Not as small as it became in 75 in Div. 4 with the return of the greyhound flapper track and the likes of Kevin McCarthy, Guy Bristow, Ken (I know I came from L*t*n but don't blame me!) Goodeve, Vic Akers, Brian Greenhalgh and the immortal Horther Arsefield (I think that's the right spelling). Ken's teams were several cuts above most of Mike Keen (out). Miguel Layun, Almen Abdi etc. eat your hearts out......
A sad piece of news - a great man who did wonders for the club on a shoestring budget. Whilst there are plenty of memories from that era, two in particular stick in my mind. The first is of him as player manager in our final home game of 1966/67, when with only minutes left, he charged into the box and made a desperate attempt to slide the ball into Colchester's net and end a stalemate. I suspect that 20000 hearts stopped at that moment, but it wasn't to be. Had he scored, we may well have won promotion that season rather than two seasons later. The second memory was a little more personal. Towards the end of the following season, a friend and I decided to hitchhike to watch our game at Grimsby - the Great Man became even greater in our eyes when he stopped the team coach and gave us a lift. Overawed doesn't begin to describe it... RIP Ken Furphy
we did the same on the game at bristol rovers we was only 16 and ken told us that the club always wanted away support but the risks in hitchhike was not always worth it. coming back with the players it was a dream even if we only got a draw
I'll add my piece. He made us believe that little Watford could be so much more. I was reflecting on how the game has changed since Ken's days. I still get a thrill from watching the highlights of the Liverpool game. The build up to the match was amazing, just as it was to the Man Utd cup replay - all sadly lacking in the Chelsea tie this month. I also wonder how many of the squad from the Liverpool match would get into our side today. That didn't matter with Ken as he built a team. He left many memories. I, too was at the Swindon game, sitting on the touch line because it was too dangerous for children on the terrace when the crowd surged. It is a shame that there is no film of Colin Franks's goal against Stoke, or Scullion's goal against Stockport, or heaps of other memories from Ken's teams.
I too remember those journeys home, cars didn't have radios in those days (unless you were real posh) hoping you would be able to get home in time to hear the football results at quarter to six to hear how your rival teams had done. Sad to hear the news, but thank you Ken for all the happy memories and starting me on the road to being a proud Hornet. My thoughts are also with your family. I sometimes read these posts and think, I stood there, I saw that match, I did that, I wonder if I've stood next to any on this board without even knowing it.
I can't quote or like your post, Charlie, so I have to do it this way - 'the server is not responding'. Excellent post.
I am sure there was film of colin frank's goal..... but I cant find it anywhere on youtube etc these days..... great shame..... I can see it in my mind to this day....
As a little kid... .I had a massive wooden rattle.... I got lots of scowls from grown up around me! Particularly Frenchie
The old West Herts post that was published the day before the Watford Observer, used to take a close up photograph of a section of the crowd, then place a star on a person who would win a ticket to the next home game. Somewhere in a box I have the cutting of a young Frenchie stood on the Vic terrace in his winter attire. The person next to me had the star, so was it any of you?
I've just remembered, my Grandad took a mate with me to see our first ever game in Div 2. The car broke down en route, Chippenham, I think, so we got the train the rest of the way to Bristol and home again. On entering Ashton Gate I thought this is the sort of place big teams play and now we are part of that. The thought made up for the 2-0 defeat.
That Swindon game was probably one of the most exciting I've ever watched - two teams streets ahead of the rest of the division & Swindon had just comprehensively beaten Arsenal to win the League Cup. A masterful display from the Hornets, even if Keith Eddy did make his one and only penalty miss in the game. My only annoyance about the game was that Barry Endean scored the winner at the other end of the pitch from us.... Will keep hunting for a clip of that Colin Franks goal as I know there is one somewhere - I remember being surprised by it on TV in Australia. I reckon that if he had hit the ball a couple of inches higher it would have hit me square in the face. Scully's goal against Stockport was like the 7-1 against Southampton - consigned to people's memories I'm afraid. I just feel privileged to have seen them live.
What a great thread this is. Almost every post brings back another memory. I think Ken would be so humbled to realise that forty odd years on, his memory and what he did for the club and its supporters was still remembered and valued by so many. One of the Greats.
I thought Colin Frank's goal is on the Great FA Cup moments DVD (or whatever it's called). I'll have a look later. All that stuff of the boys camping in the Lakes is on there. If it is I'll have to see if I can rip it, but don't hold out much hope, what with copy protection and my unfamiliarity with working with video. I remember it fine, though. He had a funny upright stance, and I'm sure he put swerve on the ball. Just like watching Brazil!
..Denis Bond ..Tony Currie ..Barry Endean ..Keith Eddy ..Colin Franks ..Mick Walker ..Scully ..Cliff Holton (2nd time around) ....and the one and only Rodney Green. What more could we have asked for.
