Watford supporters from around the world take on blogging duties to tell us about their connection with the club and how their region has been affected by the coronavirus…
SEAN LILLEY – WATFORD FC CAYMAN ISLANDS SUPPORTERS CLUB
My name is Sean Lilley and I'm a Watford supporter living in the Cayman Islands. ​My first match was at the end of the 1997/98 season, at home to Grimsby Town. I was born in Watford and grew up in Kings Langley so naturally I went to support my local team.
My favourite player is Heiðar Helguson. I was lucky enough to be there for his debut home goal versus Liverpool and so many times I witnessed his ability to out-jump players far taller than him. I think he won a lot of the individual awards in his final season at the club, which just showed how important he was to Watford at the time. He even scored goals in his second spell for the club too.
The second leg of the play-off semi-final against Leicester in 2013 is my favourite memory as a supporter. There were three really good Watford goals and it was an unbelievable ending to the game. Even though we lost the final to Crystal Palace, I don't think I'll ever witness an ending to a game like that one again. Whenever I've been travelling and I tell people I support Watford, they often know nothing about the club but they've seen that Deeney goal!
Before I left England in 2016 I used to go to games with my cousin. Pre-match would usually be catching the back end of the lunchtime Premier League game in Walkabout, a Subway sandwich in the High Street, and then walk over to the stadium. On away days I enjoyed a weekend away to a city with a good nightlife. I remember Newcastle being fun, especially after we had just beaten them 2-1 with goals from Odion Ighalo!
Now, here in the Cayman Islands it's been pretty rough due to the coronavirus. People have either lost their jobs or, if they are lucky, have been able to shift to working remotely instead. The airport is closed and we currently have a curfew in place from 7pm to 6am. I'm trying to squeeze in a swim in the sea to stay fit on my lunch break, keeping in mind the social distancing. Netflix and FIFA are my evening activities for now!
If I was introducing someone to Watford, I'd probably suggest they watched the recent 3-0 home win versus Liverpool, to end their unbeaten run. Obviously I was only able to watch on the TV, but I could hear how booming the atmosphere was in the stadium that day and the performance by every player was first class.
Anyone looking to move here or vacation here, definitely get in touch. It's currently a pretty small supporters club if I'm honest, so the more the merrier! Feel free to contact myself at s_lilley@hotmail.co.uk.
