1914–15 Watford F.C. season

Watford Football Club are an association football team from the county of Hertfordshire, England. The 1914–15 season was their nineteenth season of league football, since joining the Southern League as West Hertfordshire for the 1896–97 season. Watford finished the season as champions of the Southern League First Division, winning 22 and drawing 8 of their 38 league matches.[1] In other competitions, Watford were eliminated from the FA Cup in the sixth qualifying round by Rochdale, and from the Southern Charity Cup by fellow Southern League team Luton Town. The club's manager was Harry Kent, and its top scorer George Edmonds, with 17 goals from 35 appearances.[2] Other notable players included Skilly Williams, who began what would be a 13-year period as the club's first choice goalkeeper,[3] and Fred Gregory, whose goal against Gillingham sealed the title for Watford.[4] Gregory and Williams were also the only two men to play in all 40 of Watford's games.[2]

Watford
1914–15 season
StadiumCassio Road
Southern League First Division1st
FA CupSixth qualifying round (eliminated by Rochdale)
Southern Charity CupFirst round (eliminated by Luton Town)
Top goalscorerLeague: George Edmonds (17)
All: George Edmonds (17)
Highest home attendance8,000 (vs Luton Town, 2 April 1915)
Lowest home attendance1,000 (vs Southend United, 3 February 1915)

As a result of the suspension of league football due to the First World War, Watford were the reigning champions for the next five years, until they were beaten to the 1919–20 title on goal average by Portsmouth.[5]

Background
Main article: History of Watford F.C.

Although he had managed Watford since the departure of John Goodall in 1910, Harry Kent made two final competitive appearances in December 1913, before retiring completely as a player.[6][7] Watford lost both matches, and off the pitch Kent had an equally difficult season. Watford finished in 18th position in the Southern League First Division, and only managed to avoid relegation on the final day of the season with a 2–0 win over QPR. Despite a 10–0 thrashing of Bournemouth in their opening FA Cup match, they were defeated by Gillingham in the following round.[7][8] Furthermore, financial difficulties forced Kent to offload several key players at the end of the season. Top scorer Thomas Ashbridge and full back Harry Pantling were sold to Sheffield United for £500 each,[9] while first choice goalkeeper Joe Webster transferred to West Ham United for £300.[10] Other former first team regulars to leave the club before the start of 1914–15 included David Donald, Billy Dryden and Tommy Mitchell.[6]

Southern League

Despite Britain's declaration of war in August 1914, the Southern League continued as normal for the 1914–15 season. Watford started their campaign on 2 September with a 2–1 win against Cardiff F.C. They continued their strong start to the season with a run of 6 wins and 3 defeats from the opening 9 fixtures, including a 3–0 home win against 1913–14 champions Swindon Town. However, the following two fixtures yielded consecutive league defeats to Reading and Southampton, and Watford's remaining 8 games of 1914 provided only two further wins.[11]

The new year brought a dramatic change in fortunes for Watford's season. Watford won 10 and drew 2 of their first 12 games of 1915, with George Edmonds, Peter Ronald and injured Charlie White's replacement Arthur Green all scoring freely.[2] A win and a defeat against Luton Town, a 2–0 defeat to West Ham United and a heavy 6–0 loss at Swindon enabled Reading and Cardiff to close in on Watford's points tally and goal average. But Watford secured the title in their penultimate match, with Fred Gregory scoring the decisive goal in a 3–2 win at Gillingham.[2]

Results

Legend

  Win   Draw   Loss

[11]

2 September 1914 Watford 2–1 Cardiff City Cassio Road
Ronald
White		 Attendance: 1,500
5 September 1914 Portsmouth 2–3 Watford Fratton Park

 Edmonds
Ronald
White		 Attendance: 7,000
12 September 1914 Watford 3–0 Swindon Town Cassio Road
Edmonds
White
own goal		 Attendance: 3,000
16 September 1914 Watford 0–0 Brighton & Hove Albion Cassio Road
Attendance: 1,500
19 September 1914 Southend United 0–0 Watford Kursaal
Attendance: 4,000
26 September 1914 Watford 2–2 QPR Cassio Road
Edmonds
Hastings
Attendance: 5,000
3 October 1914 Millwall 0–3 Watford The Den
Tattersall Attendance: 15,000
10 October 1914 Watford 2–0 Bristol Rovers Cassio Road
Val Gregory
Ronald		 Attendance: 3,000
17 October 1914 Croydon Common 0–1 Watford Croydon Common Athletic Ground
Edmonds Attendance: 6,000
24 October 1914 Watford 0–1 Reading Cassio Road
Attendance: 5,000
31 October 1914 Southampton 3–1 Watford The Dell


 Hastings
4 November 1914 First round Luton Town 2–0 Watford Kenilworth Road
7 November 1914 Watford 0–0 Northampton Town Cassio Road
Attendance: 6,000
14 November 1914 Watford 1–0 Crystal Palace Cassio Road
Hastings
21 November 1914 Plymouth Argyle 1–1 Watford Home Park
own goal
28 November 1914 Watford 0–1 West Ham United Cassio Road
5 December 1914 Norwich City 2–0 Watford The Nest (football ground)

 Attendance: 3,000
12 December 1914 Watford 4–0 Gillingham Cassio Road
McLauchlan
Waterall		 Attendance: 2,500
19 December 1914 Sixth qualifying round Rochdale 2–0 Watford Spotlands

 Attendance: 4,000
25 December 1914 Watford 1–1 Exeter City Cassio Road
McLauchlan Attendance: 2,000
26 December 1914 Exeter City 4–1 Watford St James Park



 Hastings Attendance: 6,000
1 January 1915 Cardiff City 2–3 Watford Ninian Park

 Edmonds
Green
Tattersall		 Attendance: 1,900
2 January 1915 Watford 2–1 Portsmouth Cassio Road
Edmonds Attendance: 3,000
23 January 1915 Reading 1–1 Watford Elm Park
White
3 February 1915 Watford 2–1 Southend United Cassio Road
Ronald
own goal		 Attendance: 1,000
13 February 1915 Bristol Rovers 2–3 Watford Eastville Stadium

 Edmonds
Green		 Attendance: 1,000
20 February 1915 Watford 3–0 Croydon Common Cassio Road
Hastings
Ronald		 Attendance: 3,000
27 February 1915 Watford 4–0 Millwall Cassio Road
Edmonds
Green
Hastings
Ronald		 Attendance: 3,000
6 March 1915 Watford 5–2 Southampton Cassio Road
Green
Hastings
Kennedy
Ronald
Tattersall
13 March 1915 Northampton Town 1–1 Watford Eastville Stadium
Val Gregory Attendance: 10,000
18 March 1915 QPR 2–5 Watford Loftus Road

 Edmonds
Green
Val Gregory
Tattersall		 Attendance: 5,000
20 March 1915 Crystal Palace 0–1 Watford The Crystal Palace
Tattersall
27 March 1915 Watford 2–0 Plymouth Argyle Cassio Road
Edmonds
Tattersall		 Attendance: 3,000
2 April 1915 Watford 2–4 Luton Town Cassio Road
Kennedy
Ronald


Attendance: 8,000
3 April 1915 West Ham United 2–0 Watford Boleyn Ground

 Attendance: 10,000
5 April 1915 Luton Town 0–2 Watford Kenilworth Road
Edmonds
Fred Gregory		 Attendance: 7,000
6 April 1915 Swindon Town 6–0 Watford County Ground





 Attendance: 1,000
10 April 1915 Watford 2–1 Norwich City Cassio Road
Edmonds
Kennedy
17 April 1915 Gillingham 2–3 Watford Priestfield Stadium

 Edmonds
Green
Fred Gregory
24 April 1915 Brighton & Hove Albion 1–2 Watford Goldstone Ground
Edmonds
Green		 Attendance: 3,000

Final standings
Main article: 1914–15 Southern Football League § Division One

Two points were awarded for a win, one point for draws, and none for defeats.[12] Due to the war, no clubs were relegated at the end of the season, although Croydon Common ceased trading before the start of the 1919–20 season.[11]

Goalkeeper Skilly Williams played in every competitive game.
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Watford 38 22 8 8 68 46 1.478 52
2 Reading 38 21 7 10 68 43 1.581 49
3 Cardiff City 38 22 4 12 72 38 1.895 48
4 West Ham United 38 18 9 11 58 47 1.234 45 Elected to the 1919–20 Football League after World War I
5 Northampton Town 38 19 5 14 56 51 1.098 43
Source:
Rules for classification: The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used up until the 1976–77 season. The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.

Players

Statistics
Key

P: Games played

G: Goals scored

A depiction of the 2–3–5 formation used by Watford for the majority of the season. Wingers were then more commonly referred to as outside forwards; the wide and central half backs were known as wing halves and centre halves respectively.
Name Position P G P G P G
League Cups Total
Bob Barnshaw Centre half 11000110
Harold Bulling Full back 35020370
George Edmonds Centre forward 3517103617
Albert Green Inside forward 23800238
Fred Gregory Full back / Wing half 38220402
Val Gregory Wing half 32310333
Ernie Grimsdell Full back 100010
William Hastings Outside forward 34620366
Sam Hatton Full back 001010
Jim Kennedy Centre half 32320343
James McGuire Outside forward 300030
Joe McLauchlan Centre forward 632083
F.A. McMorran Wing half 601070
Peter Ronald Inside forward 35910369
Alex Stewart Full back 37010380
Tommy Waterall Outside forward 3310203510
Charlie White Inside forward 19420214
Skilly Williams Goalkeeper 38020400

References
General
  • Jones, Trefor (1998). Watford Season by Season. ISBN 0-9527458-1-X.
  • Jones, Trefor (1996). The Watford Football Club Illustrated Who's Who. ISBN 0-9527458-0-1.
  • "Watford: Historical Football Kits". Historical Football Kits. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
Specific
  1. Richard Rundle. "Watford". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  2. Watford Season by Season p. 61
  3. Illustrated Who's Who p. 243
  4. Illustrated Who's Who p. 101
  5. Watford Season by Season p. 62
  6. Watford Season by Season p. 59
  7. Illustrated Who's Who p. 267
  8. Watford Season by Season p. 58
  9. Illustrated Who's Who p. 26, 181
  10. Illustrated Who's Who p. 237
  11. Watford Season by Season p. 60
  12. Dinant Abbink; Richard Rundle (24 July 2005). "England: Southern League final tables". RSSSF. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
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