For the season opener against Watford at Vicarage Road in 1997, we were allocated 7,000 seats behind the goal at the opposite end to the current away seats.

There were two prices, adults and concessions. How much do you think they were?

£10 & £5

I'll say adults £15 concessions a tenner.

Both close - was £12 adults and £8 concessions

Dirt cheap...those days have gone forever.
Particularly in the top flight.

Similar amount of enthusiasm going into that game to what we have now, the difference was there was no substance to the positive thoughts about our chances. Think a lot of us came away from Vicarage Road with a bit of reality check .

That was my first ever away game, and my first experience of the South (I don't think Watford painted it in the best light).

Was it a Jason Lee winner for Watford?

ElectroClaret wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 03, 2022 11:53 am

Dirt cheap...those days have gone forever.
Particularly in the top flight.

This was League One football in effect. I did think it might have been cheaper than that.

ElectroClaret wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 03, 2022 11:53 am

Dirt cheap...those days have gone forever.
Particularly in the top flight.

It's all relative, it seemed like a big price hike when a lot of clubs went all seater. A few seasons earlier clubs were charging a tenner at most and all of a sudden it was £14 or £15. Doesn't sound a lot but it felt like it was at the time.

Camberwell Carrot wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 03, 2022 11:55 am

That was my first ever away game, and my first experience of the South (I don't think Watford painted it in the best light).

Was it a Jason Lee winner for Watford?

We'll know how the game goes next week

The disastrous cup tie in 2003 was my last visit to VR.
Awful day which always sours my view of Watford.

Quite a few got in without paying, myself included.
Someone knocked on one of the gates and the stewards opened it and loads piled in.

“MAAANNNNN OONNNNNN!!!!” (Weller)

My dad used to refuse to pay the extra ten bob to take me in the Longside instead of the Bee Hole End, irrespective of the weather. It was £3.50 and £3.00 on the latter.

Soon got hardened to the driving wind and cold, which is probably why I wear shorts most of the year now!

ElectroClaret wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 03, 2022 11:58 am

The disastrous cup tie in 2003 was my last visit to VR.
Awful day which always sours my view of Watford.

I watched it on BBC, but my mates dad went that Sunday.
He said he would never go to another game while Ternent was in charge.. he was that angry

Both Little and Blake on the bench was gutting, especially as we lost anyway. Watching us just try to kill the game and still lose, it was an awful game and result.

ElectroClaret wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 03, 2022 11:58 am

The disastrous cup tie in 2003 was my last visit to VR.
Awful day which always sours my view of Watford.

Has to go down as one of the most disappointing games I've ever attended. Just couldn't fathom Stan's team selection. 2 best players on the bench.

It's a terrible ground at the best of times I think. Lacking in atmosphere and just drab.

welsbyswife wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 03, 2022 1:08 pm

Has to go down as one of the most disappointing games I've ever attended. Just couldn't fathom Stan's team selection. 2 best players on the bench.

He’d done that in the previous round against Fulham and we won 3-0.

That was a good win against Fulham, but they were a tired team that night.

They played Spurs away in the PL on the Monday night, then us in the cup replay on the Wednesday night.

To be fair though, they had the option to move the Monday night Sky game (with the rearranged no longer live) so they would have missed out on the live TV money.. so being greedy they kept it.

That being said, we were still pretty good that night.. very good infact.

I was at that FA cup defeat. The inexplicable decision to not play Little and Blake was beyond words. And if I remember correctly, didn't Steve Davis play in midfield? He was beyond awful and so so slow.

ChrisG wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 03, 2022 12:56 pm

My dad used to refuse to pay the extra ten bob to take me in the Longside instead of the Bee Hole End, irrespective of the weather. It was £3.50 and £3.00 on the latter.

Soon got hardened to the driving wind and cold, which is probably why I wear shorts most of the year now!

We used to pay on into the Bee Hole end and could squeeze through the gaps in the fence into the Longside and save the 50p