Category Archives: Graham Taylor

18th March 2000- Premier League, Watford 1 Sheffield Wednesday 0

A late goal from Allan Smart gave Watford the points in this battle between the Premiership’s worst two sides.

Sunday Telegraph, 19 Mar 2000

Observer, 19 Mar 2000

Independent, 19 Mar 2000

Daily Telegraph, 19 Mar 2000

It only takes a second to score a goal. It only takes a goal to win a game. It only takes a win to make my day….And it would only have taken a few more days like this to make a season.

It’s tempting to write only about the last ninety seconds of this game. Watford played beautifully, Smart scored early thanks to a splendid assist from star forward Tommy Smith, then we defended stoutly and resolutely for the arduous and seemingly endless remainder of the game, displaying the excellent teamwork that has often been lacking, etc., etc.

https://oldwatford.com/2015/05/02/2nd-may-2015-championship-watford-1-sheffield-wednesday-1/

4th March 2000- Premier League, Watford 1 West Ham United 2

For once, Watford fans had more than blind faith to cling to as kickoff approached. Not only the encouragement of two vastly improved performances, especially that mighty effort at Chelsea, but also the knowledge that we’d be able to field an unchanged side. This was it, this was our first win of the new year. No doubts.

Playing crap I can tolerate – it happens, whatever the division you are in. But showing such an APPARENT LACK OF EFFORT? The “half-arsed” element to our play in that first half still rankles, 48 hours on.

I saw us lose 4-0 at Spurs this season but there we were undone by the magician Ginola. In the first half against West Ham we showed a complete lack of the application and spirit that GT instilled over twenty years ago, and that simply cannot be tolerated.

12th February 2000- Premier League, Watford 1 Leicester City 1

In an open, entertaining match Watford’s Allan Smart could have had a hat-trick in the space of four frantic first-half minutes – but each time he shot just too high or straight to Leicester goalkeeper Tim Flowers.

BSAD image This was not a classic, just a well-matched contest with plenty of incident. A healthy serving of good, wholesome footie. And we didn’t lose either.

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15th January 2000-Premier League, Watford 2 Liverpool 3

Heidar Helguson’s Watford debut.

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28th December 1999- Premier League, Watford 3 Southampton 2

https://watford.fcdb.info/index.php?page=matches

Daily Telegraph, 29 Dec 1999

Guardian, 29 Dec 1999

Daily Record, 29 Dec 1999

Evening Standard, 29 Dec 1999

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18th December 1999- Premier League, Watford 1 Everton 3

Everton earned their first win in 10 games to send struggling Watford deeper into relegation trouble at Vicarage Road.

Some dodgy defending. Some very dodgy defending, and another uphill struggle. A goal drought ended by a wonderfully precise strike. A second half revival. A lunatic linesman, responsible for a decisive (and extremely controversial) penalty and a red card. A match that let its fury spread over the touchline and into the stands, until the whole stadium was lunacy and mayhem. Post-mortems to determine what the hell happened. Hang on, haven’t we been here before? We’ve been waiting for another Tranmere. Obviously. Those of us who’ve not either given up all hope or lost all desire have been praying for another Tranmere. This was it. The same ingredients but a different recipe, the same formula with the wrong result.

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