Not much festive cheer on Boxing Day for Watford over last two decades

It is six weeks today that Watford will host Portsmouth at Vicarage Road on December 26, but best make the most of your celebrations on Christmas Day, because Boxing Day has not been a good occasion over the last decade.

The regular festive fixture has not been kind with only two wins in nine games over the last decade (there was no December 26 fixture in 2021).

In fact, going back further, Watford have achieved only four Boxing Day wins in the last 20 years.

Conversely, the Hornets won nine of 10 games on December 26 between 1983 and 1994, which included a run of six successive victories.

Watford have scored only nine goals in last 10 Boxing Day fixtures, and two of those came courtesy of opponents’ own goals.

In fact, in the last 10 years Watford have only scored five times in open play on December 26 as two of the nine they have managed came from the penalty spot courtesy of Troy Deeney.

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One thing Hornets fans can’t complain about is travelling – only twice in the last 10 years have Watford played away on December 26.

The last win came on December 26, 2020, when Ismaila Sarr’s goal was enough to beat Norwich 1-0.

However, due to Covid restrictions, there were no supporters inside the stadium.

The last time Watford had to travel on Boxing Day was in 2019, when they drew 1-1 at Sheffield United – managed then as now by former Hornets head coach Chris Wilder -  in the Premier League.

Ben Foster's long clearance in the 27th minute was nodded on by Nathaniel Chalobah into the path of Deulofeu, who then raced away before sliding his shot underneath Dean Henderson.

A foul by Will Hughes allowed Oli Norwood to level things up from the penalty spot nine minutes later.

It was a result that meant Watford boss Nigel Pearson had lifted the club off the foot of the Premier League table, having beaten Manchester United three days earlier at Vicarage Road.

"We still have enough time and games to affect our own season, and it is as simple as that in my view,” said Pearson, whose team picked up 14 points from the next nine games including the unforgettable 3-0 win over Liverpool before he was sacked with two games of the season to go.

The last time Watford won on Boxing Day with fans inside the ground was in 2017, when they beat Leicester 2-1 at Vicarage Road – a game where they scored twice despite only having one shot on target.

Riyad Mahrez put the visitors ahead after 37 minutes before central defender Molla Wague scored his only Watford goal during a brief loan spell from Udinese.

The Mali international netted from close range after the Foxes failed to clear a stoppage-time corner at the end of the first half.

The winner came from a Tom Cleverley free-kick in the 65th minute, as his deep cross found Abdoulaye Doucoure, who tried to beat Schmeichel at his near post from close to the byline.

The ball looked like it was going across the face of goal but keeper Kasper Schmeichel touched it over his own goalline.

Boxing Day used to be the time for local derbies, but the police put a stop to that some years ago and the last time Watford beat Luton 2-0 on December 26 was in 1986 – and even then there were no Hornets fans at Kenilworth Road to see it.

That’s because following the riots during their FA Cup tie with Millwall the previous season, Luton banned all away fans from attending games at Kenilworth Road from the start of the 1986/87 season. It was lifted at the end of the 1989/90 season.

On that December afternoon, Graham Taylor and the Watford players held up cards wishing the home fans-only crowd Happy Christmas, and the Luton players got in the giving mood once the game started.

They were static after five minutes as Kevin Richardson’s free kick was touched on by Wilf Rostron for Gary Porter to score.

Twelve minutes later Mal Donaghy was caught trying to dribble out of his own box and Richardson stole the ball before firing home.

Just to cap a bad day for the Hatters they missed a 59th-minute penalty when Peter Nicholas shot over the bar after David Bardsley was adjudged to have fouled Ashley Grimes.

The last time Watford hosted Luton at Vicarage Road on Boxing Day was in 1979, when a crowd of 20,227 saw the Hatters win 1-0 courtesy of a goal from Kirk Stephens in injury time.

No manager has been in charge of Watford for consecutive Boxing Day fixtures since Aidy Boothroyd in 2005/06/07.

This Boxing Day coming will be the 14th time Watford have played on December 26 since then, and Tom Cleverley will become the 14th different man in the Hornets dug-out.

Boxing Day 2014 saw the final Watford appearance of club legend, and current Under-18s assistant coach, Lloyd Doyley.

The 1-0 defeat at home to Wolves was his 443rd and final outing for the club, having made his debut just over 13 years earlier.

Overall, Watford’s record on Boxing Day is very balanced: P87 W33 D20 L34 F128 A131.