Watford's 3-1 victory over Manchester United on Sunday has proven to me decisively that 2016 is a year in which expectations are being confounded.

I wasn’t at the game (I was stuck on the M4, very much within expectations) but by all accounts it wasn’t down to luck, it was a well-earned victory.

This cements a trend that’s lasted throughout the year. Team GB finished the Olympics second to the USA and to China in the Paralympics. Cynics will say Russia was absent from Rio, but again, expectations of how we would perform have been confounded.

In the world of politics, the foundations of what we thought would happen have also been shaken dramatically. most commentators believed that the UK would vote to Remain within the EU. Sure, people believed it would be close but not that we’d actually vote for Brexit.

This is one of the reasons such outrageous claims by the Leave team were able to be made: £350 million a week for the NHS? No problem! End immigration? Why not? Everlasting paradise? Of course, just vote Leave.

The aftermath had all expecting Prime Minister Boris Johnson, but look how that worked out – step out of the shadows Theresa May with no mandate after her closest rival pulled out.

In the US, contrary to initial expectations, Donald Trump became the Republican Party’s candidate for president. What’s more, that contest is further confounding expectations by actually looking like he could even win.

Next month in Watford, Liberal Democrat councillors will re-examine their plans to close the Harebreaks and Harwoods Road supervised adventure playgrounds. That’s down to people power protesting and getting their voices clearly heard.

That they are forced to reconsider is interesting and if they reverse their unpopular decision, then that really would confound all expectations.

l Matt Turmaine is Labour councillor for Holywell