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Kevin Hogg

President
Joined
Dec 5, 2011
Messages
3,059
Location
Altea, Spain
Memories of the two clashes in 77-78. Incredible rivalry, to the point that Match Of The Day gave the game at Vicarage Road top billing - it was a Division 4 (League 2) game - it was THAT big.
Then the cup tie's in late 78. The draw at their place and the replay that had Liverpool at home as the prize.
Great games, great players,all the lads, trouble. Graham Taylor, Elton John, Luther Blisset, The Rookery...they had it all!!
They were the most intense series of matches against a single opposition I remember.
 
Yes, they were amazing events and the anticipation almost made you burst.
We hated them with a passion and they hated us with a passion.
The games were close, the fans well matched. Atmosphere was beyond electric! The noise!!!!!!
 
Yes, they were amazing events and the anticipation almost made you burst.
We hated them with a passion and they hated us with a passion.
The games were close, the fans well matched. Atmosphere was beyond electric! The noise!!!!!!

We'd really started hating them in the early 60's when there was a series of narrow ,totally undeserved home defeats(inc.2 FA cup-ties).Their crude hackers at full-back(Bell and Nicholas)had only one means of stopping the speedy Woodley and the tricky McKinven but we just couldn't get their crosses over the line.
 
Interesting to know it went back to the 60's.
Looking at attendances, you can read the intensity.

Div 4 77-78 @ Roots Hall - 10,919
Div 4 77-78 @ Vicarage Road - 18,947
FA Cup 2nd Round 78-79 @ Vicarage Road - 13,377
FA Cup Replay @ Roots Hall - 15,635

Exciting days!
 
The Cup replay v Watford is my favourite match at the Hall. I missed the draw at Vicarage road as I had a Saturday job in the local butchers shop. I remember staff and customers were listening to the 3rd round FA cup draw as I sprinkled sawdust down at about 5:30 that night. That was of course in the days when the whole world loved our FA cup. It was also in the days when men would shop late on a Saturday to avoid queues of gossiping women in there local shops. Our shop was a gathering place for men to listen to sports report, I would make cups of tea for the regulars.

They had announced some numbers to look out for and I remembered Liverpool were number 19. There was big cheer when they pulled us out of the hat first. Then they announced Southend or Watford v number 19, in a nanosecond I shouted out that's Liverpool and people just had time to glance some wide eyed suspicious, calm down you young fool looks in my direction before the whole shop irrupted.

What a night at RH v Watford. The pressure of hanging on to a the 1 goal lead for such along time. The prize a full strength Liverpool, who were European champions at the time. The pitch invasion at the end fantastic.
 
I was at both the cup games, radio on in the car for the draw on the way back.

Always thought is was ironic that Spurs lost 10-1 after our replay with Liverpool
 
We'd really started hating them in the early 60's when there was a series of narrow ,totally undeserved home defeats(inc.2 FA cup-ties).Their crude hackers at full-back(Bell and Nicholas)had only one means of stopping the speedy Woodley and the tricky McKinven but we just couldn't get their crosses over the line.

Amazingly we drew them 4 times in six years in the FA cup in those early sixties.

We only won one of them, the year we went on to lose at Rotherham in the fog.

Tony Bentley played in all four of those Cup ties.
 
The MoTD appearance resulted in the legendary Dave Smith being on the opening images of the programme every week the following season! Wonderful.
 
Those were the days of Striking Partnerships making the headlines

Ross Jenkins and Luther Blissett at Wotford

MacDougal and Boyer at Bournemouth

Bannister and Warboys at Bristol Rovers , IIRC they were known as "Smash and Grab"
 
In the 1960s apart from League encounters we played them in the cup four times in six years:

1961-62 Home lost 0-2 att: 12,460
1962-63 Home lost 0-2 att: 16,890
1965-66 Home won 2-1 att: 10.583
1966-67 Away lost 0-1 att: 8,797

My first visit to Watford was in 1964 (only my second away match), I saw the last of the two cup matches. Of course at the time we considered us as a bigger club than Watford, with better ground and with better gates, but the bu**ers kept on knocking us out of the cup, that's why we resented them
 
Remember big Cliff Holton ?
Large goal scoring old fashioned number 9?
Always seemed to be a threat in those games
Always seemed to be potential punch ups in the grandstand with their
fans all mixed up with home supporters
 
Those were the days of Striking Partnerships making the headlines

Ross Jenkins and Luther Blissett at Wotford

MacDougal and Boyer at Bournemouth

Bannister and Warboys at Bristol Rovers , IIRC they were known as "Smash and Grab"
Garner and Best , Best and Moore .
 
Ross Jenkins, touch youre toes.
Elton John is one of those,
La la la la
La la la
La la
:Worthy::stunned:
 
Interesting to know it went back to the 60's.
Looking at attendances, you can read the intensity.

Div 4 77-78 @ Roots Hall - 10,919
Div 4 77-78 @ Vicarage Road - 18,947
FA Cup 2nd Round 78-79 @ Vicarage Road - 13,377
FA Cup Replay @ Roots Hall - 15,635

Exciting days!
Even though I was living away from Southend, the Div 4 games were a must not miss and I did'nt. Hated Watford at the time in memory of Graham Taylor breaking John Mckinvens leg in the 60's. Remember it kicking off in their pub big style and Ozzie getting in amongst them single handed in the ground.
 
Happy Days! Went to all those during that time frame, used to see Elton in a big fur coat on cold days, sitting not far from where we were allocated at their ground!
 
Ross Jenkins, touch youre toes.
Elton John is one of those,
La la la la
La la la
La la
:Worthy::stunned:

To the sound of 'your gonna get your f****** head kicked in'

Elton John is a homosexual.

I believe it was the cup replay when our announcer appealed to the west stand at half time... .'to give there winger a fare chance.' He was having a total mare and we were giving him plenty. It had the effect of only made things worse. Fans really could e the twelve man back then.
 
Two memories of the MOTD game at Watford:

- it was our first visit to Vicarage Road. A bit lost on the outskirts we asked a milkman wearing a Watford scarf for directions. he kindly outlined a route for us ..... which promptly took us out of Watford in the opposite direction!

- Once on the terrace it was all a bit packed and noisy, then a bottle flew over just my head and hit a tall bloke standing in front of me. Blood everywhere, felt sorry for him as he had to go and get attention, but got a better view of the match!
 
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