Category Archives: Graham Taylor

7th April 2009- Championship, Watford 2 Southampton 2

http://watford.fcdb.info?id=4862

Southampton centre-back Jan-Paul Saeijs hit a stunning last-minute equaliser to earn them a point away at Watford.

Having rightly come under considerable fire in his early days, the manager has done a remarkable job of steering the ship away from the rocks since dropping his hardline allegiance to possession football. Bolstered by some extremely timely signings – Mike Williamson and Jack Cork particularly, but Don Cowie too – and aided by a transformation in the likes of Jobi McAnuff and Tamas Priskin, he’s managed to create a perfectly functional, thoroughly mid-table Second Division outfit. And a team that’s suddenly quite easy to like again, that seems comfortable with itself again. As ambition goes, that ain’t Aidy Boothroyd. But it’ll do just fine for now.

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2009-04-07
https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-championship/07-april-2009/

27th January 2009- Championship, Watford 3 Burnley 0

Tamas Priskin came off the bench to score a clinical brace as Watford earned a vital Championship win against a very disappointing Burnley.

Burnley got off to the worst possible start when McAnuff struck inside the opening minute.

Before Saturday, my co-editor suggested that Mr.Rodgers needed to give us something to cling to.  Well this wasn’t so much a damp rope to cling to as a luxury yacht with well stocked galley and attentive staff.  Wallop! And there was me suggesting that we were doomed with him in charge.  Shows how much I know.  Why are you still reading this?

Evening Standard, 28 Jan 2009

9th April 2007- Premier League, Watford 4 Portsmouth 2

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

https://www.premierleague.com/en/match/44435/watford-vs-portsmouth

BBC: Gavin Mahon and Tamas Priskin scored their first Premiership goals and Hameur Bouazza bagged a brace to keep Watford’s slim survival hopes alive.

Guardian: Rather like the Woody Allen creation, Zelig, there is a chameleon quality to Portsmouth’s football these days. Having raised their game to match and defeat Manchester United on Saturday they came to Vicarage Road yesterday and proceeded to be more like Watford than Watford themselves.

BHappy: Your one-word match report is:crikey.

Daily Telegraph, 10 Apr 2007
Independent, 10 Apr 2007
https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2007-04-09

20th January 2007- Premier League, Aston Villa 2 Watford 0

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

https://www.premierleague.com/en/match/44318/aston-villa-vs-watford

BBC: The deadlock was broken when an angled Gavin McCann shot struck Gavin Mahon on the six-yard line and went in. The goal deflated a valiant Watford and they conceded a second in injury-time when Gabriel Agbonlahor shrugged off Danny Shittu and slotted home.

BHappy: That’ll be…Wearisome.

Clearly, the five-a-day awayday is an idea whose time has finally come. Just ask “The Lovely” Adrian Chiles (but possibly not Alan Hansen, who seemed a little bitter about the whole thing, a simmering jealousy that may make Match of the Day 2 compelling viewing over the coming weeks). Anyway, BHaPPY salutes Villa Park’s fruit ‘n’ veg pioneers….

Observer, 21 January 2007

Sunday Telegraph, 21 January 2007
Independent, 21 January 2007

6th May 2001- New Division One, Burnley 2 Watford 0

GT’s last game in charge of Watford.

Scan 7
Scan 8
Scan 9
Scan 10
Scan 11
Scan 12
Scan 13
Scan 14
Scan 15
http://watford.fcdb.info?id=4453

BSAD imageIt wasn’t supposed to end like this, was it? Not with a pretty comprehensive defeat against a side that is the very definition of the word “functional”. Not with ninth place, perching uncomfortably between the playoffs and the mid-table wastelands. Not with farewell waves and kisses in front of hundreds of rudely intruding Burnley fans, held back by a fragile line of police and stewards. Not with the bitterness and acrimony that surrounds the simultaneous departures of Messrs Jackett, Blissett and Walley.

Then again, it wasn’t supposed to end at all. Fairytales always conclude with “happily ever after”.

Screen Shot 2018-05-06 at 10.43.25
Screen Shot 2018-05-06 at 10.42.59

To mark the occasion of Graham Taylor’s retirement all the Watford fan publications came together to produce a special fanzine paying tribute to our Greatest Manager.

https://oldwatford.com/2017/01/12/theres-only-one-graham-taylor/