The writer Nick Hornby, a fan of the team who sent Watford down to the Championship on Sunday, once wrote: “The natural state of the football fan is bitter disappointment, no matter what the score.”

But even among Watford fans, optimism was the more common emotion when we asked for reaction to the loss of the final match of the season. Some even drew cheer from the prospect of being reunited with Watford's arch-rivals, Luton.

There's the post-mortem. The state of things inside the club about which we hear rumours but little else, the turnover of managers and a leaky defence, particularly against Manchester City, seem to have sealed Hornets' fate.

But if you did nothing but dwell on the internal politics of football clubs you would be miserable forever, never mind disappointed.

Given the way the world is at the moment, seeing your team relegated may be the least of your worries.

We can watch those matches in the pub for the time being, and at some point may be able to watch from the terraces.

And that's the real point. No matter what the score, you can share the joy or disappointment with fellow fans. Football is about more than winning or losing, honest.