Watford players recall 8-0 win over Sunderland 41 years later

That’s because it is 41 years to the day that Watford – in their first season of top-flight football – handed Sunderland an 8-0 hammering at Vicarage Road to raise eyebrows and truly announce their arrival.

Graham Taylor’s side had already been top of the old First Division table a couple of weeks earlier, but this emphatic result – their biggest post-War league victory – was to send shockwaves through the football establishment, particularly as many experts and pundits had been very willing to write off the Hornets as ‘long-ball merchants’.

This was in the days long before Sky Soccer Saturday, but those who can remember Grandstand on the BBC might also recall their videprinter typing the word ‘eight’ after the Hornets score just to confirm that it wasn’t a misprint.

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Of course in more recent years the Hornets have been on the wrong end of an 8-0 pounding but, given it’s the anniversary of that day when Watford were giving a whack ‘em to the Mackems, there’s no harm in reminiscing.

Nigel Callaghan headed Watford ahead after 12 minutes when he got on the end of Luther Blissett’s hooked ball back into the box, and the winger rose well to head home his and the Hornets’ second 11 minutes later.

“As soon as the Newcastle score came up yesterday I thought eight goals, same timing,” said Callaghan.

“And another team that played in red and white stripes was on the losing end again (Sunderland actually played in blue and against us)!

“Did you know, when we played Sunderland I was our top scorer up to half time with those two headed goals, until Luther slammed in four.

“The Boss kept us all moving in the dressing room throughout half time saying that if we won 4-0 the fans would go home disappointed having had nothing to excite them in the second half, so we had to repeat our first-half performance so they could go home in football heaven!”

The third goal arrived just three minutes after that Callaghan's second as Les Taylor’s pinpoint ball beyond the visiting defence was controlled superbly on his chest by Blissett before he tucked it away past keeper Chris Turner.

Big Ross Jenkins got in on the act after 32 minutes, turning the ball home from close range after Ian Bolton had crossed from the right following a half-cleared corner.

Thirteen minutes into the second half Bolton sent Callaghan away down the right and his cross was met with a peach of a header from Blissett – the sort of thing you’d show aspiring young players when wanting to explain to them the perfect technique to score with your head.

Blissett then turned provider in the 71st minute, centring from out on the left for his strike partner Jenkins to nudge the ball past Turner and make it 6-0.

“That performance said it all in terms of what we were about and our supporters knew we would go all out to score,” Jenkins recalled.

“We were taught by the Boss to never settle for just one goal - always keep trying to score more.

“We were the new boys in the league and here we were putting an established First Division club to the sword.

“It’s all about taking chances: in the first 10 minutes Sunderland should have been two up, but simply didn’t take them. We did and it wasn’t long til Cally scored the first of our many.”

In the 83rd minute Blissett completed his hat-trick. Steve Terry chipped a cross from the left to the back post and the Hornets striker dived to head home.

The little dancing men on the old scoreboard at the Vicarage Road were clearly exhausted at this point, as they were replaced by a message that read ‘Well done Luther – your hat-trick at last’: recognising the fact it was his first career treble.

However, he and Watford weren’t finished there though.

With two minutes to go Pat Rice crossed from the right, Jenkins flicked on and John Barnes knocked the ball down for Blissett to swivel and make it 8-0 from close range.

“My favourite number is of course always eight,” Blissett smiled, as he remembered that day.

“I mentioned to one of the supporter groups this morning that my personal memory of that game is Graham pulling me up afterwards and joking ‘Luther, after all those games with two goals - you wanted a hat trick, but you couldn’t get that right, you had to get four’!

“One thing I have wondered about: I have seen it written in match reviews that the last goal was 88 minutes, but there is a photo of the scoreboard that says No.8 and 89 minutes. Either I scored again or someone has put the time incorrectly.   

“Visiting clubs were always welcome at Vicarage Road but that welcome stopped once they crossed the white line. We would close them down all over the pitch.

“The high press is talked about as if it has been recently invented, but we trained every day that way so come matchday it was just second nature to us.”

It was an unforgettable afternoon, in a season that was to be the stuff of dreams as Watford finished runners-up to Liverpool.

The Hornets also hit the woodwork four times in the game, while beleaguered Sunderland keeper Turner made a number of saves to prevent double figures.

After the game, Sunderland manager Alan Durban said to the media: “Get me a video of that. It was brilliant."

It’s worth pointing out Watford didn’t even use a substitute that day: the 11 players who started the game played the full 90 minutes.

Bolton, who was signed by Taylor from Notts County for £12,500 when Watford were still in the Fourth Division, said: “I’m actually surprised not to have beaten more teams in that way, we always went onto the pitch expecting to score, create and have shots on goal.

“So if we did every find ourselves a goal down you could bet your house on it we would do everything to pull it back.”

Meanwhile Jackett, who played in 41 of the 42 league games that season despite only being 20, said: “Our forwards were on fire that day, it was a pleasure playing with them.

“They could turn a bad ball into a good one. Everything we hit went in.”

The Watford team that day was: Sherwood, Rice, Rostron, Taylor, Terry, Bolton, Callaghan, Blissett, Jenkins, Jackett, Barnes.

The heroes that day are all members of the Former Players Club, founded by Blissett, details of which can be found by clicking here.