Watford players at the World Cup finals..

[Stevohorn]

I was reading an article online a couple of days back about the chances of Jay Demerit being selected for the US squad going to South Africa this summer.
Seems he is still in with a good shout but does have some competition for his place.
Good luck to Jay on that one anyway.



So what about other Hornets that have played on the biggest stage that football offers?

I would say that the most high profile appearance by a Watford player at the World Cup would be John Barnes's brief showing during the infamous England vs Argentina quarter final at Mexico 86.
For those of you that didnt already know, he started on the bench for that game and came on for the last quarter of an hour or so. England where two goals down at that stage but JB tore into the Argentinian defence with great affect.. setting up Lineker for England's goal and very nearly repeating the process a few minutes later.

Here are the match highlight's..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLcnQcsjvco (sorry..its a long clip but worth watching the last bit if you're interested)

I remember it being discussed after the game that had Bobby Robson brought JB on earlier in that game then we might have ended up talking about Mexico 86 in the same terms as 1966.


I believe John McClelland also reprensented Northern Ireland at the Mexico 86 finals while he was a Watford player.. but couldnt find any specific details of appearances (anyone?)

[Stevohorn]

Second to Jonh Barnes in Mexico would come Gerry Amrstrong's efforts for Northern Ireland at the finals in Spain in 1982.

He ended the tournament as joint 4th highest scorer and scored the only goal in the crucial game that saw NI defeat the host nation and continue their progress in the competition.

He will be forever remembered by Northern Irish football fans for that goal.
Here it is.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1085nzrIeIU





So are there any other examples of Watford players at the World Cup finals?

[UEA_Hornet]

So are there any other examples of Watford players at the World Cup finals?

Clint Easton was the mascot for World Cup '98

[Stevohorn]

Clint Easton was the mascot for World Cup '98

OK.. you lost me there.
Was he the England team mascot? (unlikely as he was 21 years of age at the time).. Inside the tournament mascot's costume (even more unlikely)



or is it a joke thats gone way over my head? (the most likely outcome)

[nascot]

So are there any other examples of Watford players at the World Cup finals?

That's probably it for playing at the WC whilst a Hornet. There must be others that have played at a WC and either played for us before or after.

Ben Iroha played in 94 and 98.
Kenny Samson 82
Pierre Issa 98
Allan Nielsen 98
Marcus Gayle 98

There has to be more!

[StuBoy]

That's probably it for playing at the WC whilst a Hornet. There must be others that have played at a WC and either played for us before or after.

Ben Iroha played in 94 and 98.
Kenny Samson 82
Pierre Issa 98
Allan Nielsen 98
Marcus Gayle 98

There has to be more!

Was Allan Nielsen with us in 2002 for that World Cup? I'm sure he was, I saw him in a panini world cup sticker book, or had he left before then? I 90% certain he was still at the club or just about to leave.

[nascot]

Was Allan Nielsen with us in 2002 for that World Cup? I'm sure he was, I saw him in a panini world cup sticker book, or had he left before then? I 90% certain he was still at the club or just about to leave.

He wasn't picked for that World Cup, probably because he was playing for us at the time!

[matimbers]

Was Allan Nielsen with us in 2002 for that World Cup? I'm sure he was, I saw him in a panini world cup sticker book, or had he left before then? I 90% certain he was still at the club or just about to leave.

He wasn't picked for that World Cup, probably because he was playing for us at the time!

Was unlucky though as I know he played in the qualifiers. Was most likely injured!

[Stevohorn]

That's probably it for playing at the WC whilst a Hornet. There must be others that have played at a WC and either played for us before or after.

Ben Iroha played in 94 and 98.
Kenny Samson 82
Pierre Issa 98
Allan Nielsen 98
Marcus Gayle 98

There has to be more!

Others i can think of (though some were just squad players)

-David James
-Pat Jennings
-Mo Johnston
-David Connolly
-Espen Baardsen
-Steve Hodge

-dare i say it.. Kerry Dixon
-ermmmmm.... Les Ferdinand!
-ermmmmmmmmmmm... Tony Meola!!

PS Pierre Issa was also in the SA 2002 squad.. while at Watford. He scored an OG against France.

[touching cloth]

Pierre Issa spent too much time falling off stretchers to be taken seriously as a footballer

[Cude>2<]

pierre issa spent too much time falling off stretchers to be taken seriously as a footballer

[hornetboy]

Gerry Armstrong!!!! you all forgot him, didnt he win the golden boot award in the world cup when he was a hornet

[wfcmoog]

Second to Jonh Barnes in Mexico would come Gerry Amrstrong's efforts for Northern Ireland at the finals in Spain in 1982.

He ended the tournament as joint 4th highest scorer and scored the only goal in the crucial game that saw NI defeat the host nation and continue their progress in the competition.

He will be forever remembered by Northern Irish football fans for that goal.
Here it is.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1085nzrIeIU





So are there any other examples of Watford players at the World Cup finals?

Gerry Armstrong!!!! you all forgot him, didnt he win the golden boot award in the world cup when he was a hornet

Are you deaf?

[hornetboy]

Are you deaf?

missed that one !! who said that

[UEA_Hornet]

Are you deaf?

Geoff? No, I'm UEA_Hornet

[TheShinGuardian]

First, thank you kindly for letting us join your forums.

My brother and I write The Shin Guardian....we were nominated for best soccer publication in the United States this year (we know that doesn't say much.)

Glad I found this board and apologize for the intrusion.

It's very hard in the States to get information on Jay DeMerit. We're hoping you can help us and let us know a little bit about his form this season.

If fit and playing well, Jay is a clear cut rostered player and likely starter come June. With our "big" central defender (Oguchi Onyewu) coming back from a knee injury..DeMerit's ability to scoot around the pitch is critical to our back line.

Any info on JDM is appreciated.

Here are two articles that mention Jay DeMerit briefly, just by-and-by....with information here we'd like to do a long feature.

http://theshinguardian.com/2010/01/0...gooch-demerit/

http://theshinguardian.com/2010/02/0...town-take-two/

Thank you kindly Watford fans. We are all fans by association even with the ties to Elton John.
Matthew

[TheShinGuardian]

We can also be reached here: shinguardian@gmail.com for any info....or if we have abused the protocol on your message boards let us know (and apologies in advance.)

We only get bits and pieces of info on DeMerit...like his cutting the tape at your local hospital around a new knee injury MRI device or something or his recent handball....

Thanks....

[Stevohorn]

First, thank you kindly for letting us join your forums.

My brother and I write The Shin Guardian....

Welcome to the forum guys..
I guess you would know if you read the above posts.. but Watford FC representation at the world cup finals has been very thin on the ground.
So should Jay get there and take part he will be in very exclusive company.
I think his is a great story.. having paid his own way over to England, putting in the work and then going on to play at the top level and to a possible WC appearance.
A Hollywood script in the making?!



Ps I shall now be an avid follower of the Shin Guardian (great name that!) not only to follow Demerit's progress in this WC year.. but also because the football club i work for (IK Start of Norway) have two US players in the squad, namely Hunter Freeman and Clarence Goodson.

[nascot]

We can also be reached here: shinguardian@gmail.com for any info....or if we have abused the protocol on your message boards let us know (and apologies in advance.)

We only get bits and pieces of info on DeMerit...like his cutting the tape at your local hospital around a new knee injury MRI device or something or his recent handball....

Thanks....

I've just seen that one of you two lists Tony Meola as one of your favourite players, was it for the mullet? It couldn't have been for footballing reasons!

[TheShinGuardian]

Thanks so much for replying...a little delayed in replying on our side as the USMNT had a game last night.

@Stevohorn... I'd love to learn from you about Freeman...not a lot of media coverage here.

For what it's worth, we rated Goodson pretty highly the game last night...he's taken a step ahead of Chad Marshall in the race to be a back-up in South Africa.

http://theshinguardian.com/2010/02/2...-aloha-shines/

As for DeMerit, TSG (The Shin Guardian)...we love him...he is the Cannavaro (I know, high praise) to Oguchi Onyewu's Nesta in our mind. He'd love to see him start in RSA as well. And that would be the culmination of the great story.

@nascot... I'll beg off commentary on Meola...he was such a famous figure in US soccer for my brother and I growing up. He is, however, on my brother's top list....and probably earned in on the nattie team side.