Having done two of these City v Watford quizzes in the last five weeks or so, I debated with myself whether I should bother with a third one. I’m not sure what I’ve done on previous occasions when we’ve had a game postponed like the first scheduled meeting between the teams was in in early December, but I’ve decided to do another one for tomorrow night’s match..
When the two sides did eventually meet for the first time just after Christmas, Watford were overwhelming favourites to win, but, instead, they suffered a first home defeat as we won at Vicarage Road for the fourth straight league game and picked up our first away three pointer of the season in the process. Watford have lost the three games they’ve played in all competitions since then, while we’ve gone unbeaten with a win and two draws, so it’s a home banker tomorrow, right? No, I don’t think so, there’s not been such a thing at Cardiff City Stadium for about four years!
City were the last team to be pulled out of the hat in the FA Cup Fourth Round draw, so it’s another away game in early February and it’s hard to come up with a more underwhelming tie than Stoke City away. People, rightly, say that it’s a winnable game, but it’s equally true to say that Stoke will hardly be quaking in their boots at the thought of facing us.
After all, it’s the fourth time I can remember us being drawn away to Stoke in the competition and we’ve lost the ties each time. We were beaten 4-1 in 1968, 2-1 in 1987 and we did manage a 1-1 draw in 2011, but then lost in the replay down here 2-0.
We’ve got quite a few league games to play before we head off to the Potteries for the second time this season and so back to today’s quiz – the answers will be posted on here on Wednesday morning.
60.s Playing in the same position as the club Player/Manager didn’t help this defender’s cause while he was at Watford and he left them to join another team that played in amber/yellow on a free transfer. He only ever wore that colour shirt as well, because he never played for another team after that and at one time held the record for first team appearances for them (he’s now second on that list). He also came within two of equalling what may might well be a national record for consecutive appearances for any club as he did not miss a game in any competition for seven years. According to Wikipedia, he still follows the club he spent nearly all of his career with as a supporter going to home and away games every week, but who is he?
70s. It’s more common for players to drop further back as their career goes on, but this left sided performer did the opposite and it’s probably fair to say that the move forward made him a better player. A west midlander by birth, he didn’t play a first team game for his the stripey local club he began with and it was only by dropping down the division, but maybe up in the world, that he got to make his senior debut. Even here though, he was generally thought of as a squad member and it took a switch to another team in blue to a destination that sounds synonymous with bad skin that he established a regular place for himself. Watford represented an upward move for him, but not much of one as they soon dropped into the basement division after he signed. However, after a couple of mediocre seasons, he was in at the start of a revolution at the club and, benefiting from that move forward, he was one of the first names on the team sheet through two promotions. The second tier maybe represented a step too far though and, after losing his place, he moved to Yorkshire to play for another club that was on the up at the time. His final club saw him wearing one of the league’s most distinctive kits for a team of Lancastrians, can you name him?
80s. West Indian Cricketing Knight with admirable qualities?
90s. Growls rile Indian leader. (5,6)
00s. Our one time player Tommy Smith set a unique City connected Watford club record during this decade, what is it?
10s. Which Watford player from this decade once played in international wins against Argentina and then Wales two days later that were both played in “neutral” London?
20s. This attacker will be thirty five on Wednesday and played for Watford for three years in the 2010s. This autumn, it was reported that he was training with Watford as he looked for a new club and, as I type this, his Wikipedia page is saying that he has signed for the Hornets today. I think someone is on a wind up, but this player was certainly highly rated when he was a player for them before and he also went on to do well at another current Championship club, so, any ideas who this “new signing” for Watford might be?
Answers
60s. Sandy Pate played right back for Watford and Mansfield, with all but fifteen of his four hundred and twenty eight appearances coming for the latter – he once had a run of three hundred and sixty six consecutive matches for Mansfield and there’s a bar named after him at Field Mill.
70s. Bobby Downes signed for Peterborough (the Posh) after being freed by West Brom, but only established himself as regular in senior football when playing at Spotland for Rochdale. Watford signed him in the mid seventies, and his career moved up a level after new manager Graham Taylor converted him. Into a winger. Downes joined Barnsley after losing his place in Watford’s second tier team and finished his career at Blackpool.
80s.(Sir Frank) Worrell Sterling.
90s. Roger Willis.
00s. Tommy Smith gave Watford an early lead from the penalty spot in their game at Cardiff in March 2009 – in doing so, he became the last Watford player to score a goal for them at Ninian Park.
10s. Heurelho Gomes kept clean sheets for Brazil in their 3-0 win over Argentina at the Emirates Stadium on 3/9/06 and then in. a 2-0 victory against Wales at White Hart Lane forty eight hours later.
20s. Wikipedia is currently saying that former Watford and Sheffield Wednesday forward Fernando Forestieri has signed for Watford today(13/1/25).
