17 March 2007 - Robinson's Long-Distance Delivery

On 17 March 2007, Tottenham beat Watford with help from a rare goal from keeper Paul Robinson, who scored from 88 yards out.

Spurs were the clear favorites, having risen to eighth in the table after three straight wins, while Watford were  one spot off the bottom by virtue of goal differential. But, playing before a crowd of over 36,000 at White Hart Lane, Spurs took longer than expected to take control of the game, eventually taking a 1-0 lead with a 41st-minute goal from midfielder Jermaine Jenas.

The game was still in the balance midway through the second half when Robinson delivered his unlikely goal. Taking a free kick about five yards outside his own box in the 63rd minute, he sent the ball over the entire Watford defense. It came down in front of keeper Ben Foster, but bounced over his head and into the goal. It was the first (and, to date, only) goal of his career.

Tottenham stretched the lead to 3-0 with a goal from Hossam Ghaly in the 85th minute, but Watford cut the final margin to 3-1 with an 89th-minute strike from Darius Henderson.

24 January 1912 - Home Is Where The Goals Are

On 24 January 1912, Wolverhampton beat Watford 10-0 in a first-round FA Cup replay after being held scoreless in the first meeting.

And the previous match, played on 13 January at Watford, truly was the first meeting between the two teams, who at the time played in different leagues (Wolves were in Division Two of the Football League while Watford were members of the Southern League). It ended as a scoreless draw, forcing a replay at Molineux eleven days later.

The return home made a world of difference for Wolves, who rolled to a 10-0 victory with goals from Halligan (3), Needham (2), Brooks (2), Harrison, Hedley, and Young. Despite the impressive scoreline, it fell short of their record of 14-0, set against Crosswell's Brewery in the FA Cup in November 1886.

Wolves, who had already won the tournament twice (1893 and 1908), advanced to the second round, where they beat Lincoln City before falling to Blackburn Rovers in the third. Since then, they've reached the final four times, winning it in 1949 and 1960.

9 December 2009 - Using Your Head Isn't Always The Best Decision

On 9 December 2009, Queens Park Rangers suspended manager Jim Magilton for allegedly head-butting one of his own players.

The incident occurred in the tunnel after QPR's away loss to Watford two days earlier. It was their third loss in four games, dropping the team into tenth place and putting pressure on Magilton (pictured), who was in his first season as QPR boss. According to reports, the manager got into an altercation with Rangers midfielder Ákos Buzsáky, then head-butted him. (Coincidentally, he was the second manager in England to be accused of head-butting a player, with the other being Stoke's Tony Pulis).

The club announced the suspension on 9 December with immediate effect and promised an internal investigation. Magilton admitted to having a disagreement with Buzsáky, but denied head-butting him, saying that the reports were incorrect and that he looked forward to reinstatement upon the completion of the club's investigation.

One week later, on 16 December, Magilton left his post as QPR manager. 

1 February 1958 - Will The Real Luther Blissett Please Stand Up

On 1 February 1958, Luther Blissett, who holds the Watford records for appearances and goals, was born in Jamaica. 

The striker, who moved to England at a young age, joined Watford's youth team in 1974, then signed a professional contract with the Fourth Division side one year later. His first two seasons were unremarkable, but he began scoring at a rapid pace in the 1977-78 season and helped Watford climb the league table all the way to the First Division by 1982. That season in the top flight--the club's first--was Blissett's best with a total of 27 goals in 41 appearances.

His performance caught the eye of Italian giants AC Milan, who signed him in June 1983 for £1M. But his form remained in England and he scored only six times in 39 appearances across all competitions before Milan sold him back to Watford for £550,000 in the summer of 1984. He remained there for another four years, then moved to Bournemouth for three seasons before returning to Watford for a third and final time. By the time he left again in 1992, he had set club records for appearances (503) and goals (183).

He retired 1994 after brief spells with Bury and Mansfield Town and also made a total of 14 appearances for England.

In 1994, a group of political and cultural activists in Italy adopted Blissett's name as a collective pseudonym for a series of pranks, saying "anyone can be Luther Blissett simply by adopting the name Luther Blissett." Use of the name quickly spread across Europe and the United States and was attached to a variety of activities, including one novel written under Blissett's name. The real Luther Blissett joked about participating, but is not actually a part of the project.

20 September 2008 - Who Ya Gonna Call, Watford?

On 20 September 2008, Reading and Watford battled to a 2-2 draw thanks in part to a phantom goal.

Played before a crowd of 14,761 at Watford's Vicarage Road Stadium, the match was scoreless in the 13th minute when Watford midfielder John Eustace, defending his goal against Reading striker Noel Hunt, knocked the ball over the end line several yards wide of the post. Rather than call for a corner, however, linesman Nigel Bannister (pictured) flagged it as a goal to the astonishment of both sides. Watford protested, but the referee allowed the decision to stand.

Despite the setback, the home side rallied to take a 2-1 lead with goals from Tommy Smith (57') and John-Joe O'Toole (64'), but were undone by a late penalty. With three minutes left on the clock, Eustace tripped Reading winger Stephen Hunt in the box and Hunt converted the ensuing spot kick to earn the Royals a crucial point.

Reading manager Steve Coppell offered a replay, but the Football League said that the referee's decision was final.

17 March 2007 - Robinson's Long-Distance Delivery

On 17 March 2007, Tottenham beat Watford with help from a rare goal from keeper Paul Robinson, who scored from 88 yards out.

Spurs were the clear favorites, having risen to eighth in the table after three straight wins, while Watford were  one spot off the bottom by virtue of goal differential. But, playing before a crowd of over 36,000 at White Hart Lane, Spurs took longer than expected to take control of the game, eventually taking a 1-0 lead with a 41st-minute goal from midfielder Jermaine Jenas.

The game was still in the balance midway through the second half when Robinson delivered his unlikely goal. Taking a free kick about five yards outside his own box in the 63rd minute, he sent the ball over the entire Watford defense. It came down in front of keeper Ben Foster, but bounced over his head and into the goal. It was the first (and, to date, only) goal of his career.

Tottenham stretched the lead to 3-0 with a goal from Hossam Ghaly in the 85th minute, but Watford cut the final margin to 3-1 with an 89th-minute strike from Darius Henderson.

24 January 1912 - Home Is Where The Goals Are

On 24 January 1912, Wolverhampton beat Watford 10-0 in a first-round FA Cup replay after being held scoreless in the first meeting.

And the previous match, played on 13 January at Watford, truly was the first meeting between the two teams, who at the time played in different leagues (Wolves were in Division Two of the Football League while Watford were members of the Southern League). It ended as a scoreless draw, forcing a replay at Molineux eleven days later.

The return home made a world of difference for Wolves, who rolled to a 10-0 victory with goals from Halligan (3), Needham (2), Brooks (2), Harrison, Hedley, and Young. Despite the impressive scoreline, it fell short of their record of 14-0, set against Crosswell's Brewery in the FA Cup in November 1886.

Wolves, who had already won the tournament twice (1893 and 1908), advanced to the second round, where they beat Lincoln City before falling to Blackburn Rovers in the third. Since then, they've reached the final four times, winning it in 1949 and 1960.

9 December 2009 - Using Your Head Isn't Always The Best Decision

On 9 December 2009, Queens Park Rangers suspended manager Jim Magilton for allegedly head-butting one of his own players.

The incident occurred in the tunnel after QPR's away loss to Watford two days earlier. It was their third loss in four games, dropping the team into tenth place and putting pressure on Magilton (pictured), who was in his first season as QPR boss. According to reports, the manager got into an altercation with Rangers midfielder Ákos Buzsáky, then head-butted him. (Coincidentally, he was the second manager in England to be accused of head-butting a player, with the other being Stoke's Tony Pulis).

The club announced the suspension on 9 December with immediate effect and promised an internal investigation. Magilton admitted to having a disagreement with Buzsáky, but denied head-butting him, saying that the reports were incorrect and that he looked forward to reinstatement upon the completion of the club's investigation.

One week later, on 16 December, Magilton left his post as QPR manager. While he continued to deny any wrong-doing, he and the club mutually agreed to part ways. Magilton moved on to serve as an assistant manager for Shamrock Rovers in 2011, then took charge of the Melbourne Victory in 2012.

1 February 1958 - Will The Real Luther Blissett Please Stand Up

On 1 February 1958, Luther Blissett, who holds the Watford records for appearances and goals, was born in Jamaica.

The striker, who moved to England at a young age, joined Watford's youth team in 1974, then signed a professional contract with the Fourth Division side one year later. His first two seasons were unremarkable, but he began scoring at a rapid pace in the 1977-78 season and helped Watford climb the league table all the way to the First Division by 1982. That season in the top flight--the club's first--was Blissett's best with a total of 27 goals in 41 appearances.

His performance caught the eye of Italian giants AC Milan, who signed him in June 1983 for £1M. But his form remained in England and he scored only six times in 39 appearances across all competitions before Milan sold him back to Watford for £550,000 in the summer of 1984. He remained there for another four years, then moved to Bournemouth for three seasons before returning to Watford for a third and final time. By the time he left again in 1992, he had set club records for appearances (503) and goals (183).

He retired 1994 after brief spells with Bury and Mansfield Town and also made a total of 14 appearances for England.

In 1994, a group of political and cultural activists in Italy adopted Blissett's name as a collective pseudonym for a series of pranks, saying "anyone can be Luther Blissett simply by adopting the name Luther Blissett." Use of the name quickly spread across Europe and the United States and was attached to a variety of activities, including one novel written under Blissett's name. The real Luther Blissett joked about participating, but is not actually a part of the project.

20 September 2008 - Who Ya Gonna Call, Watford?

On 20 September 2008, Reading and Watford battled to a 2-2 draw thanks in part to a phantom goal.

Played before a crowd of 14,761 at Watford's Vicarage Road Stadium, the match was scoreless in the 13th minute when Watford midfielder John Eustace, defending his goal against Reading striker Noel Hunt, knocked the ball over the end line several yards wide of the post. Rather than call for a corner, however, linesman Nigel Bannister (pictured) flagged it as a goal to the astonishment of both sides. Watford protested, but the referee allowed the decision to stand.

Despite the setback, the home side rallied to take a 2-1 lead with goals from Tommy Smith (57') and John-Joe O'Toole (64'), but were undone by a late penalty. With three minutes left on the clock, Eustace tripped Reading winger Stephen Hunt in the box and Hunt converted the ensuing spot kick to earn the Royals a crucial point.

Reading manager Steve Coppell offered a replay, but the Football League said that the referee's decision was final.

10 July 1989 - No Word Yet On How The Nantes Supporters Reacted

On 10 July 1989, Scottish striker and former Celtic star Mo Johnston signed for Rangers, igniting a firestorm of controversy across both sides of the Old Firm.

Johnston had been born and raised in Glasgow. In 1984, after beginning his professional career with Partick Thistle (1981-84) and then Watford (1983-84), he signed for Celtic, the team he had supported as a child. He was an immediate success for the Hoops, scoring 52 goals in 140 league appearances and helping them to the Scottish Cup trophy in 1985 and the league title in 1986. In 1987, he transferred to Nantes, where he played for two seasons.

In 1989, near the end of his second season with Nantes, Johnston announced his intention to return to Scotland and play again for Celtic. But just days after reaffirming his commitment to Celtic at a press conference at Celtic Park, he signed with their bitter rivals, Rangers. The move shocked and angered Celtic supporters, many of whom felt betrayed by a player whom they had previously supported and who had himself grown up supporting Celtic. He reportedly received several death threats.

Celtic supporters weren't the only ones upset, however. Many Rangers supporters were incensed that the club had signed a former Celtic player, due in no small part to the fact that he was a Roman Catholic. The Old Firm has traditionally broken down along religious and political lines, with Catholics and supporters of Scots-Irish independence mostly favoring Celtic, while Protestants and British Unionists generally side with Rangers. When Johnston signed for Rangers, he became the first Catholic to do so since the end of World War I (and had the highest profile of any previous Catholic signing). Thus, many Rangers fans reacted to the news of Johnston's signing by burning their scarves and season tickets in protest.

Johnston played only two seasons for Rangers, scoring 46 goals in 100 appearances and winning two league titles. He subsequently played for Everton (1991-93), Hearts (1993-94), Falkirk (1994-96), and the Kansas City Wizards (1996-2001), before retiring as a player and moving into management. He is currently the manager/director of football for Toronto FC.

Johnston's last-minute switch went unexplained for years until 2001, when his former agent Bill McMurdo revealed that the decision was neither his nor Johnston's, but was instead made by the company that owned Johnston's contract. According to McMurdo, that company simply sold him to the highest bidder, who happened to be Rangers.

11 May 1976 - And He Can Tell Everybody That This Is His Club

On 11 May 1978, English Fourth Division side Watford F.C. elected music superstar Elton John as chairman. A lifelong Watford supporter, John first became involved with the club's administration in 1973, when he became the club's president.

Under John's chairmanship and the work of manager Graham Taylor, Watford achieved promotion all the way to England's top flight for the 1982-83 season, where they finished in second position behind League winners Liverpool.

Their tenure in the First Division lasted for six seasons and they were relegated down to the Second Division for the 1988-89 season. They have since bounced back and forth between the top two flights. They currently play in the second flight, now known as the Coca-Cola Championship.

John, who later assumed the post of Watford's President for Life, briefly quit in November 2008 over disputes with the board. He returned to the club in January 2009, however, as a new board took over.