Generations of fans grew up watching Watford on the open-air terracing at the Vicarage Road End but almost 30 years ago the complexion of the stadium was to change significantly as the bulldozers moved in.

At the end of the 1992/93 season, work began on building a new all-seater stand to comply with the Taylor Report following the Hillsborough disaster and raise the standard of the stadium.

Costing £2.3million with an original capacity of 5,800, the stand took just under four months to build and opened on September 18, 1993 with a 3-1 victory over Notts County.

These pictures from our archive, some of which have not been published since, give a fascinating glimpse of the last days of the Vicarage Road terrace and the building work as the new stand began to take shape.

Watford Observer: How the Vicarage Road end used to lookHow the Vicarage Road end used to look (Image: Newsquest)

Watford Observer: The last days of the terrace as demolition work beganThe last days of the terrace as demolition work began (Image: Newsquest)

Watford Observer: A building worker climbs a floodlight pylon as a crane moves inA building worker climbs a floodlight pylon as a crane moves in (Image: Newsquest)

Watford Observer: The old terracing has gone from the Red Lion corner of the groundThe old terracing has gone from the Red Lion corner of the ground (Image: Newsquest)

Watford Observer: Construction teams at work towards the hospital side of the groundConstruction teams at work towards the hospital side of the ground (Image: Newsquest)

Watford Observer: The all-seater stand starts to take shapeThe all-seater stand starts to take shape (Image: Newsquest)

Watford Observer: A child takes a seat in a new standA child takes a seat in a new stand (Image: Newsquest)