'I told the players we would not be changing our style. We were going to attack.'
Watford had reached Division One well ahead of the schedule initially laid out by Graham Taylor and Elton John in 1977. The question was, were they ready to take on the best clubs in the country?
The 1982-83 season came hot on the heels of the World Cup where the Hornets striker Gerry Armstrong had made headlines around the globe by scoring Northern Ireland's winning goal agains the hosts Spain. It intensified the spotlight on the Hornets as the new domestic campaign approached.
Taylor believed in his players but he was not going to leave anything to chance. He scheduled a gruelling pre-season boot camp in Scandinavia and put the players through their paces. His wanted his squad to be the fittest in the division because he felt that would help them take a few teams by surprise.
And that is exactly what happened. An opening day win over Everton was followed by a 4-1 thrashing of Southampton at The Dell. Watford then beat West Bromwich Albion at home to go top of the league for the first – and so far only – time.
This is how the Hornets took the First Division by storm.
Enjoy the game by Lionel Birnie. Read by Colin Mace. Produced by Jon Moonie.
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