Crystal Palace v Watford
Monday 29th October
Evening work meant I couldn’t travel to Selhurst Park but I got to a local pub to see the second half of a match we were already 1-0 up in (thanks to Tommy Smith). Palace were up for it, though, and introduced a fifteen-year-old, Bostock, who looks a real prospect. That, however, was after Marlon King had got his fifth in five games to put us two ahead and we won by that margin to keep us six points ahead of second place.
Coventry City v Watford
Tuesday 23rd October
The three goal-getters continued their form: Adam Johnson, Marlon King and then Darius Henderson grabbed the glory in a convincing result away from home. Richard Lee kept his second clean sheet in a row and with Charlton losing at home for the first time this season, the Hornets moved nine points clear (at least until Bristol City play tomorrow).
Saturday 20th October
When the national side has lost control of its Euro destiny on a plastic Russian pitch, what can 
you do but turn to the Championship for your football gratification? Rod had expressed an interest in coming to the Vic a while ago and I met him and Ticktock, his nephew, at Euston for the journey. We walked through Watford to the ground via the Buzz store, where Rod bought tops for each of them, and met Joss outside the shop at the Rookery.
This was Ticktock’s second football game, the first of which was in an executive box at Spurs, so a view of our dilapidated East Stand was probably a come-down but at least there was an atmosphere here for him to enjoy. John-Joe O’Toole started for Lee Williamson, who was sent off before the international break, and Richard Lee started for Mart Poom (who played against England last Saturday but apparently still hasn’t recovered from the bad back he had before the break). Watford, playing towards us, whacked the ball out of play from the kick-off again, in what seems to have become a tradition.
It was fairly balanced at the beginning but by the twentieth minute Marlon King had already troubled their defence and was able to get past the last man and place the ball into the corner of the goal nearest us and put the Horns 1-0 up. I hugged Joss and ruffled the hair in front of us. I gave Ticktock some pointers to help him get involved in the chanting but he only seemed to join in “We are top of the league”.
The game didn’t have the excitement of the first half of the Sheffield Wednesday game (nor the Scunthorpe match, apparently) but I had warned Rod that we’d try to shut up shop if we got ahead. Most entertainment in the second half was derived from the taunting of Dean Windass (who was greeted with “who ate all the pies”) by a fan mentioned before here (Curly). Curly held a pack of Oreos aloft and repeatedly attempted to draw “Deano’s” attention to the pack. The only other point of note was the removal of a fan by us for apparently throwing a fruit pastille onto the pitch. Who says football and sweets don’t mix?
The results that came through put Watford six points clear at the top of the division and, though it is of course early days, leaves us more confident than ever.
Scunthorpe v Watford
Saturday 6th October
To my shame, it wasn’t until last night that I even knew where Scunthorpe was: I’d told Joss it was up north on the east coast (I think I was thinking of Scarborough). While we were kicking off, I was heading to watch the second-half of the rugby quarter final between England and Australia with Rod and Jan, while Jun and Ying were literally left holding the baby. England won and we assumed that would mean a defeat to New Zealand in the semis but the All Blacks’ defeat to France later has left room for more optimism.
After we’d returned to the restaurant we’d had lunch at from the pub we’d watched victory at, we headed back to Jan & Ying’s in time for the final score and for me to see that Watford had won 3-1 while our closest rivals, Charlton, had drawn and West Brom had lost. Goals from Johnson, Henderson and King have put four points between us and second.
Watford v Sheffield Wednesday
Tuesday 2nd October
Evening travel from Euston is supposed to mean no bikes but just before the 6.24 was due to leave someone got on with one and I cursed myself for not trying. The walk from the Junction past the Vic seemed a little longer but I met Joss on Hagden Lane and we walked back to the ground. 
Joss had had his hair cut and told me about the presents he’d received on Sunday, when his age caught up with the number on his shirt.
We were in in time for the warm up again and then Watford burst out of the blocks. We’d already had a couple of chances before Henderson latched on to a Shittu header from a throw-in to score (again) in the sixth minute and within ten more, and after other chances, he’d won a penalty that King converted. Two-nil up with a sixth of the game gone, all that was left to do was sing and we did: this was the Rookery’s best performance in the Championship so far and as good as any la
st season.
Wednesday did score before half-time and were the better team for much of the second half and it is because of that (on top of our previous two performances) that our “We are top of the league” chant felt a little hollow. We won the match 2-1 and 20 out of a possible 27 points is championship material but despite all the “winning when not playing well” clichés, I am not as optimistic as I should be.
