WFC in 100 Objects #54 - Workington rubber duck

Object 54 was nominated by Kenneth Jackson. It came about on an away game against Workington (we've not played them since 1977 and they're currently playing in Northern Premier League) in the swinging 60's.

Here's the story Kenneth told us:

Consider the year 1966. Most football fans will immediately associate that with England winning the World Cup, but not me. That was the year I started as a regular away-match-fan, and was the year I visited Workington twice in the space of seven months - firstly for a 0-1 reverse and then a 2-1 victory. Both were memorable trips - even more so because it's now doubtful that a Watford fan will ever travel there twice in a year again. The first match was memorable for our attempts to get into the match for free by wading through the Derwent mud at low tide - thwarted unfortunately by an eagle-eyed local plod. My friend had just found a rather large dead fish when we were accosted by the plod, and attempted to hide it behind his back - not realising that it's tailfins were sticking up above his head. His innocent and aggrieved plea of "Fish? What fish officer?" had the rest of us in stitches, even the plod.

Fast forward to November of that year - around twelve of us made the long trip North (a far cry from today's horde of Travelling Hornets), and arrived there quite early. With nothing to do but wait for opening time, we strolled around the town centre and found a Woolworths shop to nose around in. Spying some rather larger-than-life-sized yellow plastic ducks, we 'acquired' one before moving on to a local hostelry to prepare for the match. The duck, one of the squeaking-when-squeezed variety, was decked out in a Watford scarf - and was prominent in both our goal celebrations and victory cries at the end. As the players trooped off, we presented the duck to Alec Farrell who, to be honest, looked a bit miffed to be on the receiving end of such a strange offering.

I've no idea whatever happened to the duck after that, but every time I hear of Workington I'm straight back to that happy afternoon, thinking of both the victory and the duck.

This magnificent duck sums up those special moments during away trips. They don't happen on the pitch, but build friendships and make a trip to a remote northern town even more memorable than what happened during the game.

WFC in 100 Objects #53 - Lost Floodlight Fuse

A cracking object nominated by David Range:

On Tuesday night in April 1959, Watford were in a dire position towards the end of the season and played a ‘must win’ game at Vicarage Road against Shrewsbury. Into the second half the Hornets were 5-2 down and when the referee signalled for the floodlights to be switched on nothing happened. With the light rapidly fading, as was our chances of staying up, the ref had no alternative but to abandon the game. 

It transpired that someone had ‘borrowed’ the fuses. An inside conspiracy? who knows? It didn’t matter though Watford lost the re-arranged game 4-1 and were duly relegated. I was there and remember some fans lighting fires on the terraces.

WFC in 100 Objects - #52 A Rotherham Meat Pie

This object sums up the relationship with one of the least popular managers in the clubs History - Gianluca Vialli.

The object is a meat pie - which was thrown by a Rotherham fan at Vialli during an away game at Millmoor on 12th January 2002 during a 1-1 draw. 

We are unsure of the flavour or if sauce was included in the Rotherham Meat Pie

So where did the meat pie land. As David Range told us - "it was a direct hit on Gianluca. Absolutely hilarious and I wouldn’t mind betting that most of the Hornet fans there would have liked to have done the same."

A meat pie in the face, the object we've chosen to sum up Watford manager Gianluca Vialli

WFC in 100 Objects #50 - Terry Challis Painting of Elton John on the back of a Hornet

Our list of 100 Objects, that define Watford FC, is only made great by your nominations. Several have nominated Terry Challis’s painting of Elton John on the Back of a hornet and Kelvin Grimwood told us what the painting and Terry’s weekly Watford Observer comic strips meant to him as it does many Watford fans.

Elton John and Oliver Phillips with an original of the painting (Watford Observer)

Terry created this painting in 1977, before I had ever visited the Vic and "seen the light"!  

My first visit to the Vic wasn’t until 1981 and I guess when I first saw this, I thought it was a review of what had happened since Elton had become Chairman and was shocked when I learnt that it had been created 4 years earlier when Elton first took over the club. At that moment tt struck me how accurate and visionary Terry had been. 

It’s one of those paintings where each area you looked at, you noticed something else, like the Statue of Liberty and Eiffel Tower.  I guess that's what real art does. The only things it seemed to miss out was Luther scoring or Johnny Barnes running down the wing.  It captures Elton, dressed in his normal flamboyant style astride the big Hornet, pointing the way to a player from a cabbage patch of a pitch looking out on a flat mowed green pitch looking past the old Shroddels stand to a new modern stand.  Then lots of pitches to do battle on to the tip of hill paved with gold, upon which sits the Liverpool Liver Bird, who were the cream of England and Europe at the time. Then beyond it the Twin Towers of Wembley and international lands beyond.  It just captures, in one piece of art such an great piece in our history.  

To me, Terry interpreted the dream or vision of a "flamboyant" pop star who had bought the club he had supported as a boy absolutely perfectly.  In 1977, I imagine that most fans thought it was pure madness, especially after the fallow Bonser years that had just ended.

Terry Challis was well know to us all then as a great cartoonist through his brilliant weekly work in the Wobby, and personally growing up, I looked forward to his cartoon every week because he could sum up what the average fan was feeling about the game(s) the week before.  What was less known was that he was also a fantastic artist.  

To me, this painting is a lasting legacy of his talent. 

WFC in 100 Objects #49 - Dave Messenger’s Wallchart

Every football fan loves a Wallchart. Religiously filling it in through out a season, or a tournament, is  always fun and deeply satisfying once complete. If it is loved, a wallchart can show the highs and lows, the intricate details of a teams journey and who the heroes were.

Recently, whilst clearing out his stuff from the attic of his family home, Watford Internet FC manager Dave Messenger found such a wallchart from when he was 9, and it wasn’t just any old Watford season that he documented. Tt was the 1982-1983 season - Watford's most successful ever!.

Those of a statistical disposition may notice that Dave didn't fill in the chart 100% accurately. That does not matter. The 9 year old Dave did this chart with passion, and that's all that matters.

WFC in 100 Objects #48 - A Luton Town Membership Card

Yes, this photo is sideways - but it's a Luton membership card so we didn't think it was worth changing that!

Many Watford fans have to sacrifice a lot in their lives to follow the glory hornets week in and week out. You may miss special events to travel up to Doncaster or not little Johnny a birthday present because you want the latest shirt.

However, life long Watford fan, Nick Dunsbury made the biggest sacrifice any Watford fans has ever had to make. Nick told us:

It was from the years when away fans were banned from Kenilworth Road. I applied for Membership of the club so I could buy a ticket. However, I was refused due to my Watford address. So I reapplied with my sister’s Bletchley address and I was officially a member of Luton Town football club. When we scored I recall half the main stand jumping up and I don’t remember any problems at that fixture.

WFC in 100 Objects #47: A Watford FC Passport to Europe

Watford's rise through the footballing pyramid in the early 80’s was a thing that football fans dream of. It’s the sort of rise that will probably never happen again. Who gets promoted to the top division and in the first ever season at that level qualifies for Europe?

So when Watford made their first over seas visit for a UEFA Cup tie against FC Kaiserslautern, the supporters on the club coaches were give a special pack from the club - a Passport to Europe. Regular 100 Object contributor, Nick Dunsbury sent us these pictures of a wallet containing a map of Germany and a letter from Graham Taylor himself.

A Watford Passport to Europe

GT's Letter

Map of Germany

Objects in this list can either represent a special moment in the clubs history or just symbolise your relationship with the club. Nick’s Passport to Europe does both. 

Watford FC in 100 Objects #46 - Alan Cozzi's Nikon F Camera

Alan Cozzi is a Watford Legend, but many Watford fans wouldn't recognise him if he walked past them or they may not even know his name. 

What they will all have done is looked at a photograph he has taken. He sits at the side of the pitch at every Watford match and has has photographed every player and every major event since 1979. His first game was a bitterly cold away game at Colchester in 1979. Watford had been the only club to reply to a 19 year old boy wanting a break into football photography. It started there and he is still clicking his camera to this day.

On that day he used a Nikon F camera and it is that camera that we are putting into our list of 100 Objects. Cozzi has used many cameras over the years, many rolls of film/memory cards, but this was his first.

So who was his favourite player to photograph in his time on the side lines? Alan told us, “John Barnes - just his sense of balance and movement and you could see that when you captured an image of him. You could see that he had something that other players didn’t have.”

And what about his least favourite? “Heidar Helguson was difficult to get a good photo of to begin with", but as Alan explained, “once I understood his game he was easy to read. And that’s what you do. Different players at the club through out the years, you have to look at them playing their football first, then that gives you an idea of how to photograph them.”

If you saw a photo of Cozzi, you may not know it's him, but every Watford fan knows his iconic photographs.

WFC in 100 Objects #45 - A Watford FC Branded Double Decker Bus

Not the actual bus!

It was a school holidays in the late 80's, and the junior hornets, then run by the legendary Ann Swanson, were on a day trip to Highbury. I was on the trip and we'd enjoyed a tour of the stadium, hearing the horse and cart ghost story, and a game of football in the JVC centre - an indoor sports hall in the depths of Highbury.

After a great day we all piled back onto the Watford branded double decker bus and headed home in high spirits. There may have been a chant or two. We were joined by a few of the youth team players at the time - David James was one from memory - and I was sat on the top deck about 6-7 rows from the front on the top deck. How could a football filled day like this go wrong? (this is feeling like a set up in an episode of Casualty). 

As we went past, what I remember to be, Finsbury Park train station we went under a railway bridge. It was no ordinary bridge, it was a bridge that was a fraction lower than the height of our bus. There was a sound of very loud crunching and scrapping as the metal roof opened as easily as the foil on a sandwiches I'd devoured earlier that day. A shout of "GET DOWN!!" was bellowed by David James, and we all ducked. The roof of the first 2-3 rows were concertina back. All were checked and found to be okay. We got off, waited at the side of the road before being taken to a near by police station. There we waited. No mobile phones to call home or tweet a picture of the bus, but all were happy and we got to see the police cells. Our behaviour must have been good as no one was left behind at the station.

After talking about this object on the podcast, Ralph Buckland send us an email with a picture of a toy Routemaster bus, with Watford FA Cup Final '84 branding, that he owns, which is currently on loan at the Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon Warwickshire. As you can see it's roof is in good nick!

So object 45 in our list of 100 Objects that define Watford Football Club is a Watford Branded Bus, no matter how big or small.

100 Objects - The next 50

We've been searching for 100 that define Watford FC for a while now. It's a wonderful list, and full of some fantastic personal stories from fans. So as we head towards our 50 Objects mark, we want to know what MUST we include in the list?

The aim of Watford in 100 objects has always been to bring together a list of one hundred different items, each providing an evocative memory or time in Watford's history. 

So who must be represented, what events have we not marked yet and do you have a special object that you'd like to add to the list?

Here is the list so far:

1: Pierre Issa's Stretcher
2: Jason's Knitted Wilf Rostron
3: Cardboard Andy
4: Junior Hornets Membership Card
5: IVECO Truck
6: Cally's Decks
7: Square Programme
8: Tight Red Shorts
9: Steve Palmer's 14 Shirts
10: The Watford Observer Clock
11: Watford 7-1 Southampton Pen
12: Gerad Lavin's Boot
13: A Watford Mug
14: Elton John Album "Single Man"
15: Anatomically Correct Harry the Hornet
16: 'Cool as Craig' T-shirt
17: The Steamship Vera
18: Doughnuts from Gymkhana
19: The Lucky Norwich Canary
20: Matt Rowson's pennant from Kaiserslautern vs Watford
21: 1971 The Wonderful World of Soccer Star Gala Collection
22: Benskin - 1984 Cup Final Bottle of Beer
23: Steve Sims's Mustache
24: Steve Terry's Headband
25: Ben Iorha's Bunions
26: The Watford Parade Pond
27: Peter Morgan's Football Rattle
28: CYHSYF Fanzine
29: The Ivanhoe Knight
30: Kevin Miller's Clean Sheet
31: The Family Enclosure and Terrace 
32: Joy Garden Takeaway Menu
33: The old Vicarage Road Scoreboard
34: Sudbury Court Football Kit
35: John Barnes's Woolly Gloves
36: BSAD Server
37: BHaPPY's Smuggled Fruit and Vegetables 
38: Aidy Boothroyd's UFO 
39: Tim Turner's Personalised Subbuteo Team
40: Harriet Hornets Head on a Silver Platter
41: Nick Cox's Teamsheet
42: The Watford Stadium Halt Railway Station 
43: Peter Birch's Wedding Rings
44: An ITV Digital set top box45: The Watford double-decker bus - minus a roof

46: A Watford FC - Passport to Europe

47: Luton Town Membership card

WFC in 100 Objects: #42 Watford Stadium Halt Railway Station

The 1982/83 season will undoubtedly be remembered by Watford fans as the Hornets’ historic first season in the top flight, but it also marked the opening of Watford Stadium Rail Station, a facility that opened in December 1982.

The station or ‘halt’ as it was known was built with a view to transporting away supporters directly to the stadium, hooliganism was a very real problem at this time, and it was felt trouble could be averted by stopping visiting supporters from heading to Vicarage Road via the town centre.

The Station Today

The halt was opened on December 4 for the visit of Manchester United  - and the Red Devils weren’t the only big names in town that day, with Watford Chairman Elton John performing the official opening. It will come as no surprise to learn that the first train rolled into the station five minutes late – this is the British railway system we’re talking about after all – but it wasn’t leaves on the line causing the delay this time, it was down to TV camera crews and excited fans scrambling for a few words or an autograph from the world famous Hornets chairman.

Over 25,000 supporters attended the fixture at Vicarage Road that afternoon and with only a tiny number of reports of disorder at a time when hooliganism and trouble was commonplace, the halt, which cost over £300,000 was declared an instant success.

The game itself was less pleasing for Watford, with a Norman Whiteside goal enough to seal an away win for Manchester United.

The station was only ever open on match-days and was eventually shut in 1996.

With a new Vicarage Road Stadium station due to open in 2016, twenty years after the closure of the old station, Watford supporters will be hoping that it will be welcoming the fans of Manchester United to WD18 once more. 

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WFC in 100 Objects - #30 - Kevin Miller's Daz White Clean Sheets

Early 1995. Yours truly was approaching graduation in Manchester. And whilst not important in the grand scheme of things, my WFC support during the university years had been limited to trips to Tranmere, Bolton,  Burnley, alongside cramming in trips to the Vic during the holiday periods. So what was I missing out on? Well, a half decent run in the F.A. Cup and an impressive showing in the First Division that saw the Hornets just squeezed out of the play-off positions. Both of these achievements were founded on a fantastic run of nine clean sheets from the first game of 1995 and only ended with an unexpected home defeat to Sunderland towards the end of February.

Strikers get all the glory when they're banging in the goals, so it's only right that a big chunk of credit for this defensive run goes to Kevin Miller. Don't get me wrong, Colin Foster and Keith Millen performed admirably that season. But Miller was showing us early signs as to why Crystal Palace would end up paying £1.5million for a Division Two goalie in 1997. In fact, then in the Premier League, Palace were the last of the sides unable to breach Miller's defences, during a 0-0 draw in the Fifth Round of the F.A. Cup at Vicarage Road. Not satisfied with that effort, after the disappointing Sunderland result, it took Palace all the way into extra time, before they eventually broke the duck at Selhurst Park in the replay.

Kevin can't have it all his own way though. He was missing for one of those games, the 3rd Round cup tie at Scarborough. Another 0-0 draw, Perry Digweed the custodian on this occasion. However, he didn't miss out too often and made over 150 appearances in league and cup during the three years he spent with the Hornets. Kevin enjoyed a very long professional career, with his final appearance in the Football League coming as recently as 2007 for Torquay United. Kevin has remained in the South West, still turning out for Bodmin Town. Of course, all Watford fans will know his finest moment of the 21st century came last summer, as part of the Watford team that triumphed in the London Masters at Wembley Arena (From The Rookery End were there and spoke to most of the squad, including Kevin).

 But as 20th century achievements go, that run of clean sheets in 1995 must be one of the best during the years book-ended by the two management spells of his almightiness, Graham Taylor. So, the latest entry into From The Rookery End's 100 Objects is Kevin Miller's Daz white clean sheets (other clothes washing products are available).

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WFC in 100 Objects - #26: The Watford Pond

Fluids are always an important part of celebrating a big win and the water in the Pond on Watford's Parade has been part of celebrations for many Watford fans after the club has gained promotion!

The history of the pond dates back to before 1800, and the Friends of Watford pond website tells use that it's a "natural and unique Pond dates back to before the 1800's. First used by the Victorians for watering horses and livestock brought to Watford's Tuesday markets and later by troops during the Great War." They have an interesting gallery of pictures of the pond through out it's history.

From The Rookery End do not condone jumping in the pond. It will not only disrupt the animals and plants that live in it, but who knows what diseases you might pick up whilst in there! In fact it can get you into a bit of trouble with the police as they have been called to break up fights in the water, stop illegal fishing and prevent children playing on the ice in the last three years. However, with it being a site of much celebrations, as you can see in the photos below, how could we not put it into our list of objects that define Watford Football Club.

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WFC in 100 Objects - #25: Ben Iroha's Bunions

He played for Nigeria in two World Cups 

But then he got bunions and had to give up 

Ben Iroha, Be, Be Ben Iroha.

One of the all time greatest Watford chants and works in many of the important chant traits. It's personal to one player, it includes several fact, it's not abusive, it's based on a classic song (Lola by the Kinks) and (at the time was) very topical. 

So what circumstances encouraged the Watford faithful to put the World Cup and bunions into a chant about a Defender called Ben Iroha? 

Well Ben arrived at Watford in December 1998 from Spanish side Elche CF and played just 10 games as a Hornet. 

Surely someone who only played 10 games doesnt deserve a chant? 


Watford fans didn't let that get in the way of a comedy chant.

Why a world cup reference? 

Because Ben started one game in both the World Cups in USA 1994 (Nigeria's group match 3-0 win over Bulgaria) and France 1998 (Nigeria's 1-3 group match lose against Paraguay) and was an unused sub for Nigeria's other three games in each tournament. Nigeria won both their groups, finishing above Argentina in 1994 and Spain in 1998, but the Green Eagles didn't get past their Round of 16 opponents.


And why the bunions? 

Unfortunately Ben had problems with bunions which kept him out of a long period of time and they finally forced him to retire in March 2000.After retiring Ben moved into coaching and worked in the US as youth department of FC Dallas, he was an assistant with the Nigerian U-17 team that won the 2007 U-17 World Cup and he was even head coach of Nigeria's Dolphins FC. You can currently find him coaching at Heartland of Owerri in Southern Nigeria.

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WFC in 100 Objects - #22 1984 FA Cup Final Bottle of Benskins Commemorative Ale

One of our most suggested items for the Watford in 100 Object list was a "Benskins Commemorative Ale" for Watford trip to the 1984 FA Cup final. We had so many email about the Benskins that if we collected them all we would probably have quite a drunken night on our hands. I'm just not sure the quality of the beer would be as high with them being well over 25 years old now.The picture above was sent to us by Nick Corble. Here's his email:


Here's my contribution for your excellent series - a picture of one of the bottles of the commemorative ale brewed by Benskins to mark the 1984 Cup Final.  

For me it's got everything. There's the Benskins link (they used to own the ground), the FA Cup Final (of course) and the fact that it's adorned a shelf in every house I've lived in since (thus defying wives and girlfriends and a daily reminder of better days. And finally, memories of the special promotion Benskins ran at the time whereby they offered a free pint for every home goal scored that season (or something like that) - full house!

All the best, and keep up the good work

Nick Corble

I'm sure that Benskins had hoped the beer would have been heavily consumed after a Cup Final win, but many bottles seemed to have been sat on a shelf like Nick's. The Benskin brewery may have disappeared many years ago, but let's hope there are many more chances for Watford fans to drink lots of beer in the not too distant future.

- Jon

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WFC in 100 Objects - #21 1971 The Wonderful World of Soccer Star Gala Collection

"Got, Got, Got, Got, Need, Got, Got, Need!"

We've all been there. Thumbing through a wadge of football stickers at break time hunting down the elusive sticker you want, but seeing Peter Reid's face for the 50th time when you've already got him yourself at least 10 times. It was a right of passage for all young football fans back in the day. My first collection was the Panini Football 87. I never completed it all, but I did manage to get the entire Watford team including the shiny badge.

It was a good collection, showing Watford on the biggest stage of all - Division 1. However, it didn't feel special enough to get into our list of 100 Objects. Then Rod Fine emailed up to tell us about 'The Wonderful World of Soccer Stars Gala Collection'. It predates Panini by a good few years and included every team from the 1970-71 England First Division (15 players per team) plus there was a 2nd Division 'Star Gallery' with two players per team. Barry Endean and Stewart Scullion represented Watford, but you can spot former Hornet Tony Currie was one of the two for Sheffield United players.

Division 2 Page - a few future managers on there.

You could send off (and pay for) your favourite 2nd division team if you wanted. Rod of course wanted the Watford team. And what a magnificent piece of football memorobilia it is.

Watford Team in Full

You might notice that it isn't individual stickers, but it's a single sheet with 15 players on it.

We aren't sure if it is the first set of Watford football stickers, but it's the set that is going into our list of Watford in 100 Objects. Thank you very much Rod for sending it in it's a joy to look at.


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WFC in 100 Objects - #20 Matt Rowson's pennant from Kaiserslautern vs Watford

Jon, Matt Rowson, Jason and an amazing Object from Watford's History

Nobody reading this will need reminding that Watford’s first (and to-date only) foray into Europe began in Kaiserslautern in September 1983.  The 1.F.C. Kaiserslautern of today are a yo-yo club in the Bundesliga, so it’s easy to forget that this was a side that had murdered Real Madrid on the way to the semi-finals of the same competition two years earlier, and disposed of Napoli and Sevilla before a quarter-final exit the previous season. No easy tie this, for a Watford side missing seven first teamers and already struggling to overcome the loss of the previous season’s forward line over the close season.

The dramatic second leg in whicha 3-1 first leg defeat was overturned by a team of reserves and local schoolkids (perhaps I’m exaggerating) is most widely celebrated.  I suspect I’m one of few who only managed the away leg…

We had emigrated to the south of Germany in the April, days after a 5-2 win over Luton but before the win over Liverpool which was a much bigger deal at the time than it would be now, end of season slump or otherwise.  In the wake of listening to that one on World Service, my Dad boldly and perhaps recklessly proclaimed that we would be at the first UEFA Cup game, whether it was in Watford, Norway, Greece or wherever.  He got lucky.  Very lucky.  Kaiserslautern was about 50 miles away.

I was 10.  It was my first away game.  All the things that are still insanely exciting about midweek football – the dark, the chill, the lights, the claustrophobia of the whole thing – were amplified by the significance of the occasion.  The camaraderie in the stands still stands out as a memory, although I did remember feeling that by living nearby we had somehow cheated, that we were less worthy than those who’d made the trip.

Another interloper who had made a slightly more straightforward trip than most in the away end was AC Milan’s new striker Luther Blissett, affably munching an apple in the away stand and perfectly happy to sign my commemorative pennant.  I suspect that it wasn’t the only one he signed that night, but I wonder if others have survived the intervening 29 (NB NOT 30) years.  As pennants go it’s a hefty beast; sadly the balsa plinth and yellow cotton from which it hung have not stood the test of time but the pennant itself remains pinned to my noticeboard in pride of place next to the Cup Final rosette. It merits entry in this list as testimony to surely the greatest achievement of that Watford side, the second place finish in 1983.

- Matt Rowson

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WFC in 100 Objects - #19 The Lucky Canary

Lucky mascots and superstition are nothing new, it transpires.  In March 1907, Watford went down 2-0 at West Ham in the first division of the Southern League.  The defeat coincided with the death of a canary, “retrieved” as a mascot by captain Alf Hitch from a trip to Norwich earlier in the month; the unbeaten run since, which included a 3-0 win over league leaders Plymouth, had granted the canary “lucky charm” status. 

The Watford Observer reported, “They had played with such extreme cleverness against the leaders and with so much pluck and dash that it was hoped the disadvantage of playing away from home seven days afterwards would not prevent them adding two more points to the tally, but it was not to be.  The canary was dead.”

Indeed, the impact of the canary’s death was arguably more decisive than its support in life, since the West Ham defeat preceded thumpings by QPR and Spurs (3-0 and 5-0 respectively) and a run of one win in fourteen.  A cynic might suggest that the sale of star striker Jack Foster to Sunderland the week after the West Ham game for a fee of £800 that smashed our record receipt may have been more significant a factor than the ex-canary; however since cynicism was only officially rendered lawful by the FA in 1953 we have no option but to accept the Observer’s version of events. The canary makes the list as symbolic of lucky charms before and since. 


- Matt Rowson

Thanks to Matt for writing this post for our list. Here his regular blogging on BHaPPY and his book Watford FC On This Day: Facts and Figures of every day of the Year.


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WFC in 100 Objects - #6 Cally's Decks

Our search for 100 Objects that define watford football club continues. If you have an suggestions for an object then send it in, along with the story or reason, to podcast@fromtherookeryend.com. They can be historic objects that define a special on pitch moment or a personal object that defines your relationship with the club. Read the list so far on your Watford in 100 Objects page. This week we add an object for an 80's Legend..

Object # 6: Cally's Decks

I don't think I give Nigel Callaghan enough credit. As a young Hornets fan my favourites were Jenkins & Blissett, then Barnes appeared and it was all cup runs and Division One. But not long after I made my Vicarage Road debut in 1980, a young Cally was breaking into the Watford first team. And once he was in, he was a pretty consistent feature in Graham Taylor's side. Even as GT strengthened the side in many areas to try and establish the Hornets as a First Division team, Nigel's position never seemed under threat. And whilst it was the man on the other wing taking all the plaudits, Cally continued to put in some inviting looking crosses for the strikers, as well as banging in a few goals of his own, some good ones at that, with an unassuming unfussyness.

Now as a young kid you don't appreciate the nuances of the game. So I can give you no definite reasons as to why I didn't hold him in the same regard as John Barnes. Don't get me wrong, he wore that yellow shirt so was still one of the 11 heroes on any given Saturday afternoon. But if there was one thing that may have attributed to it, it was that he didn't look like a footballer. Luther & Barnes were athletes. Cally looked a bit awkward, a bit unkempt. These days it would probably lead to some sort of Doyley like cult worship!

But like all good things it had to come to an end. And after a falling out with the boss, Nigel found himself on the transfer list. Despite efforts to play his way back into the first team, GT sold him to Derby County in 1987. Cally had a couple of good seasons with the Rams before moving on to Villa and ironically a reunion with the same boss that moved him on from the Hornets. But after Taylor took up the poisoned challis of the England job, Nigel found himself out of favour at Villa Park and fell out of love with the beautiful game.

So what next? He had a ready made talent, but it wasn't such a smooth transition into his new career as a DJ. By the time Nigel left Watford, most fans knew that he felt as comfortable behind the decks as he did on the football pitch. It had all started by accident. Whilst out with Kenny Jackett at a local event, Kenny's DJ mate offered Jackett the chance to have a spin. Kenny declined but volunteered Nigel as he was more of a music man. Cally gave it a go, found he liked it and turned it into something of a hobby. He even used his new found prowess to host the odd WFC promoted event under the title “Cally's Disco”.

When Nigel left Villa he headed out to Corfu for a bit of “me” time and indulge in a few things that he couldn't when he was a footballer. On his return to the UK, he spent some time training with Millwall, but only found full first-team fitness in time for the holiday season and a return to Greece. Four months playing football in South Africa followed and when that concluded Nigel realised he had a decision to make.

He was reaching his expiry date in football terms and wasn't being taken seriously as a DJ whilst keeping his football options open. So at this juncture Cally decided to hang up the boots and start wearing the cans as a professional DJ. And that's what he's been up to ever since, coming back to our attentions firstly in one of those reality holiday, lets look at a load of Brits endearing themselves to the locals, television programmes; and more recently with his involvement with the former players association and his benefit game as he fought against bowel cancer.

So credit where credit's due. The man has certainly earned it.

Jason
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WFC in 100 Objects - #5 An Iveco Truck

We continue our challenge to find Watford in 100 Objects. We're after 100 objects that define Watford Football Club. They can be historic objects that define the most important moments on the pitch or personal objects that define your relationship with club. We are still after your ideas and stories behind an object. So if you have any ideas then email us podcast@fromtherookeryend.com. To read the list so far go to our Watford in 100 Objects page.

Object #5 - An Iveco Truck

Here's a challenge for you:

Can you name all the shirt sponsors Watford have ever had? You have to do it in two minutes or less?

Don't cheat,  and when your two minutes are up you can look at the answers at the bottom of this post. ready? GO!!

The first one on your list should have been - IVECO. Sponsors started to appear on football shirts in the 70's. The first ever shirt sponsor was Jägermeister in 1973, wore by West German team Eintracht Braunschweig. Kettering Town were the first English team to have a go in 1976, but the FA threatened to fine them if they kept it. The FA changed their mind on the subject in June 1977 so clubs were free to have a logo on their shirt. However, it wasn't until 1979 that Liverpool became the first Football League club to wear a sponsor. So why wait until 1982 for Watford to get a sponsor? In 1981-82 promotion season the club had been approached to carry a sponsor, but Graham Taylor was quoted to have said, "We're not prepared to prostitute ours shirts". It was probably a sentiment of many football traditionalist around that time, but even back then the commercial pressures were growing and clubs had to take on the lucrative sponsorship deals that only continued to grow and grow with the expansion of TV exposure.

IVECO are a commercial vehicle company that is part of the Fiat group and whose UK headquarters is above Watford Junction. Their locality was probably a large big part of the deal coming about. It was believed to be worth £400,000 and lasted for three season between 1982-1985. As pointed out to us by Lionel Birnie, author "Enjoy The Game. Watford Football Club, The Story of the Eighties":

"You could take your replica shirt to the Hornet Shop and ask them to iron on the IVECO letters. The thing was, the letters were in one size and designed for the players' shirts, so when they put them on my little nine year old's shirt they completely swamped the front."

A truck company isn't a glamourous sponsor, but they were our first and the reason they are going into our Watford in 100 Objects list. They were the company name the Hornets wore during our first ever season in Division 1, on our only trips into Europe and in the 1984 FA Cup Final. Hey, maybe they were our lucky charm?

So, how did you get on in our challenge? Why not set it as a pre or post match pub challenge for your mates:

Answer*:
1. Iveco
2. Solvite
3. Eagle Express
4. Hearld and Post
5. RCI Holidays
6. Blaupunkt
7. CTX
8. Phones 4U
9. Toshiba
10. Total
11. Loans.co.uk
12. BEKO
13. Evolution TV
14. Burrda

Jon

* - Do shout if we missed any.
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