1989/90: Aston Villa v Everton

It would prove to be a pivotal match in the 1989/90 season for both Aston Villa and Everton. A crossroads during the campaign where one team took a wrong turn and the other joined the road that led to a title race. And all of this was played out in front of a live ITV audience on the Big Match.

There was a sense of anticipation as the opening credits rolled and that classic theme tune played on Sunday November 5, 1989. Aston Villa and Everton were potential title challengers, and it was hard to disagree with co-commentator Ian St John when he predicted a score draw between two teams that looked evenly matched.

1984: Watford v Everton goalfests

If you wanted full value for money from your football in the 1983/84 season, then a season ticket at Watford would have been a wise choice. The strike partnership of Mo Johnston and George Reilly, ably supported by the skilful wide men John Barnes and Nigel Callaghan, were providing the excitement from an attacking perspective. However, defending seemed an afterthought at times.

For a while it appeared as if the club had contracted a serious bout of second season syndrome. They may have finished second in 1982/83 but by December, Graham Taylor's team were in the relegation zone with just four league wins. Yet everything would change in 1984.

1989/90: Aston Villa v Manchester United

As the decade drew to a close, the pressure on Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson was growing, as he prepared to take his expensively assembled team to Aston Villa.

After three years in the Old Trafford hotseat, it appeared as if Alex Ferguson was no nearer to unlocking the door to success at Manchester United. In fact, as 1990 approached, speculation grew that the former Aberdeen manager was about to go the way of many of his predecessors. 

Seemingly unable to get a tune out of his squad - which the press regularly pointed out had been assembled at a vast cost - performances during the winter of 1989 lurched from one disaster to another. Sliding towards the relegation zone, it was little wonder that some fans had decided that enough was enough.

1980/81 League Cup: Watford v Southampton

Watford face Southampton this weekend in the Premier League. The meeting will have to be something special to match the drama of the 1980/81 League Cup second round between the two clubs.

We often hear how a two-goal advantage is a dangerous lead in football. Atalanta and Spartak Moscow may agree with this particular theory, their recent reversals against English opposition in Europe adding credence to this. So what leads are safe?

As an Arsenal fan I have sadly seen that a four-goal lead can be no guarantee of victory. The 4-4 draw against Newcastle in 2011 was an embarrassing episode, something that should be brushed under the carpet, never to be mentioned again. 

Arsenal's capitulation was a remarkable achievement. Admittedly they had been reduced to ten men, yet with 22 minutes remaining, their four-goal lead was still intact. History has shown us that this example is the exception rather than the norm, but in September 1980 there was another club putting their supporters through this painful experience.

1987/88: Dave Bassett - A season to forget

There is a chance that Mark Hughes may be involved with two relegated clubs this season. Dave Bassett knows how that feels after his terrible 1987/88 campaign.

If 1992 was the annus horribilis for Queen Elizabeth II, then there can be no doubting the comparable period of time for Dave Bassett. Leading Wimbledon from the basement of the Football League to sixth place in Division One in six years, Bassett’s star was rising. But all that was about to change.

1986: Arsenal lose to Watford on consecutive days

Arsenal have suffered at the hands of Watford in recent seasons, but at least they didn’t lose twice to the same club on consecutive days.

In this modern world of ours, it seems that Arsenal are only ever a couple of defeats away from a full-blown crisis. An unwanted reverse can now lead to torn badges appearing in newspapers, as the cracks in the Arsenal fan base expand, Twitter explodes, and even fans of other teams reach for the popcorn and turn to AFTV for some entertainment.

1982/83: Graham Taylor and Watford

When the sad news of Graham Taylor passing away broke on January 12, naturally the tributes came flooding in. Whilst many noted that his time in charge of England was troubled, a lot column inches and html paragraphs were dominated with the successes Taylor enjoyed at club level, and in particular his glorious spells at Watford. When you see what Taylor had previously achieved at Lincoln City, and later at Aston Villa, it wasn't hard to see why England came calling in 1990.

Inevitably this blog will focus upon his heyday at Watford in the 1980s, and in particular Taylor's remarkable first season in the top flight during the 1982/83 campaign. To achieve three promotions in five years was one thing, but to then lead an inexperienced set of players to second place in Watford's debut season with the big boys was something else. Watford may have received a lot of criticism for their approach, yet for Taylor and Chairman Elton John, this was a victory for substance over style.

1987 FA Cup Sixth Round: Arsenal v Watford

If Arsenal manage to beat Hull City in their FA Cup fifth round replay then it will set up a quarter final clash with Watford. For some Arsenal fans, this will bring back painful memories of a Sixth round match at Highbury in 1987 that still rankles.