Aside from the following FA Cup wins, our league record against Watford (founded as Watford Rovers in 1881) only begins as recently as 1982. This is because they were in the Southern League up until 1920 and then finally reached the First Division with promotion from the second division in the 1981/2 season.
| 03 Feb 1906 | Woolwich Arsenal v Watford | W | 3-0 | FA Cup |
| 15 Jan 1910 | Woolwich Arsenal v Watford | W | 3-0 | FA Cup |
| 08 Mar 1980 | Watford v Arsenal | W | 1-2 | FA Cup |
Elton John and his appointment of Graham Taylor in 1977 saw the club’s rise from the Fourth Division right up to the top flight in only 5 seasons.
These were the days of John Barnes and Luther Blissett. Blissett still holds Watford’s records for overall appearances 503 (league 415) and overall goals 186 (league goals 148). Luther Blissett was also famous for being signed by AC Milan “by mistake”. Rumours still abound in Italy that it was John Barnes who was being scouted but it was big Luther who was signed in error. Sounds a bit racist to me. He returned to Watford after one season.
The current incarnation of Watford FC has been in the Premier League since 2015 and they have consolidated well with a string of decent Spanish, Italian and Portuguese managers. The loathsome Troy Deeney is the current club captain, though some find his aggression and honesty refreshing.
Credit: Craig Prentis /Allsport
GunnerN5
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Thanks for that, there is a lot of info up there I didn’t know.
I have a bad feeling for this one. We should win but I think we will struggle so it could be that we draw or even lose. We have to field a physically strong team and I would say even agressive. So here is my line up
Cech – Bellerin, Mustafi, Holding, Monreal – Lichtensteiner, LT, Xhaka – Ramsey, Auba – Laca
I play Lichten in the middle because he can play there and I play Ramsey ahead of Ozil because I think Ozil would then come in the last 20-30 mins to score us a beautiful goal. I say the game plan is easy: keep a clean sheet for 20 mins and take control of midfield and game pace. Then grab a goal before half time. Score another one on the counter at the beginning of second half. Then keep cool and bring in Ozil and Wellbeck to finish Watford with a third. We can then let the usual goal against us in.
What will happen I do not know but my gut feeling is that we will struggle and that s never a good feeling
Cheers, GN5.
There’s always something interesting in looking at our history against other outfits.
p.s. GN5 is off on a week’s manoeuvres from today, so won’t be around to be thanked for his post.
Thanks GN5. Will get to the post later in the day.
Right now, it is both eyes on the Ryder Cup which IMO is the ultimate in television sport and I don’t play golf
BR – did you watch the Laver Cup recently? It was really fun and the format is nice with rather short and intense matches. Good tennis overall.
RC. I was in Paris over the weekend and there was nothing, absolutely nothing about the Ryder Cup. I asked people if they knew what it was and no-one did!
I am not a fan of tennis but my parents took me to see Rod Laver play at Wimbledon.
chas 9.48. That is horrible
BTW – this is the best blog. I have been on a few but this one is good
I am a huge tennis fan 🙂 Laver Cup is loads of fun but it does not beat a good old game in the later stages of a Grand Slam. Few players are really fun to watch and some rivalries are epic. One that is underrated is Djoko-Wawrinka. They really had great games
Drama at Man Utd according to reports as the dressing room is divided between the pro-Mourinho and pro-Pogba.
Jones, Bailly, Martial and potentially Sanchez join pro-Pogba
Smalling, Young, Valencia, Matic sticking with Mourinho
Utd should really expel Pogba until X-Mas or sack Mourinho before it is too late.
Let us also shut Deeney’s face this week-end. Danger also called Pereyra and Gray.
RC. I agree about the blog 😀
And we have to frustrate Capoue – put LT on him at all times.
BTW – I really want Wellbeck to score to really annoy Deeney. Deeney needs to be really finished. I hope for a grand performance from Holding. Key will be Bellerin, Holding, Monreal and our 2 Mids. If we can contain Watford, I think we can blast them offensively thanks to Auba and Laca.
Thanks for the awful memory, GN5 🙂
My worst footballing day was at Vicarage Road. Early to mid 80s. Arsenal fans at away end with no roof. Driving rain like needles into our eyes. I couldn’t see because I was so pissed.
Anyone know what the score was that day? 🙂
Here’s your choice, Micky.
Lost 2-1 in Apr 83
Lost 2-1 in May 84
Won 4-3 in Sept 84
Lost 3-0 on 1st April 86
Lost 2-0 in Mar and Nov in 87
Has to be 1st April 1986. 🙂 🙂 😉
Soz, the ‘won’ and ‘lost’ are reversed as i went for Watford v Arsenal.
Still not a clue Chas 🙂
Sokratis may be fit for Watford
RC
Thoroughly enjoying your updates on devs from Old Toilet
If one player does a Pogba, I’d agree, he has to be shown the door. If all your best players join in, then the manager has to go
As a Gunner, I pray Utd stand by their manager
on the way to Vicarage road in the rain
https://streamable.com/4qmwj
I cannot believe how slow I have been on the uptake, so it is Arsenal who have withdrawn a 4 year contract offer with Ramsey, woo, this is different, hardball.
I love that Ian Poulter is a committed Gooner. Top, top bloke.
I went to most of those Watford away games in the 80’s. Like Micky, can’t remember them at all.
Why did Fred put up 3.38?
raddy – what did poulter do? did he wear something Arsenalish?
i adore him too
ey? comment disappeared 😦
[video src="https://videos.dailymail.co.uk/video/1418450360/2014/07/1418450360_3674889797001_Stronger-Together-featuring-Ian-Poulter-and-Fans.mp4" /]
oh ffs, https://videos.dailymail.co.uk/video/1418450360/2014/07/1418450360_3674889797001_Stronger-Together-featuring-Ian-Poulter-and-Fans.mp4
Superb clip, Fred. Thanks
Football aside, I love the sound of the crowd. With every forward pass/movement, you can hear the volume building towards the crescendo
Nice one Fred, most of the clips of the goal of the season miss the Leno pass, yes a bit chancey and Lichsteiner’s header fell kindly but the rest is pure Arsenal magic.
LB Fred
The Gunnervlogs comment in Fred’s tweet does have a point about all the GK passing stuff
Watching the clip, I noticed how by the time licht headed on, there were four opposition players between him and Leno
Right, lights out for me. Cream crackered and all that
Goodnight
That Leegunner (Gunnervlogs ) is one of those really hideous AFTV knobheads who films himself in his car slagging off the players and the club. He’s a complete and utter pillock.
Mornin’ Chas
Whoever he is, it’s a good point, nay?
Because I was sparko by 10 last night, I’ve already been up this morning for about 18 hrs, so have done some Ramsey contract thinking
Ooops, didn’t mean to push button
Here goes:
Let’s pretend Ramsey was after wage parity with Mesut, and let’s also pretend that number is 250k/wk (choke)
4 year contract. Cost to AFC £52M
So, perhaps these were talks with Gazidis at the helm. Since then, maybe Unai has stuck his head around the door and said ahem, I think I could do better. Proof:
Torreira age 22, cost £27m
Guendouzi age 19, cost £6.8m
The question is therefore could Unai and his team do better than re-signing a 27 yr . old for £52m?
That’s the equivalent of paying £32m fee with a player on £100k
Judging Unai purely on his track record at . Arsenal, the answer is a resounding yes
Micky
He’s an oxygen thief and should be deprived of all publicity. Only an idiot would follow him on twitter.
If he ever did make a sensible comment, it’s probably been lifted from elsewhere.
The thing with Ramsey that bothers me is……
what happens for the rest of the season?
You can’t really pick him to play again, can you?
I realise you might think that that is a good thing!
oxygen thief ha ha ha
I have no idea what the answer is
Of course what makes it hard is never knowing the facts, with the only important aspect being what Unai thinks, and as of 7:32 this morning, he’s yet to email me
Why the hell not?
lazy
You can naff off in January, we don’t need you, in fact we’re not even going to let you agree to the huge amount we offered you already if no-one comes in with more. Offer withdrawn.
Latest from the Old Toilet……
I’m sure that earlier, during my thorough research, I read that there had been a previously agreed 4 yr deal that Arsenal have now withdrawn
Maybe they heard Slime was using that to leverage a better deal elsewhere, and AFC thought that was ungentlemanly conduct
Offer withdrawn
Just a theory, so I’ll await that email
This is where he stole the clip from. Posted the day before his.
Oooo, look, this one even has the pass back to Leno which put him under pressure and hence caused his risky lob forward in the direction of Lichtsteiner. 🙂
Morning All,
Great banter this morning. “Oxygen thief” 😀
before ‘new post’ arrives there are 2 wonderful stories that caught my eye: boxing gym Dale Youth destroyed during the Greenfel fire has been rebuilt, improved and extended. I saw it PACKED with youngsters training boxing, awsome.
Second, a Somalian girl Ramla Ali dreamed of becoming a boxer, but was forbidden by her parents to train on religious grounds. But she won, she is a boxer and will represent Somalia in the next olympics. Her whole country is behind her. I am Somalian now.
There is a New Post
Eddie is an Anglo-Polish- Somalian!
One lawn done
Vote now: will Ramsey start?