please log in to view this image Everton V Watford please log in to view this image Saturday 8 August 2015 3PM Goodison Park Stadium Ok – before we get into the football side of things I think we all want to pay respects to Watford fan Chris Dyer who was among the dead (and we respect the others to of course) in the beach massacre at Sousse Tunisia on 26 June. The club will be organising a tribute for the West Brom game next week. please log in to view this image As fans, one of the best pieces of news this close season has been the continued spectacular recovery of Nic Cruwys, the Watford fan who was very badly injured following an attack after the Wolverhampton game. Nic’s plight really brought out the best in football fans and players from many clubs and we now wish him a continued recovery and welcome him back to Vicarage road and the away terraces this season. please log in to view this image WE ARE PREMIER LEAGUE Well, after the build-up and anticipation, which has made me feel like a kid in the run up to 25 December, it is finally upon us and the Hornets will embark upon their fourth spell in the top flight. This follows a momentous season where we finished second and were only pipped to the title by a last minute equaliser at home to Sheffield Wednesday. It’s fitting that the first game should be against Everton as they have a special place in the folklore of our club. On 28 August 1982 Watford played their first ever match in the old division one beating Everton 2-0 at Vicarage Road. We met again on 19 May 1984 in Watford’s first, and to date only, appearance in n FA Cup Final with Everton running out 2-0 winners which was to be a springboard for 3 seasons of success where they won 2 league titles, a Cup Winners Cup and reached 2 more FA Cup Finals – I don’t think we ever get the credit we deserve for our part in their development . In 2006 Adrian Boothroyd led us a third spell in the top flight (after we had a one season spell in 1999/2000 under a returning Graham Taylor) and our first match was at Goodison Park on 19 August where we were beaten 2-1 after conceding what was described by BBC as a “shocking” penalty. Head to head In 20 matches against the second longest serving club in the top flight of English football Watford have lost 17, drawn 1 and won just 2 with the last coming in 1987 – which for the nostalgics among us was the game before THAT quarter final at Highbury!. Crossing the divide More on one player later but the highest profile footballer to play for both clubs was Kevin Richardson. He spent 6 seasons at Goodison Park, winning the Division 1 league title, Cup Winners cup and FA Cup, before joining us in 1986 where he spent one season, before moving to Arsenal. Comings and goings Everton At the time of writing Everton have signed 2 players and let 6 go. Antolin Alcaraz and Sylvain Distin were released with the latter now joining Bournemouth. Luke Garbutt has joined Fulham on loan, George Green joined Oldham on a free, Matthew Kennedy joined Cardiff and Chris Long joined Burnley on undisclosed. Midfielder Tom Cleverley has joined on a free from Manchester United having spent a season at Villa on loan and right winger Gerard Deulofeu has signed permanently for £4.2 million from Barcelona after a loan spell. Cleverley, of course, needs no introduction to Hornets fans having been on loan with us making 33 appearances and scoring 11 games in the 2009 / 10 and being voted player of the season. Deulofeu, a former Spanish youth player at all age groups and the player of the tournament in the European under 19 tournmanet in 2012 joins on a 3 year contract. He has had the last 2 seasons on loan wth Everton and now joins permanently. Watford Blimey – where do we start? Well, the wonderful Slavisa Jokanovic could not agree a new contract with the owners. He has now joined Macabi Tel Aviv and I am sure we all wish him well. please log in to view this image The man in the dugout is now Qui que Flores who represented Spain as a right back at Italia 90. He began his managerial at Getaffe in 2004 after coming through the coaching ranks at Real Madrid. He then took charge at Valencia guiding them to third place in La Liga and, in the following season, reaching the Quarter finals of the Champions league where they lost to Chelsea. In May 2007 he repeated a top four finish but was sacked in October 2007. In 2008 he joined Benfica and won the League cup bit left after finishing third in the Primeira Liga. In 2009 he joined Atletico Madrid and led them to the Europa Cup Final winning 2-1 against Fulham and the Copa del Rey where they lost to Seville. He left the club in 2011 and then had a spell in UAE before returning to Getaffe in January 2015 but left in February. please log in to view this image Due to probelms with posting images I've had to paste the sky link which gives you details of them all - apologies guys. Watford Transfers Summer 2015 Completed Ins From Fee Giedrius Arlauskis FC Steaua Bucuresti Undisclosed Valon Behrami Hamburg £3 Steven Berghuis AZ Alkmaar £4.6m Miguel Britos Napoli Undisclosed Etienne Capoue Tottenham Hotspur Undisclosed Jose Holebas Roma £1.8m Jose Manuel Jurado Spartak Moscow Undisclosed Marco Motta Juventus Free Allan Nyom Udinese Undisclosed Sebastian Prodl Werder Bremen Free Completed Outs To Fee Jonathan Bond Reading Undisclosed Luke O'Nien Wycombe Wanderers Free The man in the middle Mike Jones from Chester is the match referee. Mr Jones referred 34 games last season handing out 117 cards and 10 sendings off. He took charge of our game against Middlesboro. Bizarrely this is the second season in a row he will take charge of the Toffeemen’s opening fixture having officiated in the 2-2 draw against Leicester City last year. So there we go – all we need now is the game to start. We can’t have an Everton vs Watford thread without mentioning the obvious link so support the boys and make some noise!
Nice one Dan. I'm in Corwall at the moment on holiday, so can't make the trip to Everton (much to Mini Bloother's disgust). So I've just booked Man City tickets to compensate. I'll be heading for a long cliff top walk tomorrow morning and getting back to (hopefully) listen to the commentary. It's been a long summer, but it's so close now I can smell it. Can't deny that I feel a little less confident as the past week has gone by, but BRING IT ON
Lucky you, although I haven't asked around here. There's a British Legion. You never know... Holiday is great so far with the weather mostly good. The other night we went to one of the local pubs and found a Watford pencil case sitting on one of the book shelves. Asked the landlady about it, but she said it was there when she took over. Weird, but an omen maybe? Anyone left a WFC pencil case in Polperro?
You have nothing to be ashamed about with this thread, Dan. It is excellent. Enjoy Polperro, Bloother. I know Fowey quite well, which is not far from you, but it's not my pencil case.
I think we have a good chance tomorrow as long as we are not too defensive and create chances. I want us to get a good start as a demoralising performance won't help for the coming matches. On an aside, Mo Johnson was quite a high profile player for both sides - or is my memory deceiving me? Good luck everyone for tomorrow! PS - is there a sweepstakes going for the correct starting line-up? Bet he pulls a fast one as he looks and talks like a bit of a poker player!
Well done Dan. It is a very good read. Pictures can be a real problem for me as I am a novice at these things and do not have different software that might allow re-sizing etc. I think we might go into this game with a defensive looking team, but I wonder if there will some surprises. Not sure what to expect at all.
Its great that you put in your time for the rest of us . they say the game is showing live in the usa but not with my cable company so im on here with you all and looking for streams ?
If you go to the sub Post Office in Mevagissey the shop owners do unique miniature football figures for about £4.50, hand painted. Tried to pick one up when I was there last month but the Watford model was in the post office window and inaccessible out of hours. It's a lovely village if you've not been there. As is Fowey.
Cheers Dan. Wow, tomorrow is the first of the big, big test. Can the Flowers merge all the new signings? Are they good enough? Everton away, is a tough test. It will shed a little light onto it all in with the bigger teams. I´d take a 1-1 personally. Might get up early to see the goals come in from all games, might not had a nightmare week and well, 6am start and all. COYH !!!!
Nice thread Dan Going up for this one, and getting the club coach at 9am. Going to be a tough test and will be interesting to see the team and formation. It looks like he favours a 4-2-3-1 but I personally think a 4-4-2 would suit the players we have better. Would certainly take a score draw, with Deeney getting off the mark
No sign of it on DirecTV either - apart from the highlights show later in the day. Hopefully there will be a stream somewhere. I will not be taking part in the WPL this season. But I am predicting 2-2 for this one.
It;'s a long season. We have recruited brilliantly but the results won't be instant. Any result other than a drubbing ar Everton will be ok. Just to remind you we were 2-0 up at Etihad until Aguero woke up - and he is exceptional. We will easily be above Norwich and bournemouth by xmas - and I reckon we'll finish above leicester, Sunderland, Villa west brom (even allowing for pulis miracles) Palarse and west ham. As for tomorrow - deeney so deserves this -he sould cause mayhem with Ighalo. COYH
It's here Everton was actually my first non London away game in 1986. We finished 9th - I don't think anyone would be unhappy with a repeat of that!
