Watford Football Club are an association football team from the county of Hertfordshire, England. Waford has played in the Championship since being relegated from the Premier League in 2006–07. The club finished the season in 13th position out of 24 Championship teams. The club went through four managers during the season.

Background, review and events

The 2008–09 season was their second consecutive one in the Football League Championship, following relegation from the Premier League in 2006–07.

They reached the fifth round of both the League Cup and FA Cup, where they were eliminated by Premier League sides Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea respectively. Both teams went on to reach the finals of the corresponding competitions, with Chelsea going on to win the 2009 FA Cup Final.

Off the pitch, there were a series of personnel changes through the course of the season. Chairman Graham Simpson and chief executive Mark Ashton resigned, and were replaced by Jimmy Russo and Julian Winter respectively. Following a decline in form throughout 2008, manager Aidy Boothroyd left the club by mutual consent, and was replaced by Brendan Rodgers. In turn, Rodgers controversially left the club a few weeks after the last game of the season, having previously suggested that rumours linking him to Reading were "questioning his integrity". His replacement was first team coach and former player Malky Mackay.

The season is perhaps best remembered for the "ghost goal" incident, which occurred in a league match against Reading on 20 September 2008. Following a corner from Reading player Stephen Hunt, John Eustace kicked the ball across the line, level with the six-yard box. Initially, linesman Nigel Bannister seemed to signal for a goal kick, and players from both sides ran away from the penalty area, waiting for goalkeeper Scott Loach to take it. However, Bannister walked over to referee Stuart Attwell, and after a brief discussion, Attwell awarded Reading a goal. The match eventually finished 2–2. The match also marked Loach's debut; the "ghost goal" was the first goal he conceded in his Watford career.

Competitions Legend WinDrawLoss Championship Match details +Championship match detailsDateOpponentVenueResultF–AScorersAttendance 9 August 2008 Crystal Palace Away 0–0 15,614 16 August 2008 Charlton Athletic Home 1–0 Smith 28' 14,413 23 August 2008 Nottingham Forest Away 2–3 Smith 22', 61' 20,005 30 August 2008 Ipswich Town Home 2–1 Eustace 59', O'Toole 87' 16,345 13 September 2008 Sheffield Wednesday Away 0–2 17,06616 September 2008Plymouth ArgyleHome1–2O'Toole 83'13,23720 September 2008ReadingHome2–2Smith 57', O'Toole 64'14,76127 September 2008Sheffield UnitedAway1–2O'Toole 56'24,42730 September 2008BurnleyAway2–3Hoskins 6', 45'10,0334 October 2008Preston North EndHome2–1Harley 12', Smith 21'14,08718 October 2008SouthamptonAway3–0 Priskin 10', 41', Eustace 30'17,45421 October 2008Cardiff CityHome2–2 O'Toole 2', Hoskins 24'13,46125 October 2008Wolverhampton WanderersHome2–3 Rasiak 21', O'Toole 47'16,38628 October 2008Preston North EndAway0–211,2341 November 2008BlackpoolHome3–4Hoskins 4', Rasiak 36', Smith 68' pen.13,5179 November 2008Swansea CityAway1–3L. Williamson 33'13,89115 November 2008BarnsleyAway1–2Smith 52'11,28522 November 2008Queens Park RangersHome3–0 Smith 26' pen., Ward 34', Williamson 45'16,20125 November 2008Bristol CityAway1–1Smith 72'15,55129 November 2008Doncaster RoversHome1–1Smith 31'14,0086 December 2008Birmingham CityAway2–3 Priskin 7', Jenkins 89'18,17410 December 2008Norwich CityHome2–1Priskin 16', Smith 64'13,26813 December 2008Coventry CityHome2–1Smith 62' pen., O'Toole 72'14,07520 December 2008Derby CountyAway0–127,83326 December 2008Bristol CityHome2–4 Rasiak 49', Elliott 65 o.g.15,52728 December 2008Queens Park RangersAway0–016,1969 January 2009ReadingAway0–418,07217 January 2009Sheffield UnitedHome0–214,55527 January 2009BurnleyHome3–0McAnuff 2', Priskin 78', 90'13,19331 January 2009Wolverhampton WanderersAway1–3Mariappa 81'23,57117 February 2009Swansea CityHome2–0 Priskin 23', Smith 33'13,72721 February 2009BlackpoolAway2–0M. Williamson 54, Priskin 857,45128 February 2009Crystal PalaceHome2–0Cowie 22', Jose Fonte 72' o.g.15,5293 March 2009Plymouth ArgyleAway1–2Smith 59'9,5297 March 2009Charlton AthleticAway3–2 Cowie 17', Rasiak 56', Priskin 83'20,05210 March 2009Nottingham ForestHome2–1Rasiak 5', Priskin 43'14,73014 March 2009Sheffield WednesdayHome2–2Beevers 45' o.g., McAnuff 56'16,29418 March 2009Cardiff CityAway1–2Smith 10' pen17,89921 March 2009Ipswich TownAway0–021,4344 April 2009Doncaster RoversAway2–1 Hird 13' o.g., Cowie 18'12,1267 April 2009SouthamptonHome2–2Cauna 21', Priskin 66'16,06611 April 2009BarnsleyHome1–1Smith 88'16,05213 April 2009Norwich CityAway0–225,48718 April 2009Birmingham CityHome0–116,18025 April 2009Coventry CityAway3–2Smith 58', Rasiak 61', Priskin 74'17,1953 May 2009Derby CountyHome3–1 McAnuff 14', Rasiak 28', 41'16,131

Results summary

Final league table

FA Cup

+FA Cup match detailsRoundDateOpponentVenueResultF–AWatfordscorersOppositionscorersAttendanceRef. Third round 3 January 2009 Scunthorpe United Home 1–0 Rasiak 67' — 8,690 Fourth round 24 January 2009 Crystal Palace Home 4–3 DeMerit 17', Cork 27', Hoskins 67', Rasiak 70' Hill 48', Ifill 83', 90' 10,006 Fifth round 14 February 2009 Chelsea Home 1–3 Priskin 69' Anelka 75', 77', 90' 16,851

League Cup

+League Cup match detailsRoundDateOpponentVenueResultF–AWatfordscorersOppositionscorersAttendanceRef.First round12 August 2008Bristol RoversHome1–0Hoskins 88'—5,574 Second round 28 August 2008 Darlington Home 2–1 Francis 37', O'Toole 116'Blundell 90' 5,236 Third round 23 September 2008 West Ham United Home 1–0Mullins 70' o.g.— 12,914 Fourth round 11 November 2008 Swansea City Away 1–0Williamson 21'— 9,549 Fifth round 3 December 2008 Tottenham Hotspur Home 1–2Priskin 13'Pavlyuchenko 45' pen., Bent 76' 16,501

Player information

First-team squad Squad at end of season

Left club during season

Transfers

In +DateNationalityPositionNameClub FromFeeReference18 July 2008DFJon HarleyBurnleyFree26 January 2009DFMike WilliamsonWycombe WanderersUndisclosed2 February 2009MFDon CowieInverness CTNominal

Out DateNationalityPositionNameClub ToFeeReference30 May 2008MFJordan StewartDerby CountyFree8 July 2008MFToumani DiagouragaHereford UnitedUndiclosed22 July 2008FWDarius HendersonSheffield United£2,000,0006 August 2008DFDanny ShittuBolton WanderersUndisclosed23 January 2009FWLionel AinsworthHuddersfield TownUndisclosed27 February 2009FWMoses AshikodiShrewsbury TownFree

Loan In DateNationalityPositionNameClub FromLengthReference15 August 2008FWGrzegorz RasiakSouthamptonFull-Season26 September 2008DFSam SodjeReadingOne Month30 September 2008GKMark TylerPeterborough UnitedOne Month30 September 2008DFDarren WardWolverhampton WanderersOne Month27 November 2008MFLiam BridcuttChelseaOne Month31 December 2008DFGavin HoyteArsenalUntil end of season2 January 2009MFJack CorkChelseaUntil end of season2 February 2009MFAleksandrs CauņaSkonto FCUntil end of season24 March 2009DFDanny RoseTottenham HotspurUntil end of season

Loan Out DateNationalityPositionNameClub ToLengthReference30 May 2008FWNathan EllingtonDerby CountyFull-Season5 August 2008FWMoses AshikodiHereford UnitedUntil January21 November 2008FWLionel AinsworthHereford UnitedOne Month12 January 2009DFLeigh BrombySheffield UnitedUntil end of season23 January 2009DFCédric AvinelFC GueugnonUntil end of season

Squad, appearances and goals

! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Goalkeepers

! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Defenders

! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Midfielders

! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Forwards

References

Match reports

Other references

External links Watford Football Club official site The Football League official site