The Sherriff of London Shield (of which Watford are still the holders!) is, or was, one of the biggest football related trophies supposedly in the world. I'm not sure how a club entered it (haven't Googled that far) but it seems Corinthians (or Corinthian Casuals) were the perennial opponents. We have won it twice with the Arse as most winners (4). Here it is with early winners, Sunderland AFC. How the Black Cats would love to get their hands on a trophy, any trophy, currently.....
He was a very nice chap. His most prominent role at the club was owning the Social Club, where Chris, his son who you mentioned, worked with him, eventually taking over after John Passed away. Chris now runs the Rifle Volunteer in Villiers Road, Bushey. John was also a member of the '81 Club (I think a former Vice President) and there was a well trodden route starting in the guest suite, moving on to the '81 suite once the lightweights had left, then heading up (via the not very secret back entrance) to the Social Club, for afters. What I am calling the '81 Club (hope I have got the name right) was made up of, it seemed, serious drinking buddies in the old fashioned style of well to do fans and contributors; John, Reg Nix, Frank Pacey, John Moya (Club Cantabrica chief) and many more. I guess there is a similar thing going on now, but in those days, I imagine, there was a lot more influence on the Club from these people because their money and involvement had a greater value to a club that relied on lottery ticket and golden goal tickets to survive, rather than to raise pin money.
This chap posted some oldish pics of the Vic on Twitter earlier, and judging by the Wealdstone sign outside the ground they must have been taken some time between 91-93. https://twitter.com/freddiecamp/status/993865684449939456
There’s a date on the ad for the Diana documentary in the second last one. February but I can’t make out any more on my phone. By her hair, 90s.
I reckon the ad is for Diana: Her True Story. A tv film released on 3 April 1993! https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106715/ I don't know if Sky did show it but it fits with the evidence.
We actually drew 0-0 at the Vic with 'them up the motorway' on the 3rd of April 1993. Looks like a half decent away following in the top pic so might well have been that game. We also had homes games on every Saturday that April. The other were Southend, Brum and Brentford.
Not enough Old Bill for that lot I reckon. In fact no Old Bill in the ground. So maybe they are practising for Sept 2002 ;-) More seriously the flag looks like its flying at half mast. Does that give a clue?
Well spotted.. but isnt the orange jacketed steward hoisting the flag? In the pic above it looks like it's at the top of the flagpole.
Stevo, I knew your WFC archival knowledge & my, & I surprise myself here, intimate understanding of the doings of Her Madge’s lot could crack the code. My guess is that the ad would be up for the fortnight before the broadcast. I haven’t tried to check that this was 3 Apr but it seems reasonable. Did we play at home in the latter part of March 93?
We played Barnsley at home in mid March.. the attendance of 5,785 (shocking!) was the lowest of the season and i'd guess there's more people at the game in the pics.. hard to say though. We then played Newcastle on the 23rd.. with 11 plus thousand in attendance. I know this sounds anal but i checked our 92/93 season review video on YT and the pitch looks in similar condition as the pics for both games. I also noted they changed to a diagonal mowing pattern for the games in the latter part of April. I'm scaring myself now!
That Di doc in fact premiered Sun 14 Feb 93 in the UK on Sky, the day after we played the Wet Spammers at home. The IMDB shows the USA release date. Watched the 92-93 video and my guess it was that game. The pitch looked just like it was on the pics. We lost 2-1 but Charlery's goal was a peach! Great play from Hessy! Might have been Grimsby at home a fortnight earlier but it's unlikely they would've had such an away following judging by how the Rookery and the bend looks on the pics
Ha! I thought of that as well. You can find historical fuel prices online but i doubt they vary very much year to year for that to be of much help.
Has anyone else received (unbidden!) the Community Trust 25 years book? It is a quality publication, and looks worthy of a proper read.
My dad recently reconnected with an old mate he'd not seen in a while. He's a Man Utd fan, and back in Feb 87 got us tickets to see Watford play Utd at Old Trafford (we lost 1-3). It was my first away game, having only started watching Watford at the beginning of that season (by no means were we "glory hunters" by going to Utd as a first away match - they were awful that season, had been bottom for a while, and big Ron had not long been sacked and replaced by some Scot named Ferguson). He (my dad's mate) brought some old pictures with him when they met up - amongst them was this one of the game. Kenny Jackett got our goal right at the end, a long, low drive from outside the box. Without cheating - can anybody name the players?
It was either this game or the one the season before when the Utd fans in the membership enclosure (the paddock terrace opposite) in the photo starting singing "you must have come on a skateboard". Have to say - it did make me chuckle. If its the year I was there it cost something like £1.80 to get in and chatting to Utd fans earlier they were interested to see our new prolific goalscorer Ricky (not that one from up the road) Hill. Not sure he played though. I spot Barnes. Do I get a prize?
Richard Hill only played 4 times for us having been signed by God and deemed as not needed by Dave Bassett. They were right at the start of the season i think so he wouldn't have played in Feb 87
You are right - it was early in the season, the following season, August 87. I've been found guilty of skim reading again and only registering 87. So in the picture there is Barnes, Coton, Blissett and the unmistakable very short shorts and very white thighs of John McCellend. And many other famous names in a strong squad. I didn't realise that nuance around Bassett and Richard Hill. Thanks. I remember the buzz of him being signed and that chat with Utd fans who had obviously heard about him. And then the whole 87-88 season with Trevor Senior up front when much of the rest of the squad was so strong. I'm shaking my head at the thought of Bassett now 30 years on.
Yes signing him was seen as a bit of a coup and a further step away from the old "long ball" style. I won't forgive DB for many things, ditching Hill was one, ditching Bardsley for Chivers another, changing all backroom staff, etc etc was another
Too true. Did he get rid of Kevin Richardson as well? Definitely in the top-10 quality players we had seen up to that point and for many years to come.
Well you've earned a half-hearted Jossy seal of approval for naming not quite half the team! I had to cheat to confirm the line-up as there's no way I can remember or quite make them out from the picture. It was as follows: Coton, Bardsley, Rostron, Richardson, Sims, McClelland, Sterling, Blissett, Falco, Jackett, Barnes. I'm assuming it's Falco that's out of shot, as the picture only shows ten. If you guys haven't read these interviews regarding the players you're talking about, then I'd recommend them, fascinating stuff about what happened between them and Bassett: http://watfordlegends.com/enjoy-the-game/richard-hill-enjoy-the-game-interview/ http://watfordlegends.com/enjoy-the-game/david-bardsley-enjoy-the-game-interview/ http://watfordlegends.com/enjoy-the-game/kevin-richardson-enjoy-game-interview/ Equally as fascinating and for his side of the story - Bassett's is worth a read also: http://watfordlegends.com/enjoy-the-game/dave-bassett-enjoy-the-game-interview/
Just dipped into the Hill interview. Haven't read one of those for years. Fascinating read indeed. Thanks.
What a great photo Jossy! Could i possibly post it on the Hornet history page on Facebook? PS Can we name any of the United players? and i take it it's our support in the single bay on the far side?
Of course, post it where you want. It's funny how your memory plays tricks on you - I remembered our fans being in the corner nearest to where I was sitting (where the away fans are situated today). But my dad's mate said they are where you suspected. Of the Utd players - Strachan is there, Robson, Olsen, Terry Gibson, Davenport....Not sure who else. EDIT: This game was the week before our FA Cup saga with Walsall began.
Cheers. I found this match report and indeed all those you mentioned were playing.. http://www.mufcinfo.com/manupag/match_data/match_sql.php?my_match_date=1987-02-14 I thought it might have been Jesper Olsen on the ball but he's the no.11 running in having presumably taken a corner. No.4 is Mike Duxbury. Does your dads mate have anymore pics we could see?
Unfortunately the only other surviving pics from that day are of us in the car park, somewhere local to the stadium. More shockingly, the two adults are drinking tins of lager (they shared the driving up from St. Albans).............!! He thinks there were more but they've long since perished. This picture was torn, stained and discoloured and needed a lengthy repair job via Photoshop!
That'ss a shame. I think these private pics are often the best. Like this one of the players training at the Vic that turned up recently..
