Today, Dave Watson is remembered as a towering central defender for Sunderland, pivotal in our 1973 FA Cup success, and a hugely important player for Manchester City, Southampton and England too into the early 80s.
On this day 55 years ago, however, Watson – our new star striker – made an eventful debut for the club in a game against Watford at Vicarage Road.
Earlier in the week, the versitile 23-year-old Rotherham player had arrived at Roker for £100,000 – a club record fee that surpassed the £70,000
paid to Rangers for Jim Baxter, and to Burnley for Gordon Harris. Sunderland had beaten off stiff competition, including from top-flight Aston Villa for Watson, who was described in the press as a ‘brilliant striker’ but hadn’t played higher than the third tier of English football. He’d been used in both defence and attack, which goes some way to explaining his overall Rotherham reocod of 19 goals in 141 games for the Millers.
However, so far this campaign, he’d been almost exclusively up front, and had really hit his straps, with 13 goals so far this campaign. And Alan Brown was delighted to have captured his signature.
I’ve wanted to sign him for several years, since the days I was at Sheffield Wednesday and he was at Notts County. He’s attracted a tremendous amount of interest from top clubs during the past two years, and I will probably use him as a striker. He’s been playing at centre-forward for most of this season. But he’s equally good as a centre-half cover. If injuries crop up, he will be an ideal deputy.
Watson was named in the starting XI in place of Joe Baker, and a dull first half lived up to pre-match expectations, with Watford at the time being the ‘home of defensive football’.
The game sparked into life just after half time, though, with Watson netting a debut goal from close range after Ian Porterfield’s shot had been saved and then let loose by Watford keeper Mike Walker, who would manage Everton and Norwich in later years.
Watford didn’t look like threatening Monty’s goal, however, until an eager linesman called the referee over for a chat after spotting the ball hitting Watson’s arm. Watson had gone in for a challenge with Stewart Scullion – the ball had bobbled up over Watson’s leg and hit his hand. Innocuous, and certainly not deliberate – but the lino called the referee over – and a penalty was awarded. It was coverted by Keith Eddy, and the game fizzled out to a 1-1 draw.
It was certainly a game of mixed emotions for Watson, who after the game spoke to the press about his debut, becoming a second division player, and the pressure of the price tag Sunderland had paid.
I just stood there feeling sick. I was hoping and praying that the referee would ignore the penalty claim. I knew that he had not seen anything. It was all depending on what the linesman had to say.
When the referee came back, I looked at his face and knew straight away that he was going to point at the spot. It was the longest minute of my life, and at the end of it I felt terrible. I just wanted to be sick. What made it worse was the fact that only minutes earlier I had been on top of the world.
I couldn’t have asked for a better start to my new career with Sunderland. I had just scored a goal that would have given us the points I thought we well deserved. But that penalty really spoiled things for me. And the trouble is I certainly didn’t handle the ball purposely. I was back helping out when I slipped. The ball bounced up and hit my hand. It was as simple as that.
I was fairly satisfied with my performance, although I was a bit puffed towards the end. The pace is faster than the Third Division, but I will quickly adjust, I’m sure. Now all I want to do is hit a hat-trick against Middlesbrough on my home debut on Boxing Day. I know the fans are going to expect a lot because the club have spent all this money on me. I can’t perform miracles or anything like that, but I desperately want to get on their side right from the start. I can’t think of any better way than by hitting three against Boro. This big fee does prey on my mind a bit, but I am sure I will get used to it soon.
He certainly did get used to it – and proved exceptionally good value for money. Albeit at centre half, rather than forward!
