Going away... (From Watford Observer)

Going away...

4:38pm Thursday 9th April 2009 in Avi Govind By Avi Govind

The 92 Club is something uniquely English. To become a member - and there are over 1,500 of them - you have to have watched a game of football at each of the current 92 clubs in the English Football League. Over the years, I had managed to visit 58 of them, mainly to see Watford matches, and my visit to the Keepmoat Stadium to see the Hornets take on Doncaster Rovers made it 59.

There is a lot to be said for going to away matches. Obviously, they will generally involve a lot more effort, time and expense to organise and attend. A lot of people have other commitments that make it difficult, or even impossible, for them to regularly go to away games. And, particularly this season, it's much more likely that Watford won't get a win when they play an away fixture.

But going to away matches, win, lose, or draw, can be a very rewarding experience. Apart from the obvious reward of watching a Watford match, typically with more vocal support than at Vicarage Road, there's the chance to see a different part of England. Invariably I will end up chatting to some local people in a pub, and Doncaster was no exception - I made a couple of friends for life when I told them that I didn't like Leeds!

There's also the cultural side of things. Going to Cardiff a couple of weeks ago gave me, and my friend Dave, a chance to see the stunning Wales Millennium Building, which has won a number of architectural awards, and tour the Welsh Assembly. It also gave us the opportunity to see what Cardiff was like without a Play-off Final taking place on the same day, as the only other time I'd been there was to see Watford beat Leeds in 2006.

The main reason for going to away games, though, will always be the football, and the match at Doncaster saw Watford's fourth away win of the season take them to the "magic" 50 point mark, which normally means safety from relegation to League One. Although it may take a couple more points to completely guarantee Championship football next season, with six games left it would be a shock if we didn't get them Apart from the result, I will also remember during the game the Watford fans asking the Doncaster Rovers goalkeeper, Neil Sullivan, "Do you remember 3-0?", as it was he who was in goal for Leeds in the previously mentioned 2006 Play-off Final. He got a cheer when he nodded, and a much bigger one when he pointed to himself and, referring to his own goal that day, said "I scored"!

The journey home always seems to go that much quicker when Watford have won, and the return from Doncaster sped by. I found out on the train that Sheffield United fans are keen on keeping John-Joe O'Toole, but before I knew it I was back in London, with my thoughts turning to the Ricoh Arena in three weeks time - ground number 60...