One from Nick Wright, one from Allan Smart and two from the club’s official photographer Alan Cozzi. Without the latter, there would be quite a gap in the club’s pictorial history but, as he has done for more than 40 years, ‘Coz’ as he is known made sure the key moments from that 2-0 win over Bolton Wanderers were captured forever. A lifelong Watford fan, he has seen some of the most iconic moments in Hornet history through the lens of his cameras – and that has meant he’s had to stay calm while others around him are going berserk.
“As a photographer you must be detached from the emotion of being a fan,” he said. “You have to almost be outside the event looking in and detach yourself. If you have the emotions of a fan you’ll miss a good picture.
“I’ve pretty much not celebrated a Watford goal in decades. I didn’t celebrate when Nick Wright scored at Wembley that afternoon in 1999 or Troy Deeney’s goal against Leicester at Vicarage Road in the play-off semi-final. “If I’d been a fan that day at Vicarage Road I’d have been jumping up and down when Almunia saved the penalty, and it would have been too late to get myself back working before the goal had gone in.
“You cannot let your emotions get involved.” As well as not allowing celebrations to get between him and his work, Coz has also learned to isolate himself from the massive occasions. “Big games and big moments mean you don’t want to miss something that will turn out to be iconic i.
