Another, perhaps less obvious, defining moment comes to mind. It is November 1976 in SEJ's first season owning the club. Mike Keen is in charge and attempting to put together a team to get out of Div. 4 back to the dizzying heights of Div. 3 (where we have spent the vast majority of our league career). However, things are not too rosy for MK. A stuttering start to the season sees us with 16 points from 15 matches - including 1-3 defeats at Rochdale and Torquay and a 0-4 reverse at Cambridge United. Rumours abound that SEJ, having given MK a chance at mounting a promotion challenge, is running out of patience and MK is approaching the end of his Watford managerial career. We have been drawn at the Priestfield v. Gillingham in the first round of the FA Cup on 20th November - it may be difficult for those younger horns amongst us to realise that, at the time, the Gills were in Div. 3 and considered a tough nut to crack. However, it is a glorious giant-killing victory in Kent with an Alan Mayes goal seeing us through to the second round, much to Brian Moore's (the commentator) intense annoyance - him being a life-long Gills fan. Apart from progress in the Cup, the other immediate result is that SEJ stays Keen's execution until the end of the season based on that game, before the expected sacking is confirmed and GT is ultimately appointed in the Summer of 1977. Had MK been sacked in November 1976, it is extremely doubtful whether GT would have been available - Lincoln City were still riding high in Div. 3 at the time. Bobby Moore anyone? Incidentally, after another glorious Cup victory (3-2) at Hillingdon Borough in round 2, we visited the mighty Cheshire Giants of Northwich Victoria in the third round and were dumped out by the same score. Less than 6 years later, we beat West Bromwich Albion 3-0 to go top of Div. 1. Would that have happened if we had lost to Gillingham that day? Unlikely.
Endean scores first goal for the club? My last guess, otherwise I need to send Mrs GG up to the loft to see if I have te programme- oh no, any programme from later that season should help. (I'm trying not to cheat by using the interweb!)
Endean's first 2 league goals for the club - he scored against Cheltenham in the first round of the FA Cup 4 weeks before.
Close enough - his first league goals, scoring both in our 2-0 win over Oldham. We had a fairly stubborn defence at that point but were struggling to hit the back of the net. Then along came Baz and we shot up the table to promotion.
First season back from The Prem with Betty at the helm and we start off at a canter and go 12 points clear - Kamara is raving about us on Sky and we are cruising towards Christmas with all the confidence in the world to "piss this league". Then that game, we play The Baggies at home and get stuffed...queue a headlong dive down the league and Betty losing the plot more and more every day. We scrape into the playoffs with a draw away at Blackpool and then get stuffed by Dull City in the playoffs...that game against The Baggies was a season changing moment
The parallels between that season and 2000-01 are staggering. Both seasons we had just come down from the Prem. We started off both seasons like trains - in 2007 we had played 13 games, winning 10, drawing 2 and losing that infamous game at the Walkers Stadium - so 32 points. In 2000 the record was even better - we had played 15 games, winning 12 and drawing 3 - 39 points! We then played Sheffield Wednesday at home and lost 3-1 with Richard Jobson (yes him from the early 80s!) coming back for the first of his last 2 games for us. Our record from then on to the end of GT's last season was played 31, won 8, drew 6 and lost 17! Relegation form - compared to Ady's last full season for us from the Albion game: played 33, won 8, drew 14(!) and lost 11. Both season changing games........of course we lost GT at the end of that season whereas it took a few games next season for Ady to depart. But remarkable similarities all the same.
Yes Endean!!! What a player!! A generation defining moment off the pitch was the signing of the underated GT against the popular B Moore as manager.....
Yes so true.... we complletely lost it.... threw it all away from that point. I would love to know what happened ... maybe AB's autobiogaphy in 20 years time.. if I am still around...
Sometimes the decision made is one not to do something. I wonder what would have happened if Jim Bonsor had agreed to sell the club to Leslie Wise.
The most recent season-defining moment for me was the 07/08 season, but wasn't on the pitch - it was 'Boro recalling Johnson from his loan spell - 8 point lead up until then! When I heard they wanted him back, knew that was going to weaken the team - although didn't it would be by quite so much! Can't really know what would have happened if he stayed.... but personally believe we would have gone back up! Who knows where we would be if we had - maybe same Chairman/board, new East Stand....
I'm reading your season defining moment that happened a month before i was born, strange as i cannot relate to that era, but still great to know the enjoyment in being there in that moment has created a memory that is still fresh 33 years on.
My moment didn't take place on the pitch, but in the FA HQ when the cup draw was made. The year was 1967, the manager Ken Furphy. Attendances at the Vic around 6,500 despite having a chance of promotion. The draw gave Watford a home tie against the Liverpool side that Shankly had assembled, with the likes of St.John, Callaghan, Hunt, Yeates and company Tickets were on sale at the game against Swindon and almost 17,000 appeared to get their hands on one. After the Cup tie was played in front of 33,553, a 0-0 draw with a replay at Anfield four days later in front of 54,451 spectators, gates improve to an average of 12,500 for the rest of the season. The season became an almost one when we missed promotion by one point. Up to this point there had been doubt as to the future of Watford at the Vic. Hackney and Hendon Greyhounds were looking to buy the ground, but Jim Bonsor got in first and did a deal with Benskins. Without that cup draw giving the club some extra money there might not have been a club at the Vic today. Maybe it can be said that Jim Bonsor did the right thing to preserve the club even if he wasn't the ultimate sugar daddy.
Glad us old codgers droning on doesn't bore you. For myself, I don't know where the time has gone. I was just slightly younger than you are now when we went to Wembley in '84. But as you can tell, the love never dies! OGG
Not a defining moment for a particular season, but when GT managed to persuade Colonel Ken Barnes that his son could make it as a professional footballer shortly before he was due to return to Jamaica is one that had an impact on the next few seasons.
I never used the words old, codger or droning. The history of a club is part of what supporting a team is all about. Watching a good football match, you don't think about your age, your health or anything else other than whats happening on the pitch. You get lost in the moment, the excitement and the thrill of watching your team whether they win lose of draw. And that is what creates the memories and the emotional connection for us all to have these defining moments, even if some are good and some are bad.
I didn't realise all this was going on at the time. I was too young to understand all that but I remember the season well, and the Liverpool game. Terry Melling scored for us at Anfield. He was a player I never really rated but on what basis I have no idea.
Absolutely agree Irohas- and sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you were knocking old codgers- you're right, it is timeless and ageless (unless the money men mess it up too much) and that's the glory of it.
