Brings back so many memories. For those who were on the rookery when Endean scored - Tommy Lawrence died yesterday aged 77. One of the true characters of that generation of players who belied his size (14 stones) by incredible agility - known as the flying pig at the time, he really proved that pigs can fly (apart from against Endean). A mainstay of Shank's team of the 60s who only missed 3 games in 7 years. They don't make em like that anymore. RIP Tommy
Sad news - RIP. Andjust in case there are any young ones here who have never seen this, here he is in action...
My Mum took me and we were in the Shrodells 'family' enclosure up against the wall and had a great view of the goal. For me the ball was on Lawrence's fingertips for eternity! before going in the net
I was about six rows back from the 'O' of Observer - swore blind at the time that Endean was looking straight at me as he was milking the cheers.
I was in the middle of the Watford bovver boys in the Rookery wearing large boots and a jean jacket. I'm sure I had other clothes on as well.
It was a defining match for a lot of us, pivotal for both clubs. For us it was a first real taste of the big time, and being only 14 at the time it was very impressionable. For Liverpool it was the end of an era and the team of the 60s, which was a little past its sell off date, was to become the team of the 70s soon after - with Tommy Lawrence, Ron Yeats and Ian St. John departing soon after. Tommy only played one more match for Liverpool after this one and Ray Clemence took over. Lawrence then went on to play under Ron Yeats at Tranmere for 3 years, and subsequently went back to the very firm in Liverpool where he had started prior to his football career. It appears strange to modern football fans - but footballers then often did work in factories once their playing careers were over. In some ways he was a pioneer - most goalkeepers then were content to stay between the sticks. He was one of the first to come outside of his penalty area. Like so many of the players from that era he was a part of my youth (I confess that like many Watford fans of those days I had a second club, and it was Liverpool). The video brings back lots of memories - I also was on the Rookery. For some on here it is no more than a historical document - but we used to watch football on ploughed fields then and think nothing of it - and this wasn't just at the Vic. the pitch at White Hart Lane for the Semi resembled playing on the beach. Does anyone know if there is a video of Colin Frank's goal against Stoke City in the 4th round anywhere ?
I might have been there too, I would have been 16, sadly I don't remember, one day I might find the programme to prove it one way or the other!
I had progressed by 1970 to the Vicarage Road terrace as Mme let me out on my own to go to games. The goalkeepers of the day, I was one, had nice woolly jumpers to keep them warm. Some looked as if they had been knitted by a favourite aunt for a birthday present. Before I was married I would take my woolly jumper home, it was a green one, and my mother would look at and ask how I expected her to get it clean. They were not great if you were playing in the rain as they became heavier as the match went on.
The only times I've seen that one were live & on TV replay. I wonder if the club have access to recordings of 'special' goals from over the years? I imagine a CD of those would interest more than a few people.
