As instructed I thought about Steve Brister as the teams came out. I never actually met him but had read his name several times in fanzines and on the net and did appreciate the t-shirt he put together when GT retired. Last year I got chatting to one of his mates who was collecting for BT buddies and was moved by their commitment and dedication to the charity that meant so much to Steve. I love Z Cars and would usually never hope that it was replaced but I did wonder whether the teams might come out to 'Yellow' by Coldplay in tribute to him as had been kind of hinted at in the programme. If you interested in finding out more about BT buddies click here.
A minutes silence was held before kick off in memory of Dennis Gibbs, Nigel's Dad, who passed away last Thursday. An amazing jack of all trades for Watford Football club Dennis covered the jobs of coaching, match reporting, scouting and even maintenance manager in his years of service at the Vic.
It was a shame that at least one moronic creature situated in the away end decided to chant right at the beginning of the silence but a credit to those people around him who had the decency to tell him to shut up. Thanks Millwall fans, that was appreciated.
I watched the first half from my usual vantage point in the Rous, but I was pleased to see that the Yellow Order had remained down in the south west corner of the Rookery and so at half time I made my way round to sit near enough to them to join in, but far enough away that I didn't have to stand up the whole time (I'm getting old, sorry I can't help it).
It was great to be able to sing out loud without feeling slightly self conscious (as anyone who has ever attempted to sing in the Rous will have felt) and once we went one down but kept on singing there was a satisfying feeling of having helped when first Dickinson and then Forsyth scored to secure the win. If anyone is thinking of unofficially relocating, and the great thing about our stadium is unless you're in the Vic Rd end its very easy to do, then I'd recommend it. I'm not saying I'll give up my Rous seat permanently but I'll give the order another try for the Palace game and see how the half where we aren't shooting towards the Rookery feels.
As for the game, it was yet another where we were in the ascendancy when we conceded but thank god this time we were able to come back and not just for a point. However my first half vantage point did give me a very good view of Millwall's disallowed goal and bloody hell we were lucky and didn't actually deserve that luck. Four of our defenders stood next to each other for their free kick, not marking the three Milwall players who sensibly chose to stand the other side of the little group of yellow shirts. It was an easy decision where to put the free kick and no surprise that the ball ended up in the back of the net. The offside was probably only by a fraction, but had it been given the lino wouldn't have been the one I'd have pointed the finger at. I spend most Sunday mornings telling my son's team to mark up. You don't expect to have to tell a bunch of Championship defenders. I sincerely hope Dychy did.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Hope for the future - Watford 0 Nottingham Forest 1
Can we never again play Forest at home live on the BBC? The last time we did this was my 15th birthday and we lost 3-0 in the FA Cup Fifth Round. I was as gutted then as I was today. Walking back to the car I could hardly come up with any positives. We probably should never have lost this. Forest were poor. Worse than Derby, on a par with Reading. We had more chances and their goal, as you will have seen if you managed to stay awake, was comical. I can't imagine we did BBC2's chances of beating The X Factor in the TV ratings any good at all. The lack of Andy Wiemann just making stuff happen up front, even if he never does manage to score, was very telling today.
Moving the Yellow Order was definitely a good move and for once the home crowd was louder than those in the away end. In fact Forest were the quietest away support I can remember for ages. But then it must be very hard to get enthuiastic if you can remember winning the European Cup twice, when you've got Steve McLaren in charge of your club and your prospects for the season already look mid-table at best.
Can we now keep the Yellow Order there for the remainder of the season please? Its stupid having them in the top corner of the Rookery furthest from the rest of the support. It makes it look like they aren't wanted. Putting them next to the Rous definitely rubbed off on us a bit today, although expecting us to start chants is going a step too far. I was impressed to see Bas chatting to them before the game started.
Moving the Yellow Order was definitely a good move and for once the home crowd was louder than those in the away end. In fact Forest were the quietest away support I can remember for ages. But then it must be very hard to get enthuiastic if you can remember winning the European Cup twice, when you've got Steve McLaren in charge of your club and your prospects for the season already look mid-table at best.
Can we now keep the Yellow Order there for the remainder of the season please? Its stupid having them in the top corner of the Rookery furthest from the rest of the support. It makes it look like they aren't wanted. Putting them next to the Rous definitely rubbed off on us a bit today, although expecting us to start chants is going a step too far. I was impressed to see Bas chatting to them before the game started.
Talking of chairmen did anyone else notice Jack Petchey's presence in the ground? Thankfully it was only his name on the side of the RAF band's drum but even so, a chill passed over me as I spotted it.
I know fans were being encouraged to wear green this weekend in support of Plymouth but I'm guessing that really was Forest's away kit and not just a one off worn in support of the Pilgrims. As a kit on its own it was just about okay but whoever came up with idea of having the coaching staff wearing the same design with the black and green reversed deserves the Howard and Hilda award for fashion. I bet it seemed like a good idea on paper but it was laughably stupid when made into fabric.
The referee was laughably stupid all afternoon, but I think his penchant for giving most decisions the way of our visitors, not to mention ignoring their time wasting and even wanting to shake hands with their substitued players, can all be explained by the fact that the officials tops weren't that far from the traditional Forest red.
It was good to see the various Academy players before kick off and at half time, especially with their impressive assortment of trophies. Whilst this season already seems to have a long and rather bleak look about it, the parade of eager and determined young faces in Watford yellow hinted at better things to come. But I'd be more hopeful for our immediate prospects if Sean Dyche gave the youngsters a bit more of a look in. Malky seemed to share the Aidy B philosophy that if you were good enough age wasn't a barrier and whilst sometimes it cost us, it seemed like the right direction for our club with its wonderful academy to be going in.
Dychy seems to prefer experience over youth and so far that experience isn't any better than when we had 8 or 9 youngsters in the team. I can see that some experienced heads are needed but we had them anyway in the likes of Doyley, Mariappa, Taylor and Eustace. On their own I don't especially dislike any of the new signings but collectively they seem to have dragged us back to another era. If the youth aren't going to play then at least fill the bench with them. Because bringing on Deeney and Iwelumo first, when neither have shown the slightest inclining that they might be the answer, instead of a prospect like Sean Murray showed a complete lack of understanding in one of the key areas that makes us different. I feel exactly the same about the loaning of Whichelow, Massey and Thompson. They shouldn't be off playing elsewhere, they should be at the Vic, ready to fight for their place and prove themselves ready to play for the club that developed them. Its gives them hope and gives us hope. Failing to get that, especially on 'Academy Day' and we might as well be a Sheffield United or a Crystal Palace. And that doesn't give me any hope for the future at all.
Dychy seems to prefer experience over youth and so far that experience isn't any better than when we had 8 or 9 youngsters in the team. I can see that some experienced heads are needed but we had them anyway in the likes of Doyley, Mariappa, Taylor and Eustace. On their own I don't especially dislike any of the new signings but collectively they seem to have dragged us back to another era. If the youth aren't going to play then at least fill the bench with them. Because bringing on Deeney and Iwelumo first, when neither have shown the slightest inclining that they might be the answer, instead of a prospect like Sean Murray showed a complete lack of understanding in one of the key areas that makes us different. I feel exactly the same about the loaning of Whichelow, Massey and Thompson. They shouldn't be off playing elsewhere, they should be at the Vic, ready to fight for their place and prove themselves ready to play for the club that developed them. Its gives them hope and gives us hope. Failing to get that, especially on 'Academy Day' and we might as well be a Sheffield United or a Crystal Palace. And that doesn't give me any hope for the future at all.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Gelling- Reading 0 Watford 2
This was my third trip to Reading and the third time I've experienced no problems getting off the M4, none parking and none getting away quickly from the ground. Possibly these are urban myths or, more likely, Reading fans just don't turn out in great numbers when Watford come to visit. I got off the M4 just after 2pm and was parked within 5 minutes, albeit minus £8.
As new grounds go I quite like the Mad Stad. Its rather unusual to find the away end is the first bit of the ground you reach (excepting the Vic), rather than the usual walking all the way round the ground or, as at Forest, having to navigate a completely different set of streets to get to the right turnstile.
Even better the whole concourse of the South Stand was open meaning it was easy to get food and go to the loo, etc. We'd been given about 2/3 of the seats and I only sat in my allotted seat for two minutes before deciding it was too close to the front and moving further back and across with no complaints from the stewards.
It was a surprise, but not a lie, to say we won this comfortably. Reading were poor, not as bad as Derby but not much better. After Yeates put us ahead with a lovely free kick, it looked like there may have been a couple of hairy moments down the other end, though for our vantage point it was difficult to tell how close they were. But once Eustace put us 2 up early in the second half there was nothing to worry Scott and the travelling 'Orns behind his goal.
Most pleasing was seeing just how well the new boys in the team are gelling. Carl Dickinson was very assured at left back and its great to see him engaging and encouraging the fans Mooney-style at such an early stage in his Watford career. Jonathan Hogg begins to look like the answer in midfield with a confident display which complimented the best bits of John Eustace's game. Craig Forsyth just seems like a taller version of that other Scottish player we once had whose name I can't now recall (Cow-something?).
Andy Weimann was immense and put in one of his best displays in a Watford shirt. He ran and ran and ran some more, constantly stretching the Reading defence and deserved a goal for his work-rate. Marvin had a quiet game which is understandable after his recent England adventures. Joe Garner looked useful and I thought did enough to be preferred to Deeney and Iwelumo who both appeared in the second half.
Jobi McAnuff unusually didn't put in a decent display against one of his former clubs. I always used to feel that whenever Palace sang the 'You're not good enough' song he tried far harder than usual in a Watford shirt. However today, with the captain's armband on, he just didn't deliver although this might have been because Eustace chopped him in half after about 2 minutes much to our amusement.
A good win and the future suddenly looks quite bright with a trip to Barnsley next week followed by the visit of Steve McLaren's woeful Forest in two weeks.
As new grounds go I quite like the Mad Stad. Its rather unusual to find the away end is the first bit of the ground you reach (excepting the Vic), rather than the usual walking all the way round the ground or, as at Forest, having to navigate a completely different set of streets to get to the right turnstile.
Even better the whole concourse of the South Stand was open meaning it was easy to get food and go to the loo, etc. We'd been given about 2/3 of the seats and I only sat in my allotted seat for two minutes before deciding it was too close to the front and moving further back and across with no complaints from the stewards.
It was a surprise, but not a lie, to say we won this comfortably. Reading were poor, not as bad as Derby but not much better. After Yeates put us ahead with a lovely free kick, it looked like there may have been a couple of hairy moments down the other end, though for our vantage point it was difficult to tell how close they were. But once Eustace put us 2 up early in the second half there was nothing to worry Scott and the travelling 'Orns behind his goal.
Most pleasing was seeing just how well the new boys in the team are gelling. Carl Dickinson was very assured at left back and its great to see him engaging and encouraging the fans Mooney-style at such an early stage in his Watford career. Jonathan Hogg begins to look like the answer in midfield with a confident display which complimented the best bits of John Eustace's game. Craig Forsyth just seems like a taller version of that other Scottish player we once had whose name I can't now recall (Cow-something?).
Andy Weimann was immense and put in one of his best displays in a Watford shirt. He ran and ran and ran some more, constantly stretching the Reading defence and deserved a goal for his work-rate. Marvin had a quiet game which is understandable after his recent England adventures. Joe Garner looked useful and I thought did enough to be preferred to Deeney and Iwelumo who both appeared in the second half.
Jobi McAnuff unusually didn't put in a decent display against one of his former clubs. I always used to feel that whenever Palace sang the 'You're not good enough' song he tried far harder than usual in a Watford shirt. However today, with the captain's armband on, he just didn't deliver although this might have been because Eustace chopped him in half after about 2 minutes much to our amusement.
A good win and the future suddenly looks quite bright with a trip to Barnsley next week followed by the visit of Steve McLaren's woeful Forest in two weeks.
Thursday, September 01, 2011
National Tea Towel Parade- England Under 21's 6 Azerbaijan Under 21's 0
I remember fondly the last Under 21 international at Vicarage Road which took place 23 years ago. My mate Laurence and I refer to it regularly because it was at the time, and probably remains, one of the most boring games we'd ever witnessed. For years afterwards we ceased using words like boring, dull and grim and instead would use 'Denmark Under 21's' to describe anything bad that happened.
Henri Lansbury got a very warm reception and had a wonderful game including scoring a brilliant and very unlikely goal to put England 2 up. Jordan Henderson and then Martin Waghorn both competed with him for goal of the night with spectacular long range efforts.
Marvin Sordell appeared mid way through the second half and had a lively and entertaining Under 21 debut, but he must have been disappointed (despite claiming it couldn't have gone better) that he missed three good chances. I couldn't help thinking that to become regularly involved alongside this mostly Premiership squad he needed to put away at least one of them. However Stuart Pearce said some positive things about him so hopefully he'll get another chance.
My favourite bit of the night was actually the National Flag Parade which took place before the national anthems. It was like a Subbuteo equivilent to that which takes places at a full Wembley international. There you get a military regiment marching whilst holding flags that are about a quarter of the size of the pitch. At the Vic you get a few ballboys jogging randomly around holding two tea towels with the English and Azerbaijan flags printed on them. Classy. Especially the way they held these up to the crowd for applause at the end of the 'parade'. I can't wait for a similar performance at Ghana-Nigeria next month.
Whether we'll get another chance at an England Under 21 international for a long time I doubt. A crowd of 7,738 was the second lowest crowd for a home England game at this level for two years. Only Colchester's Weston Homes Community Stadium provided fewer fans when, a year ago, 500 less turned up for a 3-0 win against Lithuania. In comparison almost 18,000 turned up for a friendly against Norway at Southampton over the summer. You'd have thought with no football now at the Vic for three weeks and Marvin's inclusion a few more would've bothered.
Luckily this was about as far away from Denmark Under 21's as you could get. It may have been against lowly Azerbaijan, or Azkaban as my Harry Potter obsessed kids insisted on calling them, but England were very impressive in every department. Azerbaijan didn't even have a particularly bad game or do much wrong. England were just much too good for them in the way Man U were against Arsenal at the weekend.
Henri Lansbury got a very warm reception and had a wonderful game including scoring a brilliant and very unlikely goal to put England 2 up. Jordan Henderson and then Martin Waghorn both competed with him for goal of the night with spectacular long range efforts.
Marvin Sordell appeared mid way through the second half and had a lively and entertaining Under 21 debut, but he must have been disappointed (despite claiming it couldn't have gone better) that he missed three good chances. I couldn't help thinking that to become regularly involved alongside this mostly Premiership squad he needed to put away at least one of them. However Stuart Pearce said some positive things about him so hopefully he'll get another chance.
My favourite bit of the night was actually the National Flag Parade which took place before the national anthems. It was like a Subbuteo equivilent to that which takes places at a full Wembley international. There you get a military regiment marching whilst holding flags that are about a quarter of the size of the pitch. At the Vic you get a few ballboys jogging randomly around holding two tea towels with the English and Azerbaijan flags printed on them. Classy. Especially the way they held these up to the crowd for applause at the end of the 'parade'. I can't wait for a similar performance at Ghana-Nigeria next month.
Whether we'll get another chance at an England Under 21 international for a long time I doubt. A crowd of 7,738 was the second lowest crowd for a home England game at this level for two years. Only Colchester's Weston Homes Community Stadium provided fewer fans when, a year ago, 500 less turned up for a 3-0 win against Lithuania. In comparison almost 18,000 turned up for a friendly against Norway at Southampton over the summer. You'd have thought with no football now at the Vic for three weeks and Marvin's inclusion a few more would've bothered.
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