PODCAST 6: The Youth of Today

Whilst none of us are getting any younger, the same can’t be said for the average age of the Watford FC squad. In the latest From The Rookery End podcast Jason, Jon and Mike take a look at the Youth set up at Watford.


It's one of our busiest podcasts yet, and you'll hear interviews with Assistant Academy Director Nick Cox about the Academy set up, defender Dale Bennett and an exclusive chat with Watford’s newest professional Adam Thompson, who signed his first pro deal this week (he's the one with he really bright blonde hair who played in the Notts County League Cup game.

Also on the podcast Watford commentator Jon Marks finds out what the scoreboard celebration men from the 1980's have been up to since they left The Vic in 1993, Jason's discusses his All-Time XI Watford homegrown players, plus the boys will be counting down the finances in the clubs annual report and chatting about the last month of Watford football.


How to listen...


DOWNLOAD
You can download and listen to the podcast via iTUNES. It's also the place to subscribe so you get all future From The Rookery End podcast straight to your computer. If you use a different podcast catcher to iTunes then you can use the RSS Code - http://feeds.feedburner.com/rookeryend.

LISTEN ON-LINE
It's also possible to listen on-line right here on fromtherookeryend.com by simply click play on our player at the top of this page.

DIRECT DOWNLOAD
AND you can also download the podcast direct to your computer by clicking your right mouse button HERE and clicking 'Save As'.


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A Song for Don

In every episode of From The Rookery End you've heard us singing special songs for a Watford player. The songs may be a little out of tune, but they come from the depths of our heart. You guys have been fantastic in helping us write the songs. Your songs for John Eustace and Troy Deeney made us laugh a lot and we wondered if you'd help us with our next song.

This month we have decided to write a song for Don Cowie. He's currently out of action with a knee injury and a song might help the healing process and get him back on the pitch a little sooner. The song we've decided to use as inspiration is "The Postman Pat" theme song.



Mike has come up with the first line

"Don Cow-ie, Don Cow-ie
He comes from Scotland and he's got a dodgy knee..."

But what about the other words? If you need them then you can read the original lyrics here, but please share any ideas you might come up with.

Of course you don't have to use Postman Pat. We'd love to hear any songs for Don that you come up with. We can't thank you enough for downloading the podcast and for all your contributions so far.

-- Jon

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I'VE GOT A GOLDEN TICKET

This post was originally published on Saturday 6th November 2010 in the Watford vs Forest Matchday programme on page 66.

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The world and his wife are always after a ticket for something. From the Rookery End’s Mike Parkin is no different...

My entire world seems to be revolving around the search for tickets. I’m sure I’m not alone in currently being surrounded by an over excited and increasingly frantic gaggle of women desperately refreshing the ticketmaster homepage in a bid to purchase tickets for Take That. It’s quite a sight.

I’m on the hunt too. Not for a chance to see Gary and the boys finally reunited with Robbie, no, I’m waiting to hear if I’ve been lucky enough to score a couple of tickets for the NFL game at Wembley. Even my Father has ticket news. His neighbour is an ex Derby County footballer (who incidentally has shared with me some eye watering tales about Brian Cough) and he has invited my dear old Dad to join him in an executive box at Pride Park for the Watford game. Upon hearing this, my reaction was as you’d expect. I wanted a piece of the action too. Did I get an invite? Did I heck. So, no Take That tickets, no NFL tickets and not even a sniff of the players lounge at Derby.

This seemingly fruitless pursuit got me thinking. They may only be small pieces of paper that these days come complete with an extortionate booking fee, but to me, tickets remain a truly magical thing. A ticket means you are going. You are in. Your favourite band or sporting event awaits. You may have spent enough money to take a family of four on holiday for a week, refreshed every ticketing website known to man until your eyes don’t work or hit redial on your phone more times than you’ve phoned your entire family, but it doesn’t matter. You have got tickets.

It’s the sense of happiness, satisfaction and excitement that I attach to these objects that means I can’t throw them away. Having been so excited to get them in the first place, I can’t bring myself to part with them after the event. Whatever it is I’m attending, if there is a ticket, I’ll keep it. My first gig ticket (Ned’s Atomic Dustbin in case you were wondering), my pass from the final day of the final Ashes test in 2005. I’ve even kept my tatty raffle ticket that served as an admission pass from the Ashton Court music festival in Bristol – and that was free!

I’ll be the first to admit that this behaviour is probably excessive and perhaps slightly troubling. If I’m perfectly honest I could probably lose half of them and never notice. There are some absolute gems in there though, and they include what is one of my most treasured possessions.

The item in question is my ticket from the 1987 FA Cup Semi Final between Watford and Spurs, played at Villa Park. The game itself holds very few good memories, but the ticket is different. I’ll never forget the moment I set eyes on it.

I was ten, and had never been to watch Watford at anywhere other than Vicarage Road, so seeing the words ‘Watford FC’ printed on an Aston Villa branded ticket was cause for absolute wonderment. As I stared down at them on my Dads desk, it was at that moment I realised the thrill and excitement that football could bring. No-one knew what would happen in the game, but I could be sure that I was going to a football stadium that I had never visited before. I could be sure that I would be along side 20,000 other Watford fans singing their hearts out and I could be sure that if we won, we’d be at Wembley. Such nervous excitement,, anticipation and promise. All generated by the sight of a match-day ticket.

I am working on the basis that most of you are relatively sensible folk and therefore won’t feel quite so passionately about tickets, but I’m equally sure you have similar triggers, little things that you see, hear, taste or smell that remind you why you love football. Why you love Watford. In this era of multi million pound deals and the Champions League, those little things are more important and precious than ever.

Come on you Horns!

-- Mike

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