In July 1993, after
Steve Perryman left to join
Tottenham Hotspur, Roeder was hired as Watford's new manager at the start of the
1993–94 season. However, Watford were fined £10,000 for an illegal approach, and ordered to pay
Gillingham a further £30,000 in compensation.[1]
Watford endured a poor season and came nowhere near to mounting a serious promotion challenge which at one stage produced just 4 wins from 20 league games, picking up just 16 points out of 60 during that run which also included 7 defeats in 8 games. As a result of their poor form, they were involved in a relegation battle and at that stage just ahead of the relegation zone on goals scored, and their form didn't improve heading to the closing stages of the season and again lost 7 from 8 games between 5 February and 19 March which saw the Hornets in the relegation zone and looked set for the drop but their final 10 games saw Watford win six to secure survival for another season in Division One.
^"1993-94 Squad". www.hornethistory.com. Archived from
the original on 4 December 2008. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
Notes
^McCarthy was born in
Wandsworth,
England, but also qualified to represent
Wales internationally and represented them at
U-21 level.
^Lavin was born in
Corby,
England, but also qualified to represent
Scotland internationally and represented them at
U-21 level.
^Dyer was born in
Redbridge,
England, and represented them at
U-21 level, but played a friendly game
for
Montserrat against Ashford Town in September 2007.