Watford and Bristol Rovers have met 87 times in the Football League and national cup competitions, with the much better record belonging to Watford. The two teams were both admitted to the Football League from the Southern League in 1920, and both played in Division Three, and then Division Three (South) until 1953, when Rovers were promoted to the Second Division as champions. There have only ever been three meetings between the clubs in a national cup competition, the first was a 2-1 victory in the Full Members Cup in 1990, which was the only match Rovers ever won in that competition, and the other two were both in the first round of the League Cup; one during the 2008-09 season and the other in 2011–12.
Records[]
- Last meeting: 6 August 2013 - Bristol Rovers 1–3 Watford
- Biggest win:
- 17 January 1948 - Bristol Rovers 3-0 Watford
- 23 April 1951 - Bristol Rovers 3-0 Watford
- 5 January 1952 - Watford 0-3 Bristol Rovers
- Biggest defeat: 18 October 1930 - Bristol Rovers 1-5 Watford
- Highest aggregate score:
- 15 February 1930 - Watford 4-3 Bristol Rovers
- 12 September 1931 - Watford 5-2 Bristol Rovers
- 9 September 1946 - Bristol Rovers 3-4 Watford
Players at both clubs[]
Some of the players who have been on the books of both clubs are listed below.
- Wayne Andrews
- Craig Armstrong
- Dennis Bailey
- Peter Beadle joined Rovers from Watford
- Scott Davies played in the Watford youth system before later going on loan to Rovers
- Nathan Ellington
- Rik Lopez was on the books of Watford before signing for Rovers
- Kevin Miller
- Gary Penrice
- Danzelle St Louis-Hamilton was a youth player with Watford until 2006
- Worrell Sterling
- Jordan Stewart
- Devon White
Former Rovers managers Garry Thompson and John Ward were also Watford players.
Past meetings[]
All post-Second World War meetings between Rovers and Watford are listed in the table below, along with some pre-war games.
Date | Competition | Home | Score | Away |
---|---|---|---|---|
18 October 1930 | Division Three (South) | Bristol Rovers | 1-5 | Watford |
21 February 1931 | Division Three (South) | Watford | 2-2 | Bristol Rovers |
12 September 1931 | Division Three (South) | Watford | 5-2 | Bristol Rovers |
27 January 1932 | Division Three (South) | Bristol Rovers | 3-2 | Watford |
10 September 1932 | Division Three (South) | Bristol Rovers | 2-0 | Watford |
21 January 1933 | Division Three (South) | Watford | 3-1 | Bristol Rovers |
23 September 1933 | Division Three (South) | Watford | 0-0 | Bristol Rovers |
3 February 1934 | Division Three (South) | Bristol Rovers | 1-0 | Watford |
20 April 1935 | Division Three (South) | Watford | 3-0 | Bristol Rovers |
23 April 1935 | Division Three (South) | Bristol Rovers | 2-0 | Watford |
19 October 1935 | Division Three (South) | Bristol Rovers | 0-1 | Watford |
22 February 1936 | Division Three (South) | Watford | 1-2 | Bristol Rovers |
3 October 1936 | Division Three (South) | Watford | 3-0 | Bristol Rovers |
1 February 1937 | Division Three (South) Cup | Bristol Rovers | 0-1 | Watford |
6 February 1937 | Division Three (South) | Bristol Rovers | 0-1 | Watford |
28 August 1937 | Division Three (South) | Watford | 4-0 | Bristol Rovers |
1 January 1938 | Division Three (South) | Bristol Rovers | 0-2 | Watford |
3 December 1938 | Division Three (South) | Watford | 4-1 | Bristol Rovers |
8 April 1939 | Division Three (South) | Bristol Rovers | 1-1 | Watford |
9 September 1946 | Division Three (South) | Bristol Rovers | 3-4 | Watford |
18 September 1946 | Division Three (South) | Watford | 1-0 | Bristol Rovers |
6 September 1947 | Division Three (South) | Watford | 3-2 | Bristol Rovers |
17 January 1948 | Division Three (South) | Bristol Rovers | 3-0 | Watford |
25 December 1948 | Division Three (South) | Bristol Rovers | 3-1 | Watford |
27 December 1948 | Division Three (South) | Watford | 0-0 | Bristol Rovers |
1 October 1949 | Division Three (South) | Bristol Rovers | 0-2 | Watford |
18 February 1950 | Division Three (South) | Watford | 0-2 | Bristol Rovers |
21 April 1951 | Division Three (South) | Watford | 1-0 | Bristol Rovers |
23 April 1951 | Division Three (South) | Bristol Rovers | 3-0 | Watford |
8 September 1951 | Division Three (South) | Bristol Rovers | 0-1 | Watford |
5 January 1952 | Division Three (South) | Watford | 0-3 | Bristol Rovers |
25 September 1952 | Division Three (South) | Watford | 2-3 | Bristol Rovers |
11 April 1953 | Division Three (South) | Bristol Rovers | 0-3 | Watford |
8 December 1962 | Division Three | Watford | 0-1 | Bristol Rovers |
27 April 1963 | Division Three | Bristol Rovers | 3-1 | Watford |
21 September 1963 | Division Three | Watford | 3-2 | Bristol Rovers |
1 February 1964 | Division Three | Bristol Rovers | 1-2 | Watford |
21 November 1964 | Division Three | Watford | 1-1 | Bristol Rovers |
3 April 1965 | Division Three | Bristol Rovers | 1-0 | Watford |
23 October 1965 | Division Three | Bristol Rovers | 1-1 | Watford |
15 January 1966 | Division Three | Watford | 2-0 | Bristol Rovers |
10 December 1966 | Division Three | Bristol Rovers | 0-3 | Watford |
6 May 1967 | Division Three | Watford | 3-1 | Bristol Rovers |
16 September 1967 | Division Three | Watford | 4-0 | Bristol Rovers |
20 January 1968 | Division Three | Bristol Rovers | 0-2 | Watford |
10 August 1968 | Division Three | Bristol Rovers | 1-1 | Watford |
1 March 1969 | Division Three | Watford | 1-0 | Bristol Rovers |
28 October 1972 | Division Three | Watford | 2-1 | Bristol Rovers |
24 March 1973 | Division Three | Bristol Rovers | 2-1 | Watford |
6 October 1973 | Division Three | Watford | 0-0 | Bristol Rovers |
23 February 1974 | Division Three | Bristol Rovers | 1-0 | Watford |
8 September 1979 | Division Two | Bristol Rovers | 1-1 | Watford |
19 January 1980 | Division Two | Watford | 0-0 | Bristol Rovers |
4 November 1980 | Division Two | Bristol Rovers | 3-1 | Watford |
21 March 1981 | Division Two | Watford | 3-1 | Bristol Rovers |
17 November 1990 | Division Two | Watford | 1-1 | Bristol Rovers |
20 November 1990 | Full Members Cup | Watford | 1-2 | Bristol Rovers |
16 February 1991 | Division Two | Bristol Rovers | 3-1 | Watford |
16 November 1991 | Division Two | Bristol Rovers | 1-1 | Watford |
28 March 1992 | Division Two | Watford | 1-0 | Bristol Rovers |
10 October 1992 | Division One | Watford | 4-2 | Bristol Rovers |
27 February 1993 | Division One | Bristol Rovers | 0-3 | Watford |
14 September 1996 | Division Two | Bristol Rovers | 0-1 | Watford |
18 March 1997 | Division Two | Watford | 1-0 | Bristol Rovers |
14 October 1997 | Division Two | Bristol Rovers | 1-2 | Watford |
28 February 1998 | Division Two | Watford | 3-2 | Bristol Rovers |
12 August 2008 | League Cup | Watford | 1-0 | Bristol Rovers |
23 August 2011 | League Cup | Bristol Rovers | 1–1 | Watford |
6 August 2013 | League Cup | Bristol Rovers | 1–3 | Watford |