Watford had a slice of good fortune in their victory over Rotherham to give Gianluca Vialli his first league win since he took charge.
BSAD report: It began with operatic bellowing from a Pavarotti impersonator, as well as dancing girls and a new, apparently divorced Harry Hornet.
Taken from the programme on 27th August 2001-New Division One, Watford 2 Walsall 1
18th August 1998-League Cup First Round Second Leg, Watford 1 Cambridge Utd 1 (Cambridge won 2-1 on aggregate)
A bit of inaudible mumbling from the PA, an unmistakable rattle of drums and it’s back. “Z Cars” returns to Vicarage Road, unheralded but still welcomed with open arms. It might well be a godforsaken wailing mess of a tune, so old and dusty and dated that no amount of revamping will ever save it, but it’s ourgodforsaken wailing mess of a tune. Which, if you think about it, is a pretty good metaphor for what supporting a football club ought to be about.12th August 2017- Premier League, Watford 3 Liverpool 3
clips of Jon Marks BBC 3CR commentary Goals: 1 2 3
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Miguel Britos scored a controversial 93rd-minute equaliser for Watford as Liverpool were held in a thrilling game at Vicarage Road.
Miguel Britos struck deep into stoppage time as Watford secured a late point following a 3-3 draw with Liverpool at Vicarage Road on Saturday.
The expression on Jürgen Klopp’s face as Watford celebrations broke out all around him said it all. A testing 24 hours for Liverpool, dominated by Philippe Coutinho’s emailed transfer request, ended with the sort of injury-time equaliser that drives managers insane. Miguel Britos, looking at least a yard offside, bundled the ball home from a corner in the 93rd minute, denying Liverpool the victory that would have brought some much-needed respite during the Coutinho saga.
New season, same old problems for Liverpool. Against Watfordthey were made to pay the price for an all too familiar defensive horror show, as Miguel Britos headed home a 94th-minute equaliser to deny Jurgen Klopp victory in his 100th competitive game in charge of the club.
It’s a classic First Day of the Season. Sunshine on your face walking down Vicarage Road. Touts after tickets, programme vendors, charity buckets. 50/50 scarves on sale for a tenner (“who buys them?”). Friends rock up, you’ve not seen them for three months… “how was your summer?”. Albert is here for the first time in even longer, it’s good to see him. He’s stunned by how tall the girls are, they are nonplussed but grin anyway. There are flags, and noise, a tremendous montage on the big screens. And then, then the football. As has been said many times if you rely solely on the sport itself for your enjoyment you’re going to be disappointed more often than not but still, football. And it’s just brilliant…
The first day of the season and, on arriving in Watford, it was grey and drizzly. I was at the Hornet Shop before 9:30, so it was rather bizarre to see the programme sellers and burger stands already setting up. Having bought the new home and away shirts, a woolly hat (just in case) and a Watford coffee cup, I headed to the museum to get in line for the Graham Taylor exhibition.
Football’s bloody brilliant, isn’t it? We’ve waited the whole summer and our patience was rewarded in the most emphatic way.Premier League results and table from 11v11.com
| 11 Aug 2017 | Arsenal | 4:3 | Leicester City | |
| 12 Aug 2017 | Brighton and Hove Albion | 0:2 | Manchester City | |
| 12 Aug 2017 | Chelsea | 2:3 | Burnley | |
| 12 Aug 2017 | Crystal Palace | 0:3 | Huddersfield Town | |
| 12 Aug 2017 | Everton | 1:0 | Stoke City | |
| 12 Aug 2017 | Southampton | 0:0 | Swansea City | |
| 12 Aug 2017 | Watford | 3:3 | Liverpool | |
| 12 Aug 2017 | West Bromwich Albion | 1:0 | AFC Bournemouth | |
| 13 Aug 2017 | Manchester United | 4:0 | West Ham United | |
| 13 Aug 2017 | Newcastle United | 0:2 | Tottenham Hotspur |
5th August 2017- The Graham Taylor Trophy, Watford 0 Real Sociedad 0
Matchday Review
First and foremost, we’re here for GT. There’s yellow everywhere, including in the Rookery where, if the donated tributes get a bit lost the sentiment is evident and a mighty GT banner dominates. And that’s the theme really… what’s important is not the substance, not the what, but the motivation behind it. Everyone… club, supporters, guests… want to do this justice. So there’s all sorts of entertainment going on behind the Rookery by all accounts – and whilst I grouchily resent not being allowed to sit in my seat, let alone my stand for any fixture on this occasion allowances must be made.GT’s first ever Watford programme notes
Ahead of Saturday’s game honouring GT here are his first programme notes as Watford manager.
From the programme on 13 August 1977-League Cup First Round, First Leg, Watford 2 Reading 1
