Buzz

Went to the new shop called The Buzz today. Bit of a waste of time to be honest. Its smaller than both The Rookery and the old World of Watford shops were, and they had all the same predictable stuff. I say this as someone who was not wanting to buy the new away shirt or any of the new lovely clothing they had on display but was looking for something that only cost a few quid. So for once I was good and just window shopped.

The team flew out to Germany today to play a Czech team and either Napoli if you believe the Watford Obs or Macaabi Haifa if you believe the offical website. Aidy has started a column in the Obs which should be interesting seeing how the club and paper seem to fall out every 5 minutes these days.

H'son

Shame we failed to get Heidar back from Fulham. For all the obvious reasons that he's a bit of a legend and also 'cos it would have been great to occasionally have Helgusson and Henderson battling up front. A commentators nightmare.

Rain- Borehamwood 0 Watford 3

Never got to Borehamwood. The fair weather fan in me has struck again. It did rather throw it down this afternoon and the fact the kids were off to a party meant that I had the inviting prospect of some quiet time in the house alone. Predictably I sleep probably the entire time the match was on (and the kids were out).

We won 3-0 with a sublime Marlon King strike the best of the goals.

Still debating whether to go to the Buzz tomorrow. I really haven't got any money. I can't really be bothered with the Watford crowds on a Sunday but for a reason I can't explain I feel I'm being drawn there!

'Stones- Wealdstone 0 Watford 4

Good 4-0 win against Wealdstone last night at Harefield. Didn't go because I had to work. I was impressed that LBC's travel man Alan Joyce featured the match on his bulletin! Marlon played and scored which was good to hear.

I look forward to going to Borehamwood on Saturday. I very much like the new away kit and the new training tops. I have no money to buy these with but there is a voice in my head already saying 'buy buy' and I plan to go to see our new Charter Place store The Buzz on Sunday. My wallet doesn't stand a chance.

Is there anything more boring on sports bulletins at the moment than bloody Carlos Tevez. Okay, so the whole Sheff Utd thing was vaguely interesting up until the point it was obvious nothing was going to happen (actually that was probably always obvious) but now the whole thing going on between Man U and West Ham that has been referred to FIFA. No one cares! Yawn yawn.

Raids

So Newcastle, Portsmouth and Rangers have been raided by police investigating alleged corruption.

Is there any-one in the country really surprised by the first two on the list???

Franchise

Predictably there has been an outcry amongst certain supporters that the club have had the nerve to organise a pre-season friendly against MK Dons.

In some ways I understand this. What happened to Wimbledon was completely completely wrong. No-one involved in the decision either on the council or clubs side can come out with any credit. The council suck for not helping to find a suitable ground in Merton, whilst the club officials who were there at the time suck for not hanging about and waiting for what would be an inevitable change of heart.

They might have had to wait some time, yes. The fact that AFC Wimbledon play in the Borough of Kingston is testimony to that but eventually these things always seem to work themselves out. I could even criticise AFC for putting permanent roots down outside the borough of their name. Wasn't that originally the whole point?

Looking back through some of my old programmes, one of the more striking ones is the one against (ironically) Brighton and Hove Albion from the 82/83 season which in place of the usual picture of footballing action has an article headed 'WE WILL APPEAL'. In it the club details their frustrations with the local council for refusing them a planning application to re-develop Vicarage Road.

Fast forward 25 years and we are re-re-developing the ground.

Any-way the thrust of this isn't to slag off MkDonalds for moving. What is done is done now. The advent of a new stadium kills off any thoughts the current board could have ever had of turning round and heading back to South London (and given attendance's and performances there must have been at least one director who thought it). The advent of AFC also ensured the hearts and minds of those in Merton moved on. Rather than re-hashing the arguments lets just enjoy the prospect of the two eventually meeting in competitive football.

No, the point of this already lengthy article is the determination of some Watford fans never ever to travel to MkDons and some even more die hards, nay extremists, to actually try and get the fixture called off on moral grounds.

Now as I've already made clear I hate what happened to Wimbledon. It shouldn't be allowed.

However is this enough for me to vow to never ever set foot in the place? Or to ring the club demanding the game is cancelled?

On what grounds would this be? I don't like the way the club is run or what one of its old boards did? Or what about a simple 'actually I don't like them'. And I can say this of the team formerly known as Wimbledon.

Memories of Dave 'or is it Harry' Bassett, the FA Cup QF of 1988, and the opening day and Boxing Day games against them in the Premiership are enough to have them down as a club I wouldn't mind seeing relegated. Add in fake Watford men Vinnie Jones and Joe Kinnear and I think the case is closed.

But that isn't a reason to not go else there wouldn't be many grounds to visit at all.

Go on the 'I don't like the way the club is run' argument. Leeds, Man Utd and Notts Forest instantly spring to mind as clubs that would be off the list.

Problems with old boards. The lot up the road, Darlington, Brighton, Wrexham, Man City, Carlisle, Newcastle, Leeds (again), QPR, Charlton, Southampton, Swindon, Reading, Wrexham, Boston Utd, Oxford, Aston Villa and Arsenal spring to mind. And why, Arsenal. Well as already pointed out in the Watford Observer they are the other club to have done a Wimbledon, albeit back in 1913.

Finally clubs I don't like. The lot up the road (again), Leeds (again again), Millwall, Palace, Spurs, Arsenal (again), Chelsea and Sheff Utd.

So I'd have written myself out of visiting at least 24 grounds already. And I'm sure I could come up with plenty of others for plenty of reasons.

If I had taken the philosophy that the anti Franchise brigade take I'd have already missed some classic matches. Arsenal 1 Watford 3 FA Cup Q-Final in 1987 for example.

And that really is the crunch. Its very easy to say we won't go to MkDons whilst they are in League Two and we are just playing them in a pre-season friendly. Similarly it was also easy and novel to not go back in 2002/3 when the protests were in full flow. Going to AFC instead sounded fun and interesting.

However how many would be prepared to not go to an FA Cup 6th Round Replay against MK? Or the second leg of a playoff semi-final. Or to see Watford crowned champions. I'm sure there would be very few dissenters then.

I do hate MkDons. I don't like the idea of giving them money. But I don't really like the idea of giving any fellow club money. However the dilemma is giving them money and supporting my team, or not giving them money and missing out on helping to be the 12th man. I know which I'd rather do.

Fixtures

Its been over a month now since they came out and I still feel a little disappointed. Having ensured that I'm off work for the first two and a half weeks of the season I was looking forward to a Plymouth or Preston away. The kind of trek that involves being out all day and not coming home until everyone else has long since gone to bed.

Wolves away on the opening day isn't one I'm particularly excited about. I haven't been to Molineux but do feel I've driven up and down the M40 more than enough lately. Also the fact the game has been moved by Sky to 5.15 somehow lessens the excitement further.

I get cross with my Dad for moaning about games never being played anymore at 3pm on Saturday afternoon, but on the opening day there is something magical about playing at that time. Maybe its simply that along with the last day of the season, it seems to be the only time you can get away with just wearing a football shirt on your top half. The liberation of not having to take a sweater to football!

5.15pm is a horrible in between time for football supporters. For a start, what time do you eat? Big feast at lunch time or starve yourself until enjoying a late supper?

I understand this season that the 5.15's have been introduced purely as a spoiler for Setanta. They'll show their Premiership game at this time and as a non incentive to switch, Sky promise to show a match at the same time so you don't feel your missing out. I can sort of see the logic of this but at the same time I'd prefer a game on Sky to be just that, ooh we're on Sky, rather than we're trying to tempt people away from Sunderland v Blackburn.

After opening day we have a familiar foe returning to the Vic in the shape of Gillingham. A team we seem to play far too often and this season we're not even in the same Division.

Two games against them stick in the mind. A 2-0 loss in 1998 that was my fiancee's 2nd ever football match played out ironically on Sky. It was dismal.

Also the 3-2 loss on the last day of the Vialli season which included that super goal from McNamee and Nigel Gibbs last appearance in the yellow shirt. One of the few good things Vialli did was ensuring Gibbo got 5 minutes in front of his home faithful.

This is, of course, a League Cup game. A competition that Aidy says he wants to take seriously after the FA Cup run to the semi's. In an odd way I actually prefer the League Cup to the FA now. I like the immediacy of the League Cup in that you know whatever happens the game will be decided on the night. The FA Cup's habit of holding the replays a week and a half after the first game makes the whole thing too disjointed. I was a big fan of unlimited replays and would like to see them brought back. If not the tie being decided on the night, or the afternoon (imagine how exciting 5pm on FA Cup 3rd Round day would become) is the way to go.

After the Gills its Sheffield Utd at home. If Warnock was in charge I'd be depressed about this prospect. However with Bryan Robson in charge the whole division must feel they've got a chance.

Then Leicester away. Another fixture that doesn't really do anything for me. Maybe I'm odd but I prefer the alternative sort of games. Leicester, Wolves and Palace are such predictable Championship games. Scunny, Blackpool and Colchester will be far more interesting.

Then the 2nd round of the cup if we are still in. I hope so cos I've even taken an extra 2 days off to accommodate what I assumed would be a Bank Holiday Monday League fixture. I'll be very fed up if we get through but end up playing on the Wednesday as is indicated in the fixture list at the moment as that's when I'm due back at work.