Monthly Archives: October 1996

29th October 1996-New Division Two, Watford 1 Luton Town 1

BSAD report:It makes a change for us to play Luton when they’re on a roll – it’s usually us enjoying a good run which, inevitably, comes to a sticky end against our local rivals. But nothing much changes – April 1987 was the last time we beat them in a proper match (the Anglo-Italian cup, in which you were allowed to name everyone in the ground as a substitute and play rush goalie, doesn’t count and we know it).

http://watford.fcdb.info?s=34639&id=4214

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19th October 1996- New Division Two, Bury 1 Watford 1

Sunday Mirror, 20 Oct 1996

BSAD: It was quite a good game by this division’s standards. Two reasonably good teams playing some nice stuff with the obligatory spells of midfield scrambling thrown in. We had the best of the first half and scored a cracker after half an hour: Bazeley ran on to a superb wide ball (source unknown) and whipped in a low cross for Andrews to volley home at the near post. Cue great celebrations amongst the Watford faithful.

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=1996-10-19

https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-2/19-october-1996/

15th October 1996- New Division Two, Watford 2 Burnley 2

Confident? Only slightly, to be honest. During the summer, I said that I didn’t believe the current squad would be capable of winning promotion – less to do with the quality of the players, more to do with the total lack of strength in depth. I wish I’d changed my mind but I haven’t. We had three YTS players on the bench last night and, while it’s great to see that we have so many young players progressing through the club, that indicates that we’re dreadfully short of options.

http://watford.fcdb.info?s=31800&id=4211

12th October 1996- New Division Two, Watford 1 Wrexham 1

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BSAD report: It’s pretty obvious why we struggle at Vicarage Road. Apart from the occasional blinding bit of vision (Gary Penrice was the culprit in this game – totally letting the side down by actually looking up before passing the ball), we lack the intelligence to break down a massed defence. Most sides are going to come to Vicarage Road and be well satisfied with a point – to stop them achieving their objective, we have to learn how to play to our strengths. And we do have strengths, it’s just that we seem too bashful to admit it to ourselves.

http://watford.fcdb.info?s=31206&id=4210

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1st October 1996- New Division Two, Watford 1 Preston North End 0

Weird old business, this football lark. Last night, Watford’s players were about a minute away from being booed off the pitch (unjustifiably, really, but fans are a fickle bunch) when Steve Palmer finally scored the match-winning goal, leading to mad celebrations and a sense of jubilation when the final whistle blew. Such is the thin line between success and failure, or something like that.

http://watford.fcdb.info?id=4208