final whistle, Hoedt led the players over to applaud us while ruefully shaking his head.  The travelling faithful gave the players a really good reception and Cleverley was greeted with a loud chorus of his name.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/68652949
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1st April 2023- Championship, Luton Town 2 Watford 0

Attendance: 10,046

BBC Sport: Luton Town boss Rob Edwards masterminded victory over his former side Watford as the promotion-chasing Hatters kept the pressure on the Championship’s top two in a high-octane derby at a packed Kenilworth Road.

Sky Sports: Gabe Osho and Allan Campbell were on target for the home side, who sit fourth in the table.

Fran’s Watford Blog: It was awful.  Disjointed and shambolic.  As we have been saying all season, these are players that just cannot cope with the way sides in the Championship play.  The home side was a complete contrast, playing some decent football but mostly just playing as a team and working for each other.  That is why they are in the play-off places and we are in mid-table.

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1st April 2017- Premier League- Watford 1 Sunderland 0

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Previously v Sunderland

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screen-shot-2016-09-12-at-23-36-22 Clips of Jon Marks commentary

Goal 1

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Relive Watford’s vital victory over rock-bottom Black Cats

Britos secures big Watford win

Mazzarri calls on players to replicate Sunderland display and secure survival

Player ratings: How did the Hornets fair against Sunderland?

imgres Miguel Britos’ second-half header ended Watford’s four-game winless run, giving them victory over Sunderland and leaving David Moyes’ side rooted to the bottom of the Premier League.

sky A first club goal from Miguel Britos gave Watford a 1-0 win against Sunderland, meaning David Moyes’ side are now seven points off Premier League safety.

guardian David Moyes remained phlegmatic after this match, insisting another escape from the drop remains possible. Walter Mazzarri, for his part, insisted his team had never been part of a relegation scrap. But the truth was visible on the pitch at the final whistle as Watford players erupted in jubilation and Sunderland players fell to their knees.

Screen Shot 2017-02-16 at 21.41.15A week ago, Jermain Defoe was making a goalscoring return for England but it was back to business as usual yesterday with Sunderland, who are looking increasingly doomed after failing to score for the fifth successive game.

BHappy image The thing about losing a rubbish game before an international break is that you have two weeks of fidgeting before getting back to it.  A period in which you can afford, or pretend, to forget about bloody football for a bit for, what, half an hour or so?  Before focusing intently on the forthcoming game.  For two weeks.  Minus the five minutes or so for which internationals distracted you.

screen-shot-2016-10-03-at-19-13-20 Just before the half hour, Niang went on a wonderful forward run but, after doing all the hard work his shot was straight at a defender.  As the play returned to the other end of the pitch, he just ambled around.  I wondered whether he had an injury, but it soon became clear that he just needed a sit down after his exertions.

screen-shot-2016-10-30-at-15-22-53 It was refreshing to see us play some good football and get a deserved win, refreshing to know we can still grind out a victory, refreshing to know that there’s now no international football until June.

English Premier League Table »
Burnley 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Chelsea 1-2 Crystal Palace
Hull City 2-1 West Ham United
Leicester City 2-0 Stoke City
Liverpool 3-1 Everton
Manchester United 0-0 West Bromwich Albion
Southampton 0-0 Bournemouth
Watford 1-0 Sunderland

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1st April 2000- Premier League, Everton 4 Watford 2

Sunday Telegraph, 2 Apr 2000
Independent, 3 Apr 2000

BSAD: Relegation is imminent, even more so with Derby winning as I write this. Bottom of the league, without an away win to reward our journeys since August. Losing weakly in a game that, once more, we needed to win. To the outside world, we’ve nothing whatsoever to sing about…but we’re on our feet, heads held high, chanting “THERE’S ONLY ONE GRAHAM TAYLOR” while our hosts look on in silent bewilderment.

BSAD: Entering the quaint, wooden warren of an away area, add “Z Cars” and it was almost like being back in the East stand. But this was not to be an old-skool, vintage Watford performance – our good form evaporated and, as so often this season, we contrived to be just about worse than lacklustre opposition.

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2000-04-01
https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/premier-league/01-april-2000/
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1st April 1991- Division Two, Watford 1 Leicester City 0

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http://watford.fcdb.info?id=3922
https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=1991-04-01
https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-two/01-april-1991/
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1st April 1989- Division One, Watford 3 Ipswich Town 2

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http://watford.fcdb.info?id=3816
https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=1989-04-01
https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-two/01-april-1989/
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1st April 1986- Division One, Watford 3 Arsenal 0

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The second game of the double-header against Arsenal.  We’d beaten them 2-0 at Highbury the previous day.

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http://watford.fcdb.info?id=3652
The Guardian, 2 Apr 1986
Daily Telegraph, 2 Apr 1986
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English Division One (old) 
Luton Town3-0West Bromwich Albion 
Southampton1-1Oxford United 
Watford3-0Arsenal
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1st April 1972- Division Two, Oxford United 0 Watford 0

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This result, combined with Fulham’s win against Millwall ,confirmed our relegation back to the Third Division.

http://watford.fcdb.info?id=2920
Evening Standard, 1 Apr 1972
Sunday Mirror, 2 Apr 1972
Sunday People, 2 Apr 1972

Watford Observer match report

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=1972-04-01
https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-two/01-april-1972/
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1st April 1970- Division Two, Portsmouth 3 Watford 1

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http://watford.fcdb.info?id=2828
Daily Telegraph, 2 Apr 1970

Watford Observer match report

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=1970-04-01
https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-two/01-april-1970/
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1st April 1967- Division Three, Gillingham 4 Watford 1

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http://watford.fcdb.info?id=2669
Evening Standard, 1 Apr 1967
Sunday Mirror, 2 Apr 1967
Sunday People, 2 Apr 1967

Watford Observer match report

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=1967-04-01
https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-three/01-april-1967/

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.

17th March 2026- Championship, Watford 3 Wrexham 1

Watford Observer: Minute’s applause for Amelia Aplin to be held during Wrexham game

Doumbia out to set the tone on decisive night at Vicarage Road

I’m not a fan of the club using AI to create images, especially not of legendary players. The back row here looks like they got together a load of look a likes.

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY LIVE: Watford 3-1 Wrexham

Five talking points as Watford win to keep play-off hopes alive

Match Report: Bove seals the deal as Watford bounce back to beat Wrexham 3-1

Still: ‘We did the basics right – that’s the big positive’

GALLERY: Best images of Bove’s Rookery End goal and celebration

BBC: Watford kept their Championship play-off hopes alive while denting those of Wrexham by beating the Red Dragons at Vicarage Road.

Sky: Goals from Marc Bola and Edo Kayembe did the damage for the Vicarage Road outfit and although Max Cleworth pulled a goal back for the hosts, Edoardo Bove netted his first Hornets goal in stoppage time.

Fran’s Watford Blog: On 15 minutes, there was a minute’s applause in memory of Watford fan, Amelia Aplin, who passed away after collapsing while playing in goal for Oxford Academy. As fans at both ends of the ground stood to applaud, the ball went out for a throw and the game paused while the players and officials joined in the applause. It was a wonderful tribute, and I doubt there was a dry eye in the stadium.

14th March 2026- Championship, Stoke City 3 Watford 1

Watford Observer: Watford working on aggression and playing forwards ahead of ‘tough’ Stoke clash

Stoke trip is a test of whether Still is making Watford better

Still – ‘The only question is how to win – 4-4-2, 3-4-3, I don’t care’

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY AS IT HAPPENED: Stoke City 3-1 Watford

Match Report: Play-off hopes hanging by a thread as Stoke beat wasteful Watford 3-1

Still insists Watford’s season is not over after Stoke defeat

Still adamant Watford have the strength of character to do better

Another season fades away as Watford can’t master the art of winning

Irankunda left out because ‘he can’t rock up, expect to start and not perform’

BBC: Million Manhoef’s brace helped Stoke return to winning ways with a comfortable victory at home to Watford.

Sky: The Dutch winger found the net either side of half-time before Sam Gallagher added a third late on just after Nestory Irankunda’s stunning strike had pulled one back for the Hornets.

Fran’s Watford Blog: There were very few travelling Hornets left in the away end at the final whistle. The players were greeted with a mix of sympathetic applause and boos. One fan near the front expressed his dismay in such a way that Bola reacted angrily and came over to remonstrate with him. Pollock followed and ushered him away.

From the Rookery End: Back behind the mic, Jon and DCW look back on a bruising week for Watford after a frustrating draw at Sheffield Wednesday and a damaging defeat at Stoke. There’s talk of missed chances, flat performances, fading playoff hopes and what Ed Still can realistically get out of this squad in the final stretch. The lads also hear from the Watford Observer’s Adam Drury, who was at the bet365 Stadium and shares what Ed Still had to say in the aftermath of the defeat. Plus, with Wrexham and Leicester up next, they ask what there is still to play for — and whether simply finding some stability might be the biggest win of all.

10th March 2026- Championship, Sheffield Wednesday 1 Watford 1

Watford Observer: Pollock touch-and-go as Still seeks best display of his reign at Sheff Wed

How Still has used 11-day break as a ‘mini pre-season’

Kjerrumgaard has been ‘one of the standout players’ under Still

Watford need two months of stable, solid football – starting tonight

Still: ‘We’re aware of what a difficult opponent Sheff Wed will be’

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY AS IT HAPPENED: Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Watford

Match Report: Watford equalise late but fall short in poor 1-1 draw at Sheff Wed

WATCH: Immediate reaction to Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Watford

Still points to missed chances and second-half mistakes after Hillsborough draw

Lack of composure and ideas saw fragile Watford fall into Sheff Wed’s trap

Ngakia set for weeks on the sidelines with hamstring injury

Fixing possession problems a tougher job mid-season, says Still

BBC: Sheffield Wednesday were denied only their second league win of the season right at the death as Vivaldo Semedo’s late equaliser earned Watford a 1-1 draw at Hillsborough.

Sky: Wednesday, who have been in administration since October and are already relegated from the Championship following an 18-point deduction by the EFL, were minutes away from ending a wretched winless run going back to September when Jerry Yates’ second-half header put them in front.

27th February 2026- Championship, Bristol City 1 Watford 2

Watford Observer: Team news: Goglichidze should return and ‘probably too early’ for Bove to start

Watford aiming to maintain good record after referee named for City trip

Still on back three option and where Bove and ‘class act’ Ekwah fit

Still: ‘It’s up to me to get Chakvetadze shining again’

Still claims Mfuni’s potential compares to current Man City centre-back Khusanov

Bristol City have one fit centre-back for Watford clash

Still addresses the need for Watford to string wins together quickly

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY AS IT HAPPENED: Bristol City 1-2 Watford

Match Report: Ngakia stunner earns crucial 2-1 win at Bristol City

Still: Watford starting to believe in each other after Ngakia ‘worldie’

Still asked ‘knackered’ players and staff for one more push at half-time

Head coach on Selvik’s response to Ipswich and Kjerrumgaard’s ‘high-level’ movement

Mfuni: ‘I’m loving every second of it’

In the race? Assessing Watford’s play-off chances

BBC: Jeremy Ngakia’s sublime second-half strike gave Watford victory at Championship play-off rivals Bristol City, who they leapfrogged in the table up to seventh.

Sky: The visitors took a seventh-minute lead when Giorgi Chakvetadze’s penetrating run down the right found Edo Kayembe, who pulled the ball back from the byline for Luca Kjerrumgaard to fire home from six yards. But City were level in the 36th minute when Scott Twine powered a close-range header past Egil Selvik from an inviting Adam Randell cross from the right.

Fran’s Watford Blog: The celebrations after the final whistle were joyous. The crowd was bouncing and, once the pleasantries with the officials and the opposition had been completed, the players all came over to greet the crowd. Ed Still came over pumping his fist at the crowd. Then Irankunda and Mfuni joined in, taking it in turns and fist pumping in unison as the crowd cheered. Finally, after finishing their interviews with Sky Sports, Ngakia and Kjerrumgaard came over to celebrate. Ngakia was beaming as he clutched his man of the match award. His smile broadened even further when he was serenaded with “Came from West Ham on a free. His name is Jeremy.” Wonderful stuff. I may have gone to the game on my own, but I was treated to lots of smiling faces and hugs on my way out of the ground.

From the Rookery End: Back at their spiritual home of The Railway Arms in Oxhey, Jon, Jordi and Jason reflect on a week that perfectly sums up Watford’s season so far. From the frustrating 2-0 home defeat to Ipswich to the much brighter 2-1 response away at Bristol City, the lads dig into what Ed Still tweaked — and what it might mean going forward.

24th February 2026- Championship, Watford 0 Ipswich Town 2

Watford Observer: Team news: Maamma and Baah unlikely to feature against Ipswich

How Still has changed the way Watford train, with 45 minutes on pitch pre-Ipswich

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY AS IT HAPPENED: Watford 0-2 Ipswich Town

Five talking points from Watford’s defeat to Ipswich

Match Report: Ipswich inflict first defeat on Still with 2-0 win at Watford

WATCH: Immediate reaction to Watford 0-2 Ipswich Town

Still reflects on ‘game of two halves’ after Watford beaten 2-0 by Ipswich

Still explains change in system was due to injured wingers

Watford striker Doumbia handed three-match ban for Ipswich shove

BBC: Ipswich Town revived their hopes of automatic promotion as Sindre Walle Egeli and George Hirst gave them victory over Watford at Vicarage Road.

Sky: Kieran McKenna’s visitors moved up to third by getting the better of Ed Still’s play-off hopefuls, who saw Tom Ince’s late penalty saved by Town goalkeeper Christian Walton.

Fran’s Watford Blog: It was a disappointing performance after the great showing against Derby. Still started with five at the back, but we didn’t really get going in the first half. There was a better showing in the second half, and we created some decent chances, but Ipswich were worthy winners. I have to say that in both games that we have played against them, I thought that Ipswich were the best team that I have seen this season. While the team performance left something to be desired, Mfuni was outstanding again, his composure on the ball is remarkable in one so young. Abankwah, who had been outstanding on Saturday had a few dodgy moments on this occasion. Our attacking play definitely suffered due to the absence of Maamma. The news that he will be missing for some time is a cause for concern. It was good to see Bove get some time on the pitch. He is clearly a talented footballer, and I look forward to seeing a lot more of him in the future.