Tag Archives: Birmingham City

1st January 2026- Championship, Watford 3 Birmingham City 0

Watford Observer: Birmingham preview: Gracia believes Watford squad ‘feel part of something’

https://www.watfordfc.com/supporters/digital-digests

Match Wrap: Watford 3-0 Birmingham City – Watford FCDownload

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY RECAP: Watford 3-0 Birmingham City

Match Report: Ince hat-trick inspires relentless Watford to 3-0 Birmingham win

Gracia on Birmingham win: ‘The squad believe in what we are doing’

Hat-trick hero Ince: ‘I never doubted that I could be exciting again’

Birmingham City verdict: Powerful Watford let rip at Vicarage Road

Gracia on Irankunda’s return to form and ‘high quality’ Ince

BBC: Tom Ince scored a hat-trick as Watford made it four successive Championship wins with a comprehensive victory over a lacklustre Birmingham City.

Sky: Ince should even have added a fourth goal when he fired over an open net inside the six-yard box with 20 minutes remaining.

BHappy: You really don’t want to be falling behind against this Watford side. Admittedly we’ve not taken the lead in games often enough to demonstrate the veracity of this theory conclusively (though, whisper it, one goal conceded in four games in case you missed that detail) but… rarely, perhaps not since our promotion season of 20 years ago (eek) under Aidy Boothroyd have we had a side so well-equipped for attacking on the break.

Fran’s Watford Blog: There were great celebrations in the stands and on the pitch. The players spent some time on the lap of honour and it was lovely seeing Tom Ince walking around with the matchball and a huge smile on his face. He was deservedly man of the match after scoring a hat trick and taking them all well.

From The Rookery End: On this week’s episode, Jon, Mike and DCW revel in Watford FC’s red-hot start to the year as the Hornets make it four consecutive victories and confidence begins to surge. There’s plenty of love for Tom Ince after a stunning hat-trick, with the lads discussing what his form means for the balance and belief within the side. Attention also turns to the hugely important return of Georgi Chakvetadze, whose influence has brought control, cohesion and calm back into midfield, helping to ignite an electric atmosphere at Vicarage Road.

1st December 2025- Championship, Birmingham City 2 Watford 1

Watford Observer: Birmingham preview: Troy Deeney on fixture closest to his heart

The key stat that should give Watford encouragement heading to Birmingham

‘We are motivated to do it again’ – Gracia wants more success on the road

Match Wrap: Birmingham City 2-1 Watford – Watford FCDownload

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY RECAP: Birmingham City 2-1 Watford

Match Report: Defensive errors cost Watford in 2-1 defeat at Birmingham

Gracia on Birmingham defeat: ‘We are paying for our mistakes’

Compliments but not points: Watford sum up their season so far at Birmingham

Chakvetadze approaching full fitness after impressive cameo at Birmingham

Birmingham boss Davies praises Watford but says Kyprianou should have seen red

BBC: Demarai Gray’s wonderful individual effort helped Birmingham City climb to within a point of the Championship play-offs with victory over Watford. Paik Seung-ho opened the scoring from outside the box before Gray’s classy effort found the top corner to put Birmingham fully in control at the break. Othmane Maamma pulled one back for Watford but the home side, seeking successive promotions after last season’s League One title triumph, held on.

Sky: The Blues earned a fourth straight win at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park while Watford’s miserable run on the road continued despite a valiant effort in the second half.

Fran’s Watford Blog: It was another decent but ultimately disappointing performance against a tough opponent. Both goals were the result of mistakes by the Hornets and, as so often this season, we were not clinical enough in front of goal. Kyprianou had his worst game in a Watford shirt, looking very nervous on the ball and making some terrible loose passes. He wasn’t the only one guilty of that and the mistakes decided the outcome. Louza had a quiet first half but was back storming in the second period. Maamma was excellent throughout. A constant menace to the Birmingham defence, creating several good chances and his goal was very well taken. Chakvetadze also had a good evening and was involved in the creation of the goal. Bola also had a good night, he continues to excite going forward and really should have been on the scoresheet.

From the Rookery End: A raw Monday evening away at St Andrews as defeat strikes Watford again — 2–1 to Birmingham City, but this one felt more self-inflicted than stolen. Jon, Jordi, Jason and Paul from Denver watched that game in the FTRE spiritual home, at the spiritual table, in the Railway Arms.

16th March 2024- Championship, Birmingham City 0 Watford 1

WFC.Net Goal Commentary: 1

BBC: Struggling Birmingham City were left ruing a defensive lapse that ruined an otherwise much-improved performance as Emmanuel Dennis’ first-half goal gave Tom Cleverley a win in his first game as Watford interim head coach.

Sky: Aiwu could not control Cody Drameh’s throw-in across his own penalty area and Dennis got the better of the defender before finishing ruthlessly past John Ruddy.

BHappy: There’s a new broom in town… and yes, yes, we’re quite used to that and no, it’s not all about the head coach, deeper problems, yada yada.  Nonetheless.  There’s a newness to it and the potential for something different.  Daughter 2 notes that the large away end is full.  It’s not just the convenient distance that has brought folk out, and the new (interim) head coach’s name is being sung before the man himself even appears.

Fran’s Watford Blog: So, the Cleverley era started with a win, but it had been a very poor game of football between two poor teams.  The Hornets had taken the three points based on an opportunist goal and a couple of excellent saves from Bachmann.  Pollock impressed as did Porteous and Tom Dele-Bashiru, but the forwards had a disappointing afternoon.  Still, three points are always welcome, and we now have a fortnight to prepare for the challenges of the Easter weekend.  Let’s hope that this result will instil some confidence and that the remaining games yield some entertainment.  This has been a trying season.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68519397

16th September 2023- Championship, Watford 2 Birmingham City 0

https://www.skysports.com/football/watford-vs-birmingham-city/teams/484773

BBC: Birmingham City’s unbeaten start to the Championship season came to an end as two stoppage-time goals from Mileta Rajovic and Ryan Andrews gave Watford their first win since the opening day.

Sky: The visitors had started brightly, threatening inside the first minute when Oliver Burke’s pass from the right set up Fulham loanee Jay Stansfield for a low right-foot shot from outside the box only for Hornets goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann to save.

Watford Observer: Live Feed

It looked increasingly like the home side would have to settle for a point from a frustrating goalless draw, but with two minutes of normal time remaining the Blues were reduced to ten men when left-back Lee Buchanan was sent off for a second yellow card.

Head coach Valerien Ismael heralded the patience of the Watford fans as being a contributory factor in yesterday’s late, late show victory over Birmingham.

BHappy: It’s a tremendous header.  A Duncan Ferguson header.  Under challenge from several opponents, with the significant distraction of Dion Sanderson flying in to try to clear and having achieved very little in the game to that point – indeed one wonders if, had Vakoun Bayo been on the bench, he would have made it that far – Rajović kept his eye on it, held off the multiple distractions and directed a header cruelly beyond the helpless Ruddy (for whom this may have triggered an uncomfortable flashback to Wembley 2019).

Fran’s Watford Blog: The game seemed to being winding down when Chakvetadze squared for Andrews, but the youngster hit a low shot from distance that took a deflection and beat Ruddy.  He ran to the 1881 section of the Rookery and celebrated with Harry the Hornet while the crowd sang “He’s one of our own”.

14th March 2023- Championship, Watford 3 Birmingham City 0

WFC.Net Goal Commentary: 1  2  3

Attendance: 18,403

BBC Sport: Watford gave new manager Chris Wilder a perfect first night at Vicarage Road with a comfortable win over Birmingham City.

Sky Sports: Imran Louza and Keinan Davis scored within the first 16 minutes of a painful evening for Blues manager John Eustace – a former Hornets captain as a player. Birmingham improved in the second half but could not prevent substitute Britt Assombalonga from adding a third.

Fran’s Watford Blog: Birmingham gaffer (and former Watford captain) John Eustace was welcomed back.  Troy Deeney was out injured but my sister told me that he had taken an age to get from the SEJ to the GT stand as he was stopped by every other person.  Tim then introduced Chris Wilder to the (very sparse) crowd, and he was given a warm welcome. 

16th August 2022- Championship, Birmingham City 1 Watford 1

https://www.watfordfc.com/post-match/birmingham-city-first-team-watford-mens-team-2022-08-16/statistics

Attendance 16,811

BBC Sport: Watford preserved their unbeaten start in the Championship with a hard-fought draw against Birmingham at St Andrew’s.

Sky Sports: The Hornets, who were missing the injured Ismaila Sarr, failed to make the most of their chances and fell behind to George Hall’s first senior goal. Ken Sema finally found a way through with a second-half equaliser but the visitors missed the chance to go top of the Championship table.

BHappy: The game ends.  Troy treads a fine line in walking halfway to the away end and applauding, acknowledging the Watford acclaim without going full Roy Hodgson.   Rob Edwards meanwhile leads his team to the front of the stand, where Kenzema makes sure that his shirt goes to the couple brandishing a Sweden flag in the second row. Edwards’ take is about right.  Any away point is a good one, particularly when coming from behind but… coulda.  Maybe shoulda.  Definitely coulda.  It will come, pieces are still shifting in and out. It will come.

Fran’s Watford Blog: There are a number of new faces in the squad, so this is still a team in transition, but the hard work and the organisation are impressing.  The main frustration was that we did not test Ruddy enough, but that wasn’t for want of trying.  Despite an identical result, this was a much better performance than at the Hawthorns last week and the travelling Hornets left St Andrews with smiles on their faces

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62473320