The end of the line for the extension of the Met, a confrontation between Hornets players and fans, the demise of a well-known high street chain and the end of an era at Vicarage Road were among the stories making our headlines five and ten years ago this week.

FIVE YEARS AGO

MP reacts to Met line refusal

Richard Harrington has questioned whether the Mayor ever intended to complete the Met line extension.

The Watford MP has expressed his disappointment over the announcement from Mayor of London Sadiq Khan that the Met line extension will not take place.

This comes after Mr Harrington, with support from Watford Borough Council, Hertfordshire County Council and South West Herts MP David Gauke, was able to secure support from Transport Secretary Chris Grayling and the £73million needed to cover the costs.

Watford Observer: David Gauke and Richard Harrington.David Gauke and Richard Harrington. (Image: .)

But Mayor Khan has still refused to go ahead with the scheme at this stage.

Mr Harrington said: "This week to my absolute amazement he has said it is not enough.

"It is showing he doesn't want to do it and I am unfortunately forming the opinion that he never intended to."

Watford Observer: Jose Holebas was involved in an angry exchange with fans at the final whistle. Jose Holebas was involved in an angry exchange with fans at the final whistle. (Image: Action Images)

Watson defends Watford's fans as players have to be pulled away at full-time

It's a scene you see often when a club goes on a bad run, especially when players' attitudes are called into question.

A small group of Watford fans were involved in some forthright exchanges with Jose Holebas and Christian Kabasele at the full-time whistle today [a 1-0 FA Cup fourth round defeat at Southampton], at the end of a game where gallows humour had been the order of the day as the Hornets lost for an 11th time in 13 outings.

A video circulating on social media suggests the confrontation between both players and the group of fans may have looked worse than it actually was. Holebas appeared to have asked the group for a face-to-face chat, but the footage misses out Kabasele's interactions with fans.

More concerningly, both players were pulled away by captain Ben Watson, while Southampton stewards positioned themselves between the pair and the away fans. Their decision to engage the angry fans was at best misguided.

Concerns raised over safety on bus route

A newly rerouted bus lane has been the root of safety concerns as construction work takes place nearby.

Rita Boshell, of Caractacus Green, Watford, is concerned the Charter Place bus route, close to Beechen Grove, is becoming unsafe due to the frequency of construction vehicles driving along it.

Due to improvement works across the town, buses have been diverted to the small road, and with construction vehicles working on the new intu centre extension, there are fears an accident could occur between them.

Ms Boshell said: "It is chaotic down there - there is definitely going to be an accident.

"You can not get a bus that is eight-foot along the road as well as a JCB."

TEN YEARS AGO

Blockbuster staff facing uncertain future

Staff at Blockbuster stores across south west Hertfordshire are facing the possibility of redundancy as the company has announced it will be closing more than 100 stores.

The DVD and game rental chain, which has 528 stores across the UK, was forced into administration last week.

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It currently has branches in Watford, Bushey and Croxley Green.

On Saturday, the appointed administrators announced that 129 shops will be shut down, although the closures will not be immediate.

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Saracens: 'Thank you Watford FC'

Saracens' leading figures have expressed their gratitude to Watford FC as the rugby club played their last scheduled fixture at Vicarage Road on Sunday after a 16-year-stay.

The Men in Black have played home matches at the football ground since 1997 and enjoyed a strong record there, winning 172 out of 233 games.

CEO Edward Griffiths said: "This was our last game at Vicarage Road and we'd like to say thank you to Watford Football Club because their understanding, particularly in this last couple of years has been fantastic and it's been a great partnership."

The Sarries chief also thanked all those involved at Watford who helped to prevent Sunday's match from being postponed due to the weather, insisting their generosity was symptomatic of the partnership the two clubs have shared in recent years.

Watford Observer: The front cover of our 150th anniversary supplement.The front cover of our 150th anniversary supplement. (Image: Watford Observer)

Supplement celebrates Watford Observer’s 150th anniversary

Watford hero Graham Taylor and the Bishop of St Albans the Rt Rev Dr Alan Smith lead the tributes in a special supplement in the Watford Observer this week to commemorate the newspaper’s 150th anniversary.

The 28-page publication, sponsored by The Harlequin, includes a comprehensive history of the newspaper, from its days of being produced by the Peacock family and published on a hand-operated printing machine, right up to the current day and the newspaper’s hi-tec production and various publishing options.

The supplement also focuses on the newspaper’s editors and a number of key roles within the newsroom, including a day in the life of chief reporter Mike Wright and Frank Smith’s reflections on covering Watford FC in the 21st century.

Our former Watford FC correspondent Oliver Phillips wrote much of the supplement and is featured in it too, as is former deputy editor Malcolm Waller who still lives in Bushey.