Great little anecdote . People didn't give a sh1t about kids back then . Made us more independent though, I guess .
Before the game there was one of those WTF moments outside the Rose and Crown in Market St when a gang of "Harlow" fans confronted some of us when leaving the pub. One of them proceeded to swing a long piece of 4 by 2 at A*** T*****-who as normal was at the front (and being the wrong guy to pick on). As A*** shielded the blow with his left arm it broke in two and simultaneously he knocked the bloke out with his right hand. They all looked rather crestfallen at this and after a brief skirmish scarpered, as i recall.
Love all these little anecdotes about the club from a time when I was still in nappies! Further to this Harlow match - here's a picture from barely a few seconds before this one http://wfcforums.com/index.php?attachments/scan-652b-jpg.361/ as Martin Patching dives to head the ball home from close range. Pic courtesy of https://oldwatford.com/ again, although I've edited out the stitches and crease through the centre as it was in the middle of the programme: If you watch the youtube highlights vid, you can see the photographers crouching near the goal taking these pictures.
Epic pics. Looking at the Vic Road terrace pictures - I'd forgotten where the toilets on the east side were. They must be almost in the space where our shiny, new store is!
Oh God, those toilets, they are imprinted on my memory as much as some of the memorable matches I have seen! Those at the Vic Road end (close to the old Supporters Club) were only beaten in sheer hideousness by the ones at the top of the Rookery cinder bend and under the old "Main Stand" on the south side before the extension was built. In the summer, they were almost indescribably, stenchingly putrid with about an inch of piss swilling about on certain parts of the floor. You tiptoed in looking for the comparatively dry parts, having to make do with a suitable gap and hoping the belching, staggering guys both sides of you had good aims. On a bad day the constant shuffling yellow and black scarf clad masses would stir up the waste liquid and it would slop over your shoes. Woe betide anyone wearing trainers! In the winter, there was partly frozen yellow coloured ice in the corners and clouds of similarly coloured steam rising gently from the urinals which were overflowing and not flushing because the pipes were iced up. On some days before any kind of roof covering gave limited protection, the rain would teem down as you struggled to "adjust your dress" before and after relieving yourself. At least the rain diluted the noxious flood under your feet somewhat. The urinals were terrible, but the WCs were far worse - broken seated, stinking, rancid ****-covered black holes which you only ventured into in case of sheer immediate incontinence - sadly forgetting to check beforehand if there was any (shiny) toilet paper. Ah, happy days....
Use to work at the same place as Charlie Livesey's wife, Pat, she would recount the time when footballers eanings where not as they are today, Charlie certainly did not ' retire' after his football career !
Some more pics from yesteryear and a bit further - does anybody know the connection between the top two pics (verses Bradford, 1989) and the bottom one (verses Grimsby, 1967)?!
We scored 7 in both games. I always wondered if it is GT behind the post? Anyway here he is in the match program.. https://oldwatford.com/1967/12/#jp-carousel-6412
Correct! I was going to include a pic from the Blackpool game, but thought that would make it too easy. Good shout on GT. Never would've thought of that.
Found a series of very old pictures that I think are really interesting, about a former player named Hugh Surtees who played for us during the mid to late 1940's. Very little info about him, although a few details stated here: http://hugmansfootballers.com/player/19064 In this photo dated 4th June 1947, it appears as if they haven't yet finished con******g the Vic Road terrace: This picture dated 6th June 1947 clearly shows the area where the family terrace was as a yet-to-be developed earth/grass bank. Also visible is the very crude lighting, before the floodlights were installed: And finally - this picture from the 4th June 1947 shows just how open the stadium used to be at the Rookery end of the ground: The above website I linked makes Hugh Surtees 26 in these pics. I think he looks a lot older, but then realised at his age during those years, he'd almost certainly have been involved in WW2. I guess after experiencing that, running around the grass of Vicarage Road must have seemed amazing, all things considered.
Those lights were for the dog track weren't they? I remember from my first visit in the late sixties that the lights, wires and gantries were quite obtrusive. When the dogs made a return in the early 1970's they installed lights that looked like lampposts and they were laid flat on the track when a match was on. I found myself in that photo of the Vicarage Road end against Leicester! Any idea what year it was?
Ah brilliant. Nice to find out a little bit about him. I see he died aged only 58, so never had the chance to see Watford in the top flight.
They most probably were, yeah. All before my time but love finding out little bits of info like that. At a guess, I'd say the Leicester game is sometime between 89-92. Stevohorn may know for sure.
April 1st 1991. Won 1-0 thanks to a Paul Wilkinson header. This was the season we escaped relegation with the last gasp win at Oxford. PS I also know a couple of people in the Leicester game pics and a couple more heading up Wembley Way.
Got any pics from the Vancouver Whitecaps game ? That was my first that I can remember . They trialled the 25 yard shoot outs instead of penalties that eventually ever took off .
The matchday programme, courtesy of oldwatford.com: https://oldwatfordblog.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/scan-192.jpeg https://oldwatfordblog.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/scan-193.jpeg https://oldwatfordblog.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/scan-194.jpeg https://oldwatfordblog.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/scan-195.jpeg https://oldwatfordblog.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/scan-196.jpeg https://oldwatfordblog.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/scan-197.jpeg And again from oldwatford.com - the following games programme with a couple of pics from the match:
Thanks for confirming. I can't say I remember that particular game against Leicester even with the Youtube memory jogger, but I certainly remember the last day escape at Oxford, that fenced in terrace we were on was heaving.
Doesn't look like GT, but maybe. That is Tony Currie looking on, with Terry Garbett behind the defender. Not sure who that is taking the shot, but Alec Farrell had short hair ( we all called him Brylcreem ) so it might be him, or possibly Bernard Lewis. Clearly Duncan Welbourne looking on in the background. I was one of the ball-boys behind the rookery goal.
The great Keith Eddy Watford Captain under Ken Furphy, probably from the same season or two as the Grimsby 7-1 match mentioned above. Also pics of him after he left for Sheffield United along with Furphy, Garbett & Scullion who joined Colin Franks who had been there a while & Tony Currie. Sheff U in those days were Watford 'B'. Eddy went on to play for Furphy when he managed New York Cosmos alongside Pele and Keith Furphy who had been a ball boy with us. That's some career from the great man. Still in the States running a soccer school I believe and a very respected coach.
Ken Furphy at right back when he was player manager in the 0-0 draw with Liverpool ( 1966/67 ? ) 32000 at the match I think and people hanging on to the floodlights I was in the terrace that became the Family terrace later. Bert Slater our keeper on the floor
Haha no worries. I haven't sat in the Rookery for ages now, feel like I've put myself out to pasture in the SEJ even though I certainly don't class myself as old! Fair play to whoever runs the oldwatford site. That's a hell of a lot of scanning they've done.
I know who runs the site.. he actually did a "request" scan for me. Well actually it was something i was sorting for an ex player. By the way to any younger supporters reading this. The site we are discussing isnt just stuff from the past there are also recent scans of programmes and links to other wfc related topics. The site can be found here, if youve missed the many links so far posted.. https://oldwatford.com/2017/08/
Now here's a bit of an odd one, if you pardon the pun. Something that came up on the Watford memories facebook page and i'd also seen the pic on *****. Pictured are Edwin and Harold Miller. Edwin, on the right, ran a sign-writing business in Watford and had three sons that worked occasionally with him.. but also played football. Harold played for Chelsea and England http://www.englandfootballonline.com/.../BioMillerHS.html and his two brothers, sadly not in the pic, made some appearances for Watford fc. I just found it a bit fascinating that a former England international footballer painted the sign for the away pub near Vicarage Road. Apparently they painted all the Benskins signs at the time and right up until the 1970's.
There's a huge, high res version of this picture that can be seen here: http://media.*****images.com/photos...ammate-ian-st-picture-id637489752?s=2048x2048 I can't post it on this forum because ***** are incredibly petty when it comes to their pictures, but this link will take you straight to it. Question for you older fans - the people watching from the floodlights - is this the same game as the well known picture taken from outside Vicarage Road that shows people having climbed up, or did this sort of thing happen often when there was a large crowd?
So having seen the larger version of the picture above, I can say that the Watford players looking on are Stewart Scullion and Dennis Bond ( who was transferred to Spurs shortly after this and didn't really make-it there ). I imagine the defender in the far distance is Brian Garvey but just a guess. Its Ian ( funny old game saint ) St John challenging for the ball and Gordon Milne watching on with Ian Callaghan in the background. Spectators hanging on to floodlights was indeed something of a photo cliche whenever there was a big game in the 60's .
