Tag Archives: Robert Page

13th December 2008- Championship, Watford 2 Coventry City 1

John-Joe O’Toole’s winner after 72 minutes gave new Watford boss Brendon Rodgers a second successive victory

The rain. I’m not complaining; we played the conditions much more effectively than Cov and it was a remarkably positive showing from both sides in the circumstances. But… it didn’t seem likely that the game would finish, as late as the end of the first half. Bonus marks to Chris Coleman for stopping short of Walker (R)’s plausible enough prediction in his post-match comments.

More games from 13th December at https://oldwatford.com/tag/dec13

5th March 2005- Championship, Watford 2 Coventry City 3

Nobody is without imagination. We all have dreams, carried with us wherever we go in hope more than expectation…but with a little expectation nevertheless. And that, perhaps, explains the thoroughly half-hearted nature of yesterday’s proceedings, for nobody can have been unaware that these were wasted hours, dribbled tediously away while others went in search of fulfilled dreams. Somewhere, someone spent the afternoon of Saturday 5th March 2005 doing something that they’ll remember forever, that they’ll take to the grave as a personal, irreplaceable treasure. And it wasn’t me. And it wasn’t you either.

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2005-03-05

https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-championship/05-march-2005/

8th January 2005- FA Cup Third Round, Watford 1 Fulham 1

Neither side wanted a draw but both teams deserved something from what was an excellent Cup tie. For Watford the replay will be sandwiched between the two legs of the Carling Cup semi-final against Liverpool while Fulham’s priorities lie in Premiership survival.

Of course, Fulham left us with the suggestion, before Russian billionaires raised the stakes, that Al Fayed’s money would buy more than a superior type of mediocrity; nevertheless, it’s hard to remember to be smart when we’re asked what we’ve been doing since we were neck-and-neck with them at the top of the Second Division back in 2000. In short, not as planned.

More games from 8th January at https://oldwatford.com/tag/jan8

28th September 2002- New Division One, Sheffield United 1 Watford 2

This was the first game played after the players had been asked to take a 12% wage cut as the seriousness of the club’s financial position, in the wake of the collapse of ITV Digital and the overspending of the Vialli era, became clear.

Icelandic striker Heidar Helguson was at the centre of two pivotal first-half minutes as Watford toppled high-flying Sheffield United.

The Observer, 29 Sep 2002

The Guardian, 30 Sep 2002

Within the last seven days the severity of Watford’s financial mess has been dramatically highlighted, the club’s staff both on and off the pitch have volunteered an unsecured 12% deferment of wages, and administration has been spoken of as a serious possibility for the first time. One of the most distressing weeks supporting the football club that many of us can remember.

http://watford.fcdb.info?id=4517

17th April 2001- New Division One, Watford 3 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2

http://watford.fcdb.info?id=4449

Icelandic international Heidar Helguson kept Watford’s First Division play-off hopes alive with a last-gasp winner against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

So, this thoroughly bizarre, nonsensical football match. Such an oddity, in fact, that no reaction – laughter, tears, fainting, boredom, rejoicing, blind fury – would’ve been entirely inappropriate. Appropriately, then, it received the most inappropriate reaction of all…a standing ovation.

It was always going to be a strange night from the moment Robert Page almost slid the ball into his own net within seconds from kick-off with an ugly lunge trying to defend a cross.

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2001-04-17

https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-1/17-april-2001/

13th March 2001-New Division One, Watford 0 Burnley 1

Defeat against Burnley was annoying and frustrating rather than depressing and awful, but these are only different shades of miserable.

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