Parallels Down Under

The Horns recorded their first win in seven league games and their first win at home since I left by beating the second richest club in the world (QPR) 3-0 with first-half goals from Tommy Smith, Darren Ward and Lee Williamson. In doing so we moved up to fourth from bottom as Charlton were thrashed at home, consequently parting company with manager Alan Curbishley.

In Brisbane, I had to go to bed ten minutes before the Vicarage Road final whistle but woke up with an A-League game to go to with my congenial hosts Sue and Allen (who lent me an away shirt). So it was that Watford’s red and gold merged to become the orange of Queensland Roar (rubbish name), who had a worse home record than the Golden Boys, not having won at the impressive but largely empty Suncorp Stadium (which, in common with WFC, they share with a rugby club) all season.

The parallels with my English club are not repeated when it comes to the league (Roar are third out of eight while their opponents Perth Glory, whose fans faced a six-hour flight home, are bottom). There is neither relegation nor promotion in the tiny division, which will grow by two (Gold Coast Galaxy and North Queensland Fury) next year. Still, the English Championship does have a Welsh team (Swansea City) while New Zealand’s Wellington Phoenix play in the Australian league.

Roar’s captain Craig Moore, who had an operation for testicular cancer just 12 days ago, started this Movember match (moustache growth is sponsored to benefit male charities every year in this month) and saw his team break their hoodoo and win by the same margin Watford did yesterday though this game saw five goals, the best of which was a second-half volley from Roar’s ex-Watford player Charlie Miller.

Easter break

Plymouth Argyle v Watford

Saturday 22^nd March

Rod drove Air, Jun and I to Bristol Thursday night and after bed during breakfast Friday we chatted with a nice little old lady about places to go before she told us that if she were our age she’d get out and that white people would soon be in a museum. “We’re contributing,” I offered, but she was oblivious. We stopped for Cheddar Gorge and England's smallest city, Wells, but on the road along the North Devon coast we headed straight through Dunster, which she’d recommended (“Probably an Aryan museum there” Rod guessed), and in fact didn’t really stop again until the cold, grey, windy Bude beach, where surfers were pretending their experience was comparable to Hawaii.

Before we got to the match we visited Eden and came away less than impressed. A few pretty pictures of flowers are not worth £16/head especially when you’re sweating too much to read the signage. Parked in the stadium car park and took our seats for our third of four consecutive “big” games. Collins John started with Doris and had the best chance of the first twenty minutes but Jermaine “have a nice” Easter scored first and we had to wait about 200 seconds for Lee Williamson to curl in a free-kick to get the draw we played like we’d be happy with despite dominating possession.

In the second half they had Peter Halmosi sent-off with a second yellow but not before confrontation between their fans and our players ( Jordan Stewart and Mart Poom seemed to be in the thick of it) after our physio had squirted water on to Halmosi as he lay on the turf following the tackle that saw him dismissed. They made substitutions that counted, one of whom was called Lilian and the otherwise quiet bunch around me joined in with my “Lily, Lily, blow us a kiss” chant but it was the back rows’ “Do you speak English?” and “You’re Welsh and you know you are” that I liked. Plymouth having ten men livened things up but not so much that they actually got that interesting. Easter placed the ball well into the net but was offside and Danny Shittu had a trademark header cleared off the line so maybe another draw was fair. Bringing on Nathan Ellington for John hardly seemed inspired and after Doris got a yellow, meaning suspension, we could have done with giving Steve Kabba a run-out.

We stayed Saturday night in Looe on the recommendation of a mate and were impressed by the fishing-for-tourists village. I got up early to take pictures and had cause to regret not bring my camera’s battery charger. We got to the Mount of Saint Michael before pushing back to Exeter for the night. The trip was rounded off on Monday by a visit to the Cotswolds and I had seen more of England in a few days than ever in one go.

One hundred percent

Watford v Sheffield United

Saturday 18^th August

Cycled to Euston and shared a carriage to the Junction with singing Blades fans. Back on my bike, I arrived at Kerry’s about quarter past two and Joss and I began the walk soon after but Doggy picked us up in the spitting rain and gave us a lift to the top of Harwoods Road. Z-Cars was going as we went into the shop, where we got Joss a new top with his name and 13 on. Missed the kick-off.

Watford were defending the Rookery end but the first half saw United with the better chances, one of which was off of Watford defender Jay DeMerit’s head. Mart Poom in goal was equal to the challenges though and Lloyd Doyley had the run of the half when he won a ball by our corner flag and made it to the other end of the pitch. Marlon King was out on the right for some reason, which didn’t seem to afford him many shooting chances though he danced around one of their men a few times.

In the second half especially, Lee Williamson shone with some great little runs and it was fitting that it was he who received a Tommy Smith pass and hit the back of the net with our only shot on target of the game. Watford bossed the second half and could have had another goal but Darius Henderson’s header was wide. Steve Kabba came on with twenty minutes left for Tommy Smith, who doesn’t look on his game but had cleared a James Beattie free-kick off the line as well as setting up the only goal of the match.

Knowing that the ex-Hornet Danny Webber had scored a last-minute winner in this fixture last year I was a little nervous as the clock wound down but he’d already gone off when we got to stoppage time and we deserved what we got. Six points out of six against two of the division’s fancied sides. Come on. As we walked out, we were able to check on the other scores of the day on the numerous flat screens the club has put up. At least some of the millions we’ve received over the last year have now been spent.

Today would have been Luke’s 21^st birthday so I wrote in a card that Kerry will take to the crematorium tomorrow. He is loved and missed.