WatfordGround: Vicarage Road Visits: 2
Date: 23rd April 2000 Match: Watford - Arsenal 2-3 (Premier League) Attendance: 19 670
Date: 3rd January 2009 Match: Watford - Scunthorpe 1-0 (FA-Cup) Attendance: 8 690
Report (Watford - Scunthorpe): My second day of this 3rd round FA-Cup weekend started with a trip to Emirates Stadium, to take some better exterior pictures than I managed last time I was there (night match). I then made my way to East London and Brisbane Road, the home of Leyton Orient, where I picked up my pre-paid ticket and because of the cold weather I asked if the match against Sheffield U was definately on. They replied Yes. This was by noon but when I returned to the ground around 1.30 I heard rumours it had been called off. I asked a policeman and he confirmed this was the case. To say I was upset and disappointed is to put it mildly.
Anyway, I had Ipswich-Chesterfield as my back-up match, Portman Road would have been a new ground for me and trains to Ipswich are from Liverpool Street (not far from Leyton). The late postponement at Leyton Orient meant I had no chance of getting to Ipswich in time for the game though, I would have missed the first half. From the top of my head I remembered Watford was at home to Scunthorpe and with some luck I made a train at 2.25 from Euston. 25 minutes later I was at Watford Junction from where I shared a taxi with some Scunthorpe fans I met on the train. The condition was that I would join them in the away end!
The game was a couple of minutes late and with 10 seconds to spare (not exaggerating) I made kick-off. Scunthorpe had a good away following and the Irons fans can be proud of their support to the team. With Watford undeservedly winning by the only goal the fans from Scunthorpe had every reason to be quite disappointed as they left the ground. Vicarage Road has three good stands but the (almost) derelict East Stand really let the ground down and I hope Watford can find the money to complete the ground.
Outside Vicarage Road
East Stand
East Stand (with Alex Manninger in the foreground)
View of play (Watford - Arsenal)
Rookery Stand
View of play (Watford - Scunthorpe)
Rous Stand
Pano |