2004–05 Watford F.C. season

During the 2004–05 English football season, Watford competed in the Football League Championship.

Watford
2004–05 season
ChairmanGraham Simpson
ManagerRay Lewington (until 22 March)
Aidy Boothroyd (from 29 March)
StadiumVicarage Road
Championship18th
FA CupThird round
League CupSemi-finals
Top goalscorerLeague:
Heiðar Helguson (16)
All:
Heiðar Helguson (20)
Average home league attendance14,289

Season summary

The 2004–05 season saw a continuation of the good form of the end of the previous season, with the club well in the upper half of the Championship at the end of September. However, a long run of poor form subsequently saw the club drop steadily towards the relegation zone. Another good cup run further eased the club's financial position, with the team reaching the semi-final of the League Cup, soundly beating Premiership sides Portsmouth and Southampton on the way, before losing narrowly to Liverpool. The club's poor league form, however, came to a head in March, with a run of terrible performances and Lewington was sacked on 22 March.[1] His sacking was controversial, and many fans were unhappy at the loss of a man who had led the club to two cup semi-finals in three seasons, enduring considerable financial hardships.

At the age of 34, Aidy Boothroyd was appointed manager of Watford after serving at Leeds United as a coach;[2] 70-year-old Keith Burkinshaw was recruited as his assistant. Boothroyd's inexperience raised concerns among fans, who worried that he would not be able to keep the side in the Championship. However, Watford secured enough points to ensure survival with two games to go in the season.

Final league table
Main article: 2004–05 Football League Championship
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
16 Cardiff City 46 13 15 18 48 51 −3 54
17 Plymouth Argyle 46 14 11 21 52 64 −12 53
18 Watford 46 12 16 18 52 59 −7 52
19 Coventry City 46 13 13 20 61 73 −12 52
20 Brighton & Hove Albion 46 13 12 21 40 65 −25 51
Updated to match(es) played on 9 December 2011. Source: Football League Tables
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

Results

Watford's score comes first[3]

Legend
Win Draw Loss

Football League Championship
DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
7 August 2004Preston North EndA1–212,208Devlin
9 August 2004Queens Park RangersH3–014,737Webber (2), Dyer
14 August 2004BurnleyH0–112,048
21 August 2004Leicester CityA1–022,478Webber
28 August 2004Plymouth ArgyleH3–113,104Ardley, Webber (2)
11 September 2004Brighton & Hove AlbionH1–114,148Webber
14 September 2004Cardiff CityA3–010,606Webber (2), Ardley
19 September 2004MillwallA2–010,865Webber, Helguson
25 September 2004ReadingH0–113,389
28 September 2004Wigan AthleticH0–011,361
2 October 2004Crewe AlexandraA0–36,382
16 October 2004Derby CountyA2–223,253Helguson (2)
19 October 2004SunderlandH1–113,198Ardley
23 October 2004Ipswich TownH2–222,497Helguson, Bouazza
30 October 2004Nottingham ForestA2–124,473Helguson (2)
2 November 2004GillinghamA0–07,009
6 November 2004Derby CountyH2–213,689Helguson, Gunnarsson
13 November 2004Sheffield UnitedA1–118,454Gunnarsson
20 November 2004Rotherham UnitedH0–017,780
24 November 2004Leeds UnitedA2–224,585Dyer (2)
27 November 2004West Ham UnitedA2–324,541Gunnarsson, Dyer
4 December 2004Stoke CityH0–112,169
11 December 2004Wolverhampton WanderersH1–114,605Helguson
18 December 2004Coventry CityA0–114,493
26 December 2004ReadingA0–318,757
28 December 2004Cardiff CityH0–013,409
1 January 2005MillwallH1–013,158Helguson
3 January 2005Brighton & Hove AlbionA1–26,335Helguson
15 January 2005Crewe AlexandraH3–111,223Helguson (2), DeMerit
22 January 2005Wigan AthleticA2–29,008Dyer, Webber
5 February 2005GillinghamH2–015,188Ashby (own goal), Eagles
12 February 2005SunderlandA2–424,948Dyer (2)
22 February 2005Ipswich TownA2–123,993DeMerit, Dyer
26 February 2005Wolverhampton WanderersA0–025,060
5 March 2005Coventry CityH2–313,794Dyer, Webber
8 March 2005Nottingham ForestH0–212,118
12 March 2005Queens Park RangersA1–316,638Ardley
15 March 2005Leicester CityH2–211,084DeMerit, Webber (pen)
19 March 2005Preston North EndH0–219,649
2 April 2005BurnleyA1–311,507Blizzard
5 April 2005Plymouth ArgyleA0–115,333
9 April 2005Leeds UnitedH1–216,306Helguson
16 April 2005Rotherham UnitedA1–05,438Helguson
23 April 2005Sheffield UnitedH0–017,138
30 April 2005Stoke CityA1–015,229Helguson
8 May 2005West Ham UnitedH1–219,673Helguson

FA Cup
Main article: 2004–05 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R38 January 2005FulhamH1–114,896Helguson (pen)
R3R19 January 2005FulhamA0–211,306

League Cup
Main article: 2004–05 Football League Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R124 August 2004Cambridge UnitedH1–06,558Ferrell
R221 September 2004ReadingA3–08,429Cox (pen), Bouazza, Ingimarsson (own goal)
R326 October 2004Sheffield UnitedA0–0 (won 4–2 on pens)7,689
R49 November 2004SouthamptonH5–213,008Dyer, Chambers (2), Helguson, Bouazza
R530 November 2004PortsmouthH3–018,877Helguson (2), Dyer
SF 1st Leg11 January 2005LiverpoolA0–135,739
SF 2nd Leg25 January 2005LiverpoolH0–119,797

Players

First-team squad
Squad at end of season[4]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  ENG Alec Chamberlain
3 DF  ENG Paul Mayo
4 DF  ISL Brynjar Gunnarsson
5 DF  ENG Neil Cox
6 DF  ENG Sean Dyche
7 FW  ENG Bruce Dyer[notes 1]
8 MF  ENG Gavin Mahon
9 FW  ENG Danny Webber
10 MF  SCO Paul Devlin[notes 2]
11 MF  ENG Andy Ferrell
14 DF  ENG Jermaine Darlington
16 GK  ENG Richard Lee
17 MF  ENG Jamie Hand
18 FW  ISL Heiðar Helguson
19 DF  ENG James Chambers
20 DF  ENG Lloyd Doyley[notes 3]
21 DF  ENG Jack Smith
No. Pos. Nation Player
22 MF  ENG Dominic Blizzard
23 MF  ENG Anthony McNamee
24 FW  TRI Jason Norville
25 FW  FRA Hameur Bouazza[notes 4]
26 DF  ENG Ben Herd
27 MF  ENG Ashley Young
28 MF  ENG Jamie Collins
29 DF  USA Jay DeMerit
30 FW  ENG Omari Coleman
31 MF  FRA Toumani Diagouraga
32 DF  ENG Danny Cullip (on loan from Sheffield United)
33 DF  ENG Junior Osborne
35 GK  ENG Reece Kirk
37 MF  SLE Al Bangura
38 DF  ENG Adrian Mariappa[notes 5]
39 MF  ENG Joel Grant[notes 6]

Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
2 MF  ENG Neal Ardley (to Cardiff City)
12 FW  ENG Scott Fitzgerald (to Brentford)
13 GK  WAL Paul Jones (on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers)
15 DF  JAM Marcus Gayle[notes 7] (to Brentford)
No. Pos. Nation Player
32 MF  ENG Johnnie Jackson (on loan from Tottenham Hotspur)
34 MF  ENG Chris Eagles (on loan from Manchester United)
42 GK  ENG Kevin Hitchcock (retired)

Transfers

In

Out

References
  1. "Watford dismiss manager Lewington". BBC Sport. 22 March 2005. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
  2. "Watford appoint Boothroyd as boss". BBC Sport. 29 March 2005. Retrieved 2 November 2007.
  3. http://www.statto.com/football/teams/watford/2004-2005
  4. http://www.footballsquads.co.uk/eng/2004-2005/flcham/watford.htm

Notes
  1. Dyer was born in Redbridge, England, and represented England at U-21 level, but also qualified to represent Montserrat internationally and would make his international debut for Montserrat in September 2007.
  2. Devlin was born in Birmingham, England, but also qualified to represent Scotland internationally through his father and made his international debut for Scotland in October 2002.
  3. Doyley was born in Tower Hamlets, England, but also qualified to represent Jamaica internationally and would make his international debut for Jamaica in March 2013.
  4. Bouazza was born in Évry, France, but also qualified to represent Algeria internationally through his parents and would make his international debut for Algeria in February 2007.
  5. Mariappa was born in Harrow, England, but also qualified to represent Fiji internationally through his father and Jamaica through his maternal grandparents and would make his international debut for Jamaica in June 2012.
  6. Grant was born in Ealing, England, but also qualified to represent Jamaica internationally and represented Jamaica at U-23 level before making his international debut for Jamaica in May 2014.
  7. Gayle was born in Hammersmith, London, and represented them at U-18 level, but also qualified to represent Jamaica internationally through his father and made his international debut for Jamaica in 1998.
  8. Hyde was born in Newham, England, but also qualified to represent Jamaica internationally and made his international debut for Jamaica in 2001.
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