Anyone remember this game in the FA Cup in 1977? I have a matchday poster signed by Elton John and a number of players on eBay. Just search Elton John and Northwich Vics on there.
I remember it well. I didn’t go because I was only little, but I cried so much when I saw the result, that I couldn’t eat my jacket potato.
We played Northwich away in the 3rd round after two great away games at Gillingham and Hillingdon Borough. All three ties were mental. Against Gillingham if my memory is correct we won 1-0 in the last minute and it all kicked off afterwards in the street to the station. Watford had a "Special" train all the way there from the Junction. The Hillingdon match was like a home match so many Watford there I guess 4,000+ remember being behind but winning with a pen 3-2. Northwich was a trip on the special train again, remember beer cans flying about and loads of fighting on the mud bank terrace. Afterwards some idiot threw a brick threw a car showroom window and lots of 70's style hooligans beating up northerners. Watford tried to cover up the loss against a non league team by printing it in programmes as a loss to Norwich! It was definitely different then..
Wow that Hillingdon game was one of those memories that I'd completely forgotten about, but reappeared from the depths of the brain when you described it! I was at that one too. Can't remember any of the details of the game though, but certainly the 'scenes' that you describe so colourfully and eloquently were what were brought it all back to life! As you say, so different from the wunnerful super sunday Premier League experience. Otherwise, the only persisting memory of that awful game v Northwich, which I didn't go to, was the tremendous and long-lasting schoolboy pish ripping I received. Performed to a point where 'boring' is a point that lies long, long, long, way back in the distant past. By chortling hordes of (supposed) Spuds, Gonners, Spammers, Liverpool and bloody, bloody Manchester neverbloodyending United 'fans'. Every last one of 'em born and living within a 10 mile radius of the Vic too, the slimy treacherous jacklegs.
I as well as going to the Hillingdon away cup tie also went to a pre-season friendly we played there the last pre-season game before our division 3 season of 72/3, it was a Monday evening game and unless I'm mistaken I'm pretty sure we lost 1-0, however we won on the following Saturday 1-0 home to Tranmere rovers!
I still have a scar on my left shin from falling down the terrace in the mayhem that ensued after Alan Mayes scored that last minute winner.....
Or Northwich "f'ing" Victoria as Elton called them at the end of season awards night. I think that was our first reverse against non league opposition since going out of the cup at Bedford Town in 1955.. and of course the last time for us. A pic from the win at Hillingdon (can't find any of Northwich game)
I remember Elton John at Crewe Station on way back. He gave us all (on the Special Train) a cheer which seemed to get us all out of our bad mood & we’ve never looked back since !!
The Special Train was, on the way back, about as Special as Mourinho these days. I don't know about SEJ's cheer getting us out of our collective bad mood - never known so many long faces. I remember happier days though with the first two "Hornet Express" trains in 1969-70 to Hull (League 1-1 - "All you need is Lugg") and Bolton in the Cup (2-1) - riotous journeys especially the returns. Both were to grounds long gone - Burnden Park and Boothferry Park. The trip back from Hull was notable for one of the back of the Rookery lads (named "Dingo" as I recall) purloining a large crate of gin bottles from the platform at Paragon Station as the train pulled out. He then proceeded to swap each bottle for a bottle of beer as he walked down the corridors (yes the carriages were that old). By the time we got to Northampton (about 2 hours late) most of the fans were paralytic and raucous. The train then sat in the middle line of the station (no platform) for a further hour with the occasional gin (and beer) bottle being lobbed through the windows on to the tracks. We got back to the Junction around 1.30am, the fans poured off the train (literally), many having to walk (or stagger) home on foot. The sponsors of these "Hornet Expresses" were ordinary fans and had to persuade the Supporters Club to organise them. Unfortunately after giving the train another chance after the Hull game, the trip to Bolton finished the idea off for a good few seasons - of course under the Kirby and Keen regimes, it was eventually difficult to fill a coach, never mind a train....
Since the Northwich game haven't we only once played a non league team in the cup? Maidstone in 1987. I'm pretty sure when we played Scarborough in 95 and Barnet in 97 they were league clubs by then.
I was living abroad during the 96/97 season, we drew every week and I didn't really keep up; I remember some of the Xmas fixtures were called off. In the end I only saw 5 matches from that season.
Hendon the season after.. Dagenham the season after that.. Harlow the season after that. Ashford as mentioned.
The Northwich game was brought forward to a 2pm kick-off because someone at WFC decided that their floodlights weren't good enough. I was surrounded by Northwich fans holding candles. What made the result worse was that I was living near Stafford at the time and Stafford Rangers fans absolutely hate the Vics (that is the polite name).
Some recollections - Just to rub things in with the floodlights, as their fans ran onto the pitch at the end of the game the floodlights were turned on to loud cheers. The programme had details of the replay - it was a 7.30 kick off, and noted that NW were happy to play under Watford's floodlights. On the way to the game there was chap selling rosettes etc. Some of them were in the name of 'The Brewers' - I regret I didn't get my Dad to buy me one. We went by train, not on the Special, so we had to catch a bus to pick up a connection to Crewe. Waiting at the Bus Station was as about as miserable it has ever been following Watford. I am sure by the time we got to the station it had started raining, and we joined a huddle of fans in the waiting room, crowding around a small coal fire. As for the match - forgotten other than a dodgy penalty awarded to NW. Given it was a 2.00 kick off MOTD managed to interview some of the players that evening.
