On This Day...

No. We beat them again at Maine Road the following season and then at home in 1989. That was the last time.

 

On this day 26 years ago, a 2-1 win over Carlisle moved us back to the top of Division Two, notable for two players who lined up against us that night but would go on to become our Wembley heroes the following year.



https://oldwatford.com/1998/03/17/17th-march-1998-new-division-two-watford-2-carlisle-united-1/

 

On this day 24 years ago, our first win of the year as a late Allan Smart goal saw us beat Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 in the battle of the bottom two in the Premier League.



https://oldwatford.com/2000/03/18/18th-march-2000-premier-league-watford-1-sheffield-wednesday-0/

 

On this day 39 years ago Luther Blissett made his 300th Watford appearance and scored twice as we beat Luton Town 3-0 at Vicarage Road.



https://oldwatford.com/1985/03/19/19th-march-1985-division-one-watford-3-luton-town-0/

 

Great Cally goal.

 

On this day 34 years ago, in the morning we sacked Steve Harrison and appointed Colin Lee until the end of the season, then in the evening we beat Brighton 4-2.



https://oldwatford.com/1990/03/20/20th-march-1990-division-two-watford-4-brighton-hove-albion-2/

 

I remember being shocked that Tom Walley had been sacked along with Harrison.

 

On this day 37 years ago, a week on from our win over Arsenal in the cup at Highbury we beat them again at the Vic.



https://oldwatford.com/1987/03/21/21st-march-1987-division-one-watford-2-arsenal-0/

 

On this day 41 years ago, our quest for European football took a step closer as we beat Birmingham City 2-1 at the Vic to go 3 points clear of third placed Man Utd.



https://oldwatford.com/1983/03/22/22nd-march-1983-division-one-watford-2-birmingham-city-1-2/

 

On this day 31 years ago we beat Kevin Keegan's Newcastle United who were top of Division One 1-0 at Vicarage Road thanks to a goal from Paul Furlong.



https://oldwatford.com/1993/03/23/23rd-march-1993-new-division-one-watford-1-newcastle-united-0/

 

On this day 12 years ago goals from Sean Murray and Troy Deeney saw us come from behind to beat Ipswich Town 2-1 at Vicarage Road.



https://oldwatford.com/2012/03/24/24th-march-2012-championship-watford-2-ipswich-town-1/

 

On this day 46 years ago we took another step towards the Fourth Division Championship going seven points clear at the top as an Alan Garner goal saw us win 1-0 at home to Torquay United.



https://oldwatford.com/1978/03/25/25th-march-1978-division-four-watford-1-torquay-united-0/

 

Peter Coffill was in that Torquay side. The guy I was convinced was the best player in the world after watching him in my first game or two as a Watford fan. We are lucky we didn't lose 1-6.

 

No great surprise that we failed to score in the 0-0 home draw with Barnsley on 11th Feb given it seems we dropped Ross Jenkins and didn't play a #9 at all, and played with only 10 players, if the results/teams page is correct .

 

On this day 30 years ago we moved out of the drop zone beating Millwall 2-0 at home, our first coming after just 12 seconds. Colin Foster and Keith Millen made their debuts as we kept our first clean sheet in 28 games.



https://oldwatford.com/1994/03/26/26th-march-1994-new-division-one-watford-2-millwall-0/

 

On this day 42 years ago we beat Bolton 3-0 at home to go top of Division Two for first time in our history. Afterwards GT made comments about our lack of atmosphere which resulted in his famous sign apology at the next home game.



https://oldwatford.com/1982/03/27/27th-march-1982-division-two-watford-3-bolton-wanderers-0/

 

On this day 41 years ago, GT made his only playing appearance for Watford as we won 6-1 in a friendly against Corinthian Casuals for the Sheriff of London Shield.



https://oldwatford.com/1983/03/28/28th-march-1983-friendly-watford-6-corinthian-casuals-1/

 

On this day 47 years ago we kept our promotion hopes alive by beating Doncaster Rovers 5-1 at Vicarage Road with two goals from Ross Jenkins, a penalty from Dennis Bond and one each from Keith Mercer and Bobby Downes.



https://oldwatford.com/1977/03/29/29th-march-1977-division-four-watford-5-doncaster-rovers-1/

 

11 games to go, 2 points off 4th place with a game in hand after this match. I wonder where we would be today if we had somehow sneaked a top 4 finish that season. No GT, no 2nd in top tier, no FA cup 84, no europe ?

 

On this day 65 years ago, two goals from Peter Gordon, one from George Fleming and a Johnny Meadows penalty gave us a 4-1 win over Hartlepools United.



https://oldwatford.com/1959/03/30/30th-march-1959-division-four-watford-4-hartlepools-united-1/

 

I always thought Peter and Gordon were 2 people who couldn’t live in a world without love?

 

On this day 38 years ago, we won the first game of the two day doubleheader against Arsenal with goals from John Barnes and Malcolm Allen.



https://oldwatford.com/1986/03/31/31st-march-1986-division-one-arsenal-0-watford-2/

 

Can’t wait to see what happened 38 years ago tomorrow!

 

On this day 38 years ago we completed the double-header double beating Arsenal 3-0 at Vicarage Road. Neil Smillie opened the scoring followed by a Kenny Jackett penalty and then Malcolm Allen scored for the second day in a row.



https://oldwatford.com/1986/04/01/1st-april-1986-division-one-watford-3-arsenal-0/

 

On this day 39 years ago, three goals in the first 17 minutes saw us ease to a 5-0 victory at home to West Ham United with goals from Les Taylor, Luther Blissett (2), John Barnes and Colin West on his home debut.



https://oldwatford.com/1985/04/02/2nd-april-1985-division-one-watford-5-west-ham-united-0/

 

Superb 3rd goal by Luther. In fact the last 3 were all good.

 

Good point .
2 missed penalties in a 0-1 defeat at home to Brentford started the rot

 

Quite disappointed we didn’t beat Arsenal again today!

 

On this day 25 years ago, the game that started our charge towards the playoffs as our 9 men beat Tranmere Rovers 2-1 at Vicarage Road with goals from Richard Johnson and Michel Ngonge.



https://oldwatford.com/1999/04/03/3rd-april-1999-new-division-two-watford-2-tranmere-rovers-1/

 

....as evidenced on the website "wfcforums".

 

A truly incredible game and atmosphere that day. Lives long in the memory.

 

Why did we play them twice in 2 days?