Watford's Vicarage Road viewed from a floodlight in 1974

An attendance of just 5,883 turned out on the evening of Wednesday, April 24, 1974 to watch Mike Keen’s side beat Port Vale 2-1 in the penultimate home game of a season in which they finished seventh in Division Three.

Prior to the match, an intrepid Watford Observer photographer climbed up the floodlight pylon in the corner of the ground between the Rookery End and the former Shrodells Stand to capture these views of Vicarage Road from on high.

A group of players train in front of the Main Stand (Image: Watford Observer)

Although the snapper did not get views of all sides of the stadium – it was perhaps too dangerous to risk turning around too much – the photos will rekindle memories for any fan who stood on the Vicarage Road terracing or sat in the Main Stand in the era before and during when the club embarked in its never-to-be-forgotten journey through the divisions under Graham Taylor and Elton John.

Looking down from higher up the pylon (Image: Watford Observer)

The view looking out to the town centre in the distance (Image: Watford Observer)

The view towards the Red Lion corner from lower down (Image: Watford Observer)