Tag Archives: Frank Smith

1st November 2014- Championship, Watford 3 Millwall 1

The 100 year anniversary of the outbreak of World War One was commemorated at this game. Our change shirt for the season was based on our kit from 1914 and was worn specially at the game. Before kick off The Last Post was played followed by two minutes silence which turned into applause during which all those in the Rookery Stand held up foil banners to make an enormous display of a poppy on a black and white background.

Jon Marks BBC 3CR commentary   Goals: 1  2  3

Watford moved two points clear at the top of the Championship with victory over Millwall at Vicarage Road.

The afternoon got under way with a poignant remembrance commemoration, which involved the Rookery end of the ground being transformed into a giant poppy as more than 6,000 foils were held aloft.

Martyn Woolford had fired the visitors into an early lead, but Matej Vydra equalised before Daniel Tozser gave the Hornets the lead shortly before the interval. Slavisa Jokanovic’s men were largely comfortable in the second half and made sure of the points when Gianni Munari netted a third.

So perhaps stability doesn’t equal success after all. Watford may be on their fourth manager of the season but they are also on top of the Championship after coming from behind to win and maintain Slavisa Jokanovic’s unbeaten start as the latest incumbent of the home dugout.

It’s been a little while since I was last here; the usual excuses apply. I’ve missed two managers in that time…but if I’m honest, I’ve quietly enjoyed our little spell as the division’s in-joke. No better way to remind ourselves of how far we’ve come under these owners than to wipe the egg from our faces and have a look in the mirror; the in-joke within the in-joke is that far from being the next basket-case to trouble When Saturday Comes’ “Clubs in Crisis” page, we appear to be thoroughly good shape. The point is emphasised by the pre-match remembrance display, indicative of an administration that’s doing significantly more than the bare minimum and is being solidly backed by fans as a consequence. (That’s hardly the main purpose, of course, but there’s no shame in feeling proud of good intentions.)

http://watford.fcdb.info?s=35051&id=5136
https://oldwatford.com/2019/04/27/27th-april-2019-premier-league-watford-1-wolverhampton-wanderers-2/

9th May 2013- Championship Playoff Semi-Final First Leg, Leicester City 1 Watford 0

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

BBC: David Nugent’s first goal in 17 games gave Leicester a slender and deserved lead over Watford after an open Championship semi-final first leg.

BHappy:  Less than a fortnight after the last time, we’re back at the KP stadium and it’s an odd experience.  In so many ways, and despite our refusal to get all obsessive about replicating the components of the previous encounter in the name of fortune it’s like stepping back into a story that hadn’t stopped, walking back into a room where the same album had been playing on loop for a fortnight. From the way the wind howls around the ground to the impressive and imposing noise to the frantic edginess of the occasion.  If there’s a change in mood it’s a subtle one in the away end… we’re no longer the nothing-to-lose, let’s give this a go chancers;  we had a go, we almost made it despite extraordinary obstacles, but not quite.  We are battle hardened and slightly circumspect as a result… it’s intangible, but it’s real enough. If the welcome presence of Luther Blissett in the away end provides a fillip, there’s a something that veers between determination and fear which wasn’t here two weeks ago.

Daily Telegraph, 10 May 2013
Guardian, 10 May 2013
Independent, 10 May 2013
Evening Standard, 10 May 2013