Fantastic keeper for us back in the day. Not so sure about his coaching qualities though, I think there is a reason he was demoted not long after the Pozzos arrived.
He made the best ever save I've seen in a live match. It was against Scunthorpe in a routine league encounter. We were winning 4-0 at the time, so it didn't really matter, but the Scunthorpe forward headed the ball down at point blank range into the corner of the goal. Somehow Alec threw himself and tipped the ball over Gordon Banks style. Everyone, including the 10 Scunthorpe fans, gave him an instant standing ovation. He even doffed his cap in acknowledgment. Pure class. As a footnote, we did conceded two goals in injury time, so the final score was 4-2. Somethings never change!! Another memory was in an away match or a friendly, can't remember which. It was when GT came back for the second time. Fans were singing "Taylor, give us a wave, Taylor, Taylor us a wave" to which GT deliberately ignored. Alec turned around to the fans who were behind his goal and shouted to us....."call him Graham".....to which the fans responded with "Graham, give us a wave, Graham, Graham gives us a wave"......and he duly did.
I think he was good at the start. Got Loach and Foster into the England set-up. Without his guidance they both dissappeared back into obscurity. Not sure he's had a lot of input in recent years.
Could’ve just said ‘Good luck’? His saves from Gudjohnsen and Frandsen in the playoff final live long in the memory.
Loach had huge flaws though. Mainly command of his box and dealing with crosses which was often Alec's problem too.
A club legend for me, especially when you consider that GT paid only £40k for him. Also had the rare ability amongst goalkeepers in being two footed, so none of this nonsense about having to pass back to his strong side or him having to run round the ball to get it on his favoured foot - Alec was comfortable clearing with both left and right. There was a period during the promotion season in 98/99 where he seemed to make at least one world class save per game. As well as the magnificent save mentioned by HB1, I recall another blinding save against Grimsby on the final day as I was sat directly behind the post at the Vic Road end; our 1-0 win confirmed our play-off place. And his heroics in not just the penalty shoot-out but throughout the whole game against Birmingham in the play-off semi-final provided me with one of my happiest memories as a Watford fan. Good luck to him, whatever he goes on to do.
Indeed. If you were writing a script that involved losing a game, barely having a shot for two hours, half of it against ten men, and calling it one of the great football nights, it’d seem very far fetched. The goal inside two minutes felt like the beginning of a tsunami, the ground resembled a war zone and you never felt for a moment we were going through until the split second we did. Never experienced anything quite like it.
I thought he was a great keeper for us as demonstrated by the fact he played for so long. Said hello to him during a pre season match on the Isle of Mann back in 1999 and he seemed very approachable as well.
Roeder was sacked in Feb 96, and GT returned as general manager/director of football and almost saved us from relegation but Leicester beat us on the final day. Pre season 96/97 GT signed Alec as backup to Kevin Miller whilst Jackett managed the team. Following season, Miller was sold, Alec became number one and GT returned to the dugout and the rest is glorious history....
I can confirm, my last English gf, Michelle from Slough, only became a Watford fan because of AC's bum.
With 10 men too for quite some time as well. Tommy Mooney and Steve Palmer scored. Could do with their type now in defence !!
This can only mean three things:- 1 you married Michelle from Slough 2 All of your girl friends since Michelle have not come from these shores! 3 I should be doing something else and not replying to you at this time of day!
No, God no I never married Michelle from Slough. I was married to a Shari from Sioux Falls once, but (2) is correct.
Tsunami and war zone describes it perfectly. I was 12 at the time and couldn't believe that we'd be able to get something out of such a hostile place. One of the greatest Watford games I've been to