The Big Match of the Day - The Best month ever?
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- čas přidán 8. 01. 2022
- As we look forward to three must win games (Newcastle, Burnley and Norwich), we take the opportunity to look back to 1999 to a team that looked like it was running out of steam and somehow, from somewhere find the resolved, determination and intensity to pull itself up once again and to go on and make history.
April '99 and with the season threatening to fall away Graham Taylor finds what it takes to get a group of players to push again and again and again.
The current team could do a lot worse than look for inspiration from GT, Tommy Mooney and the rest who could dig deep when it mattered most.
Fingers crossed! COYH!
I remember this period like it was yesterday. Throughout that month, I wasnt even thinking of promotion, I was just enjoying and looking forward to going to the matches. It wasnt confidence (because I wasn't expecting us to win so many of these matches), it wasnt hope and it wasnt optimism either. I cant explain how I felt, I just remember having a smile on my face and not feeling any nervs or being worried at all. It felt like no matter what, everything was going to be okay.
Looking back with hindsight, it's clear to me now that Sir Graham took away all the pressure and stress from the players and placed it firmly on his shoulders. You can tell just from watching these short highlights, that the players are not thinking about what to do they are just playing, getting on with it, playing without fear. Prime Tommy Mooney was just about unstoppable in the month of April 99.
I went to every home league match that season plus some wonderful away trips with my dad to Bristol City and Swindon. The 0-0 away at Oxford when we wore their yellow shorts was the only dull match I can recall that season. Gifton scoring the winner in the last minute at home to Sunderland with the spin and half volley. Those endless non stop chants of 'Elton John's Taylor Made Army' that just went on and on. Darren Bazeley's superb crosses down the right, the partnership between Johnno and Micah Hyde. Kennedy's free-kicks. Paul Robinson's slide tackles. These lot wanted it more than the rest didn't they? Great times great memories.
This was one of the best times of my life. We were unstoppable. I believed we could beat anyone. My favourite ever Watford season.
I sadly don’t know any of Watford players from this era. Looks like I missed some great football.
Amazing that it all started with a horror header from Paul Robinson. We’d been poor up until that moment and the game looked like a 0-0. Having let in such a bad goal it was as if the team thought s*d it we’re not going to lie down. After that they were a team possessed for the rest of the season. It’s amazing what belief does.