A Visit To The Vicarage!

Andy Greeves tells a story from our vast history that has a link to our matchday opponents. This evening, he looks back at two memorable trips to Watford for Jürgen Klinsmann during his first season with us in 1994-95

Coming just eight days after we announced the signing of German international striker Jürgen Klinsmann from AS Monaco, our trip to Watford for a pre-season friendly on August 6, 1994, attracted considerable attention from supporters and the media alike.

While the Rookery Stand at Vicarage Road was closed for redevelopment for the fixture, the other three sections of the ground were full to capacity, with the Hornets’ biggest crowd of the entire 1994-95 campaign - 14,021 – present. Journalist and author Harry Harris, who was there on the day, reported in his 1995 biography Klinsmann that there were also “eight TV crews and 100 reporters, with another 25 from Germany, locked outside,” such was the interest in seeing the forward’s first appearance in a Tottenham shirt.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the kickoff for the match was delayed by 15 minutes as “Klinsmania”, as it was dubbed, was in full grip in Hertfordshire that afternoon. Watford’s Australian midfielder Richard Johnson briefly upstaged our star striker, with a 35yard yard shot to put the home side in front after just six minutes.

Klinsmann had numerous chances to equalise thereafter. He hit a powerful drive from the edge of the Watford penalty area midway through the first half that would have nestled in the bottom corner of the net but for a fine save from Hornets goalkeeper Kevin Miller. In the second period, he put a bullet header just over the crossbar from a David Howells cross. He went on to score with a very similar effort on his Premier League debut at Sheffield Wednesday a few weeks later.