VR100 Memorable Moments: Part Four Voting Open!

Our look back at the most memorable moments from a century of Watford FC at Vicarage Road continues!

As we near the end of our year-long VR100 celebrations, a dedicated team of Watford-supporting experts on Hornets history have worked hard to draw up a list of The Vic’s 100 most memorable moments, from the opening game on August 30, 1922 right up until the VR100 Matchday on August 30, 2022.

Supporters have so far voted on the first, second and third of four groups of 25 moments. Now, we’re asking you to vote on moments 76-100, which take us from the early 2010s through to present day.

Read on for information on each moment, and then cast your vote to tell us which you believe to be the most memorable. Voting for this round closes at 5pm on Sunday June 11.

The most popular moments once voting in all four sections has taken place will be put into a top 10, before one final round of voting to rank these cherished occasions in order.

Homegrown hero Lloyd Doyley warmed the hearts of Watford fans the world over when he finally scored his first goal for the club on his 269th appearance, converting a stunning diving header to level the scores against QPR in a game the Hornets would go on to win 3-1. Naturally the effort was awarded Goal of the Season and t-shirts were even printed to commemorate the occasion.

Then-skipper John Eustace lit up Watford’s first home clash of the 2010/11 season - which saw former boss Aidy Boothroyd return to The Vic with Coventry - with the combative midfielder acrobatically making it 2-0 from an outrageous angle before the Sky Blues rescued a point late on.

Young forward Britt Assombalonga became the 50th Academy player to make his first-team debut for the Hornets since the Academy was created in 1998, when he lined up from the start against Coventry. Assombalonga - who was initially spotted playing for the club’s Community Sports & Education Trust - re-joined Watford for a second spell earlier this year.

The first of many highlights on a particularly memorable day - and perhaps sometimes wrongly overlooked - Czech forward Matěj Vydra levelled the aggregate score of Watford’s play-off semi-final tie against Leicester with a spectacular over-the-shoulder volley in the 15th minute of the second leg.

Goalkeeper Manuel Almunia kickstarted 20 seconds of unforgettable drama with an incredible double save to deny Leicester’s Anthony Knockaert from sealing Leicester’s passage to the play-off final, first stopping the Frenchman’s penalty with his legs before somehow recovering to keep out the follow-up.

After Almunia’s heroics at one end, talismanic forward Troy Deeney blasted the ball past Kasper Schmeichel at the other to emphatically finish off one of the most remarkable passages of play ever seen in football, cueing absolute pandemonium inside Vicarage Road. From Johnny Phillips’ commentary chaos to Gianfranco Zola’s fall and two pitch invasions, the Hornets’ route to Wembley could barely have been more theatrical.

Marking the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War, Watford’s Remembrance Matchday against Millwall saw the home players turn out in that season’s commemorative black and white kit. Supporters turned the Rookery End into a foil mosaic depicting a giant poppy before kick-off, while 14-year-old pupil Tom Watts - in his Watford Grammar School uniform - sounded the Last Post.

Watford FC recognised the contribution of the club’s greatest ever manager by renaming the Rous Stand as the Graham Taylor Stand in 2014. Ahead of kick-off at that November’s home game against Cardiff, GT was joined by members of his family as he made his way on to the pitch and through a guard of honour of former coaching staff and players from his two hugely successful permanent spells in charge.

Former Chairman and Owner - and current Honorary Life-President - Sir Elton John opened the newly-built stand at Vicarage Road named in his honour, before the Hornets’ home match against Wigan. Sir Elton addressed the crowd from the centre circle, after walking on to the pitch alongside partner David Furnish and sons Zachary and Elijah, describing the day as one of the greatest of his life.

Odion Ighalo spearheaded an incredible second-half turnaround after Watford went into half-time 2-0 down to bottom side Blackpool, with the Nigerian striker netting four times in amongst Troy Deeney, Matěj Vydra and Gabriele Angella goals to help the Hornets score seven for the first time since April 2003.

Atdhe Nuhiu’s stoppage-time strike cruelly denied Watford the Championship title, as they were held 1-1 by Sheffield Wednesday on the final day, but with promotion having been secured at Brighton the week before, Hornets fans still marked the team’s success with a memorable pitch invasion.

Having enjoyed a strong start to life back in the big-time, the Golden Boys recorded their fourth consecutive Premier League win - and first of the season over the so-called ‘big six’ - when they made light work of Liverpool’s visit to The Vic, with an early Nathan Aké opener and an Odion Ighalo brace sealing a 3-0 scalp that moved them to within a point of the top four.

After beginning life under Walter Mazzarri without a win in their first three league outings, Watford recorded their second successive victory in style at home to José Mourinho’s Manchester United, as an early Etienne Capoue strike, Juan Camilo Zúñiga’s first goal in yellow - less than a minute after coming on - and an injury-time Troy Deeney penalty sealed a famous 3-1 win.

Designed for autistic children who may otherwise struggle to cope in the noisy environment of a football stadium, kitted out with a state-of-the-art calming area and offering an excellent view of the match from a comfortable and accessible viewing location, Watford’s Sensory Room was opened for the first time as the Hornets triumphed over Everton 3-2.

Tom Cleverley’s injury-time winner sealed Watford’s first home win over Arsenal in just under 30 years, with the former England midfielder popping up late to complete a spectacular comeback after Troy Deeney’s penalty had earlier cancelled out a Per Mertesacker header. Speaking to BT Sport, Deeney then gave a scathing assessment of Arsène Wenger’s post-match analysis.

A wonderful Daryl Janmaat goal - which saw the Dutchman cut in from the right wing, play a one-two with Roberto Pereyra and beat another couple of defenders before scoring with his weaker left foot - was the first of three late Watford strikes that helped down defending Premier League champions Chelsea 4-1 in Javi Gracia’s first home game in charge.

Little over a year-and-a-half after his passing, a statue of Watford’s greatest ever manager Graham Taylor was unveiled at The Vic before a pre-season friendly against Italian outfit Sampdoria, billed as the Graham Taylor Matchday. The unveiling of the statue - created by award-winning sculptor Douglas Jennings and positioned outside The Hornets Shop - was performed by GT’s family.

Javi Gracia’s Golden Boys made it four wins out of four for the first time at the start of a season for 30 years by seeing off Tottenham - who had similarly begun the match with a 100 per cent record - 2-1, thanks to Troy Deeney and Craig Cathcart goals.

Second-half substitute Andre Gray scored two minutes after coming on to help sink Crystal Palace 2-1 and send the Hornets to the FA Cup semi-finals for the sixth time in the club’s history. An emotional Heurelho Gomes led the full-time celebrations, with the Brazilian goalkeeper believing he had just played his last game at The Vic.

Liverpool’s hopes of avoiding defeat for an entire Premier League season were ended in sensational style at the hands of the Hornets, with an Ismaïla Sarr brace and a Troy Deeney goal sealing a famous 3-0 win that ended the joint-longest winning streak (18) and the second-longest unbeaten run (44) in English top-flight history.

Xisco Muñoz’s Golden Boys clinched promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking with two games to spare, as Ismaïla Sarr’s composed 11th-minute penalty proved enough to see off Millwall. Though there were no fans in attendance - due to the Covid-19 pandemic - many gathered outside the stadium to greet the Head Coach and his players after full-time.

Watford marked their Premier League return with an entertaining 3-2 victory over Aston Villa in front of a full house for the first time after the pandemic, with Emmanuel Dennis and Cucho Hernández both notching debut goals. NHS staff from Watford General Hospital did a lap of honour at half-time, and were applauded by both sets of supporters for their efforts and sacrifices during Covid-19.

After four defeats in five, Claudio Ranieri’s Hornets found their form for the visit of Manchester United, with Joshua King, Ismaïla Sarr, João Pedro and Emmanuel Dennis goals earning an emphatic 4-1 win that left Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjær on the brink. João Pedro’s first Premier League goal was particularly poignant, with the young Brazilian tearfully paying tribute to his late stepfather by kissing one of his tattoos in celebration.

Sir Elton John wowed fans at two Vicarage Road concerts that formed part of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, with the club’s former Owner and Chairman - and current Honorary Life-President - performing at the stadium for the fourth and fifth - and final - times. Across the two nights Sir Elton revealed the Hornets’ centenary third kit for the 2022/23 campaign, and left the stage wearing a Watford scarf.

Vakoun Bayo’s dramatic late goal ensured Watford - adorned in their centenary third kit - marked the 100-year anniversary of the first match at Vicarage Road with a 2-1 win over Middlesbrough under the lights. A spectacular pyrotechnic display kicked off the celebrations before kick-off, while a feast of club legends were paraded on the pitch at half-time.