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[Steve Russell]

Watford (0) – QPR (1) – ‘Frank Clarke Headed on Mike Kelly’s Kick into the Watford
Half & Bridges…’
Football League Division Two

Team: Kelly, Watson, Clement, Venables, Hunt, Hazell, Bridges, Sibley, Clarke, Marsh,
Leach
Sub: Harris

Attendance: 26,698

On Wednesday, 20th August 1969, Rangers travelled to Vicarage Road. David Miller’s match
report appeared the following morning:

‘Watford, with one point from three games, are discovering in the Second Division what
Queen’s Park Rangers painfully learned in the First – there is no substitute for skill.

It is a while since Rangers had the pleasant experience of showing the opposition how the game
should be played, but last night there was no doubting their superiority.

Watford, to be sure, worked as hard, or harder, but as against Bolton on Saturday, could not finish.

It is difficult to survive at this level with a team assembled for an outlay of a mere £43,000.

Whatever else they lack, however, Watford are not short of support. The attendance – 26,698,
was a little short of the 32-year-old record of 27,461 established against Luton. But they are
clearly in need of more than a following.

Rangers, by comparison, had Venables, Bridges and Marsh, none of them notable for their physical
commitment, but all with a shrewd eye for the opening or the half-chance.

Watford could never match these three, and although Scullion hit a post after a quarter of an hour,
Bridges, who missed a reasonable chance a minute later, went racing through a few moments before
half-time, shrugging off a tackle by Williams, to sweep the ball low past Walker.

Substituting Green for the injured Lees in the second-half, with Walker dropping back to centre-half,
Watford exerted a lot of pressure, and Scullion, Green and Hale, all got in sight of goal without going
really close.’

And this short report appeared elsewhere:

‘The touch of pedigree which QPR acquired in the First Division, enabled them to survive against the
enthusiasm of Second Division newcomers Watford last night.

Barry Bridges secured two deserved points in front of a crowd of 26,698, Watford’s second highest for a
league game.

Frank Clarke headed on Mike Kelly’s kick into the Watford half and Bridges, with a beautifully controlled
run, shook off the challenge of John Williams and pushed the ball past the advancing Mike Walker.’

Then, three days later, Rangers defeated Millwall 3-2 at Loftus Road.

[Kerrins]

I was there in the Home end behind the goal the Rookery as it was then known. I had a
perfect view of Bridges goal because the winner was scored at that end of the ground.

Cue the chorus paraphrasing that old Beatles/ Marmalade pop song of the era......
Oh Blah Di Oh Blah Da Barry Bridges La La La La La La La