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A Rough Guide to Watford
Like the stadium itself Watford is a town of contrasts. Rich and poor, old and new. Approaching Watford on national rail one would be forgiven for believing you were approaching the nineteenth century, a smoking factory and allotments still sit quietly behind the ground and the railway lines adds to the feeling that you are approaching a throwback of centuries gone by. As you trundle along the tracks passed the stadium you approach the modern Watford, a mini-metropolis. The town has changed rapidly since the early nineties, the advent of the Harlequin shopping centre breathed new life into a town known as a stopping off point on the way to London. Just a decade on from the building of the Harlequin, Watford has a thriving nightlife, with a number of pubs, clubs and restaurants.
Before the town was re-invigorated by the Harlequin centre that was all it was, a stopping point, a place to drive through. It is somewhat ironic that the fortunes of the town and the football club have been totally different. When the club was on a high in the eighties the town was depressed, as soon as the town started to make a name for itself in the early nineties the club’s fortunes dived!
If ever someone needed proof of inequality in modern Britain then Watford would make the perfect case study. Once again, picture yourself approaching Watford junction, going passed the rows of terraced houses Watford, not extreme poverty by any stretch of the imagination however if you happened to take a different route into Watford on the underground you would see a different town. A countryside town full of middle-Englanders. For that is Watford’s third great contrast – town and country. Although Watford is by no means a town in the country it is certainly the border between the suburban London towns such as Stanmore and Bushey and the countryside villages of, say, Aylesbury and Buckingham.
Watford is historically a brewing town and officially Benskin’s still own the ground. The town is also home of the massive ‘Wetherspoon’s’ chain of pubs and as a result if you were to purchase one drink in every pub on the high street you would go home without remembering the glorious Watford victory that you had previously witnessed. There must be at least 25 pubs in the centre of Watford. ‘The Horns’, at the north end of the high street comes thoroughly recommended but there are more fashionable pubs and bars in the town centre. Watford has a buzzing nightlife, combined with the pubs and bars there are a number of restaurants as well as ‘Area’ and ‘Destiny’ nightclubs.
If you wish to have a less frantic evening out in Watford you could do worse than to check out what’s on at the Watford coliseum, situated on the ring-road, it hosts live gigs and comedy acts. If you’re particularly keen on comedy you could check out ‘Jongleurs’ Comedy Club which is next to ‘Destiny’.
There is an abundance of Italian restaurants in the town centre as well as cheaper fast-food places and Chippies. ‘Ebb Tide’ and ‘Fry-days’ are the two closest Chippies to the ground with the latter actually on Vicarage Road itself and the former on Market Street.
The stadium is also a contrast between old and new. The old Vicarage Road terrace and Rookery are no more, with the Taylor Report coming into action at Vicarage Road relatively early on, two fine all-seater stands have now been erected at each end, we also have the two-tiered Rous Stand which was built in 1986. The old is still at Watford, with the disjointed East Stand that is almost laughable compared to the new stands being erected throughout the country. It’s half metal, half wooden and has been my home for the last decade. The stand will be knocked down in two years time much to the displeasure of the traditionalist but to the delight of most fans that see as something that symbolises our less than glorious past. This contrasts greatly with the new ‘big-screen’ in the Northwest corner of the stand.
As an away fan you will get an excellent view at Vicarage Road with the worst stand being reserved for the home fans! You will sit in the Vicarage Road end which until a few years ago used to be the home end. Generally you will be treated well and as long as you don’t go looking for trouble you won’t find it in Watford. We are quite possibly the least provocative fans in the country; this stems back to the ‘family club’ days in the 80s.
So how do you get to the home of English football?
Getting to Vicarage Road by car can be a pain and I would advice that you use public transport. The Watford ring-road is famous countrywide for its traffic congestion and general inefficiency.
From north: exit M1 junction 5, take 2nd exit at roundabout (A41) signposted Harrow. Take 3rd exit at next roundabout to Hartspring Lane. Through traffic lights, continue straight ahead (now Aldenham Road) to next roundabout. Take 2nd exit (Aldenham Road), to next traffic lights. Go through lights move into right hand lane (marked Watford), follow one-way to Bushey Station, then moving to left-hand lane. Turn left under Bushey arches into Eastbury Road. Turn right at traffic lights into Deacon Hill, continue to next traffic lights, turn left into Cardiff Road.
From South: exit M1 junction 5, take first exit at roundabout (A41) then as north.
From East: exit M25 junction 21A, join M1 Junction 6. Exit M1 junction 5 then as north.
From West: exit M25 junction 19, take third exit at roundabout, A411 (Hempstead Road), signs Watford. After 2 miles go straight on at roundabout then third exit (Rickmansworth Road) at next roundabout. Take 2nd turning left into Cassio Road. Through traffic lights to Merton Road, Wiggenhall Road at traffic lights turn right into Cardiff Road.
Nearest tube station: Watford Met (20 minute walk from ground). Walk 50 metres straight in front of you, turn right into Shepherds Road, at bottom of Shepherds road turn left into Rickmansworth Road, cross the road and turn right into Harwoods Road at the bottom of Harwoods Rd the Vicarage Road stadium awaits
Nearest National rail stations: Watford Junction (10 mins from ground). Walk down Clarendon Road and then follow signposts in the town centre
Car parks
There is a fairly good range of car-parking facilities in the area around The Vic but they all come at a price (£2-3). There is parking facilities in Philips’s motors and Fisher’s industrial estate on the Whippendell Road as well as a large car park at Watford Girls Grammar School in Lady’s Close. If you wish to go to the town centre there are huge multi-story car parks that serve the Harlequin Centre.
If you wish to seek advice on anything to do with a trip to Vicarage Road then contact me at Watford@fromtheterrace.com and I’ll be happy to help.
Daniel Marks
10/08/01
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9 May 08 
Liverpool Football Club