Monthly Archives: August 2006

26th August 2006- Premier League, Watford 1 Manchester United 2

http://watford.fcdb.info?id=4718

Ryan Giggs scored the second-half winner for Manchester United as they saw off a spirited Watford challenge.

BBC-SPORT-_-Football-_-Premiership-_-Watford-1-2-Man-Utd Download

Boothroyd’s Watford clearly lack the class of the side Graham Taylor took into the old First Division 24 years ago. Taylor’s team were derided for their direct approach yet still managed to finish runners-up to Liverpool that season. The present Watford team look to King to hold the ball up front with Damien Francis giving support from midfield and Ashley Young providing accurate centres from the right.

The wonderful Watford website Blind Stupid and Desperate bowed out with their final match report at this game.

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By Ian Grant

So, here it is. It doesn’t seem possible, really, but here it is. Just another day in front of the monitor, another afternoon spent bashing away at the keyboard, while the television burbles inanely behind me and the washing machine rumbles away in the kitchen. Another day, apparently as mundane as all of the others in the same vein…and yet, one that I know I’ll never forget. The last match report. The day in which BSaD enters the past tense. There’s no putting it off, not any more. Wish there was, but I know there isn’t.

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2006-08-26

https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/premier-league/26-august-2006/

22nd August 2006- Premier League, Watford 1 West Ham United 1

http://watford.fcdb.info?id=4717

Watford had to work hard to pick up their first point of the season in an entertaining draw with West Ham.

BBC-SPORT-_-Football-_-Premiership-_-Watford-1-1-West-Ham Download

Tuesday was great. Football. Right in front of you. So close it suffocated you. So close it got hold of you by the neck and shook you until you took notice. So close I could smell Shittu’s deep heat-laden legs. So close I could sense the tension in Ben Foster’s every mis-kick. So close I could see the menace in the eyes of Aidy Boothroyd. Hell-bent on non-failure (that’s success to you) this team, hell-bent on being something more than nothing. Hell-bent on casting aside memories of ’99, 2000. Just hell-bent. Whatever they want to do, they really want to do it. And more often than not they go out there and do it as they wanted to do it before they went out and did it.

Comparing last night with Goodison Park on Saturday, we managed some more of what we’d tried then, considerably more effectively – but that could have had something to do with the opposition being different. Everton were big and solid, to a man. (Have you seen Alan Stubbs close up?) West Ham were more…human, somehow, faster (Andy Johnson included), more our cup of tea. And if the rest of the teams we’ll play are in that mold, rather than the brick en-suite low-flush houses of the Toffeemen, we may very well prosper enough to survive. Our first home game was bound to be a bit special, though. A splendid sight greeted us, once we’d got into the ground and past the security checks, which I hope are to do with the global paranoia, rather than merely the Premier League’s. A beautiful pitch, and the Yellow Army dense in seven-eighths of the ground.

I did not, in all honesty, expect to be at the match. First home game in the Premiership would surely be a sell out? Er…apparently not, and late in the day I was able to take my place in the Vicarage Road stand – despite having no membership credentials other than my dad being a season ticket holder.

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2006-08-22

https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/premier-league/22-august-2006/

19th August 2006- Premier League, Everton 2 Watford 1

A shocking penalty decision robbed Premiership newcomers Watford of the chance of a point against Everton.

BBC-SPORT-_-Football-_-Premiership-_-Everton-2-1-Watford Download

The Hornets had the last laugh in May with a resounding play-off victory over Palace, but Johnson still pursued them into the Premiership and tormented them here. He will benefit from the excellent Mikel Arteta’s clever passing, the Spaniard duly converting from the spot after Tim Cahill’s cross struck Chris Powell on the forehead and a penalty was awarded for hand-ball. The decision was ludicrous and ultimately cost Watford a point, even if Everton should have eased themselves clear with Arteta and Cahill both striking the woodwork in the first period.

Watford were given belated hope when they scored in the dying minutes. Tamas Triskin crossed for Damien Francis and his shot took a big deflection off Stubbs before rolling into the net past Howard. However Everton held on for victory

Priskin came on for his debut in place of an exhausted Henderson. Everton broke inconsequentially, their attacks long since devoid of threat. Until a ball is put in from the right and hits Chris Powell, appeals, penalty. We didn’t have a great view, of course, but did feel hard done by… the ball had been kicked against him from our position. Match of the Day reveals the lunacy of the decision, the ball squarely hitting Powell in the face some distance from his hands; how two officials conspired to screw this up is inconceivable. And incidentally if you don’t know your arse from your elbow, so to speak, then no amount of TV replay, fourth eye, whatever, is going to help. At the time, with less than ten minutes to go this didn’t seem a particularly significant development, the ferocity of our attacks having petered out for all of Priskin’s encouraging tidiness. As Arteta sent Foster the wrong way, the game merely ended eight minutes earlier than scheduled.

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2006-08-19

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2006-08-20

https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/premier-league/20-august-2006/

13th August 2006- Friendly, Watford 2 Chievo Verona 1

One programme was issued for the two games we played against Italian opposition. See 8th August 2006- Friendly, Watford 1 Inter Milan 1

THE name may not be as famous as Inter Milan but Watford completed the second part of their Italian double-header by deservedly beating Serie A outfit Chievo 2-1 on Sunday, August 13 to complete an undefeated pre-season and put themselves in good shape for next week’s Premiership opener at Everton.

Hornets-claim-Chievo-scalp-_-Watford-Observer Download

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Taken from the programme on 31st July 2015- Friendly, Watford 0 Sevilla 1

8th August 2006- Friendly, Watford 1 Inter Milan 1

Watford drew at home to Italian champions Inter Milan in Tuesday night’s friendly at Vicarage Road.

It’s the middle of the night. I’m sitting in my seat in the Rookery holding my two month old daughter and there’s nobody else in view, the lights are out, the stadium is pitch black. It ought to be cold but it isn’t. Suddenly my boss appears next to me. “What are you doing here? You should be at work” .

Vital Watford: Aidy Boothroyd`s side continued their Premiership preparations by extending their pre-season unbeaten run to five matches after holding Italian giants Inter Milan to a draw.

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Taken from the programme on 31st July 2015- Friendly, Watford 0 Sevilla 1