Our pre-season campaign gets underway tomorrow as we welcome Sky Bet Championship side Watford to Meadow Park.
Their fourth consecutive season in the second tier, the Hornets had a turbulent campaign which saw them finish in 16th place following a strong start to the season.
They went through three managers with Paulo Pezzolano dismissed after just ten games despite finishing his tenure with a three-game unbeaten run.
In came fan favourite Javi Gracia, who led them to the Emirates FA Cup final in 2019, but the Spaniard was unable to turn their fortunes around and resigned in February with the Hornets sitting in tenth place with an outside chance of reaching the play-offs.
However, those faint hopes quickly evaporated when Edward Still was next to take charge. The 35-year-old suffering a dismal run of results with just three wins in 13 games, provoking his departure at the end of the campaign.
Former Moroccan international Imran Louza will be central to Watford’s hopes of securing a top-end Championship finish this coming season. The midfielder touched down in Hertfordshire ahead of the 2021/22 season from Nantes and was part of the side which suffered relegation from the Premier League.
However, Louza has been a shining light in their recent Championship seasons and despite a brief loan stint at Lorient in 2024, he cemented his place in the heart of Watford’s midfield as he contributed nine goals and seven assists in the league last term.
The 24th permanent head coach since the Pozzo family took over in 2012, Alessio Dionisi is the man tasked with delivering a much improved campaign.
He has managed several Italian outfits since landing his first permanent managerial job with Olginatese in 2014. Managing abroad for the first time in his career, the 46-year-old has previously had major success with Empoli as he guided them to Serie A promotion in 2021 and managed to retain Venezia’s Serie B status.
Dionisi’s most recent managerial spell came in a second stint at Empoli in October, but he was sacked just five months into his spell after five victories in 22 games.
The Hornets are a regular pre-season clash for Luke Garrard’s side and the last meeting came in preparation for the 2025/26 campaign.
It was Watford who prevailed with a 2-0 victory as Louza broke the deadlock with 26 minutes on the clock before Amin Nabizada doubled their lead 20 minutes from time with a calm finish on a rebound.
This fixture kicks off at 15:00 and is unsegregated.
The Glass House will open from 12:00 and will be accessible via turnstiles 3 to 6, whilst the Away Fan Zone in the South-East corner of the stadium will be in operation from 13:30, when the stadium opens.
A variety of quality food options will also be available from our stadium catering partners, with outlets conveniently located adjacent to the Glass House and in the centre of the South Terrace. Toilet facilities are situated throughout the stadium and are easily accessible from all areas.
Adult – £15.00
OAP – £15.00
Under 18 – £10.00
Under 14* – £5.00
Under 5* – FREE
Tickets can be purchased by clicking here.
*Must be accompanied by a paying adult or OAP.
Written by Jack Patmore.
