David Vernon Watson
Encyclopedia
David Vernon Watson was a centre half
who was part of the Sunderland
team that won the FA Cup
in 1973.
, and started his career in 1966 as a striker with hometown club Notts County
, before moving to Rotherham United
in 1968.
for Rotherham United
in a player exchange which involved Keith Pring
, a Welsh
international left winger, going to Notts County
and the Millers paying £1,000.
In his debut he wore the number 11 shirt and played on the left wing in a 6-0 thrashing at Queens Park Rangers
on 6 January 1968. In his second match he played on the left side of midfield and in his third match, Docherty intended to play him at right back in the Third Round FA Cup
match at Millmoor against the top flight club Wolverhampton Wanderers
.
30 minutes before the game was due to start Watson told Docherty he couldn't play at right back and asked to play centre half where he would be up against the legendary centre forward, Derek Dougan
. Docherty relented and Watson played one of the finest games of his life keeping Dougan completely out of the game in a big cup upset which Rotherham won 1-0. Dougan even drifted over to the left wing to try to get the ball and was followed by Watson who unceremonially dumped him and the ball over the touch line.
Watson then made the number 5 shirt his own and was recognised as a future England international at centre half. He scored so many goals from corners that he was converted to centre forward and scored 12 goals in 20 matches before being transferred to Sunderland
for £100,000.
successfully moved him from centre forward
to the centre-back position.
Sunderland were outside the First Division
at the time but made a run to the FA Cup final at Wembley to face Leeds United. Leeds were the FA Cup holders and had many international players of great experience, yet on a rainy day at Wembley Sunderland won.
Watson's performances were noticed at the highest level and less than a year later he was given his debut for England
in a friendly game against Portugal
in Lisbon
. Watson – quite advanced in years for a debutant at 27 – was one of six first-timers on show (among the others were Trevor Brooking
) in what would prove to be 1966 World Cup-winning manager Alf Ramsey
's last game in charge.
Later in 1974, Watson won his second cap in an 2–0 defeat by Scotland
at Hampden Park
, Glasgow
, coming on as a substitute for Norman Hunter. His first competitive game at international level was his seventh appearance in all as England defeated Czechoslovakia
3–0 at Wembley in a qualifier for the 1976 European Championships. Despite this scoreline, England would not ultimately qualify for the finals while the Czech team would go on to win it.
Watson had started to become an England regular, playing in every international match in 1975. He was still a Sunderland player until the summer of that year but with the club, despite its FA Cup success and size, not yet achieving promotion back to the top flight of English football, Watson moved to Manchester City
for £275,000. He had 14 caps to his name by the time he finally played a top flight game. The year ended with England losing the return leg of the European qualifiers to the Czechs and then drew in Portugal.
final, where they beat Newcastle United
2–1, giving Watson another successful day at Wembley and a winner's medal in the game's other major domestic cup competition.
In the autumn of 1975, Watson sustained an injury to his back which resulted in him having a laminectomy
at the end of the season in May 1976. As a result of this he could not play for England during the whole calendar year of 1976. He did continue to play for Manchester City during this period but missed numerous games due to the injury. Despite this, Manchester City still achieved a defensive record at the end of the 1975–76 campaign, which had been bettered only by the top three teams in the final table. In the absence of Watson, England boss Don Revie
had decided to look at other central defenders, including Liverpool
's Phil Thompson
and Manchester United
's precocious youngster Brian Greenhoff
. Watson was not able to take part in a special tournament to commemorate the United States Bicentennial
celebrations, which would have pitched him up against the likes of Pelé
and Bobby Moore
, both of whom were playing in the NASL
at the time. He also sat out three qualifying games for the 1978 World Cup.
At the beginning of 1977, Thompson had suffered an injury which put paid to his whole season (missing Liverpool's first European Cup
victory in the process) and Watson, now 30 years old and back to full health, was back in the England side. He played every minute of England's fixtures that year, including World Cup qualifying victories over Luxembourg
(twice) and Italy
, though after the Italians had earlier defeated England in the campaign and had a better goals record against Luxembourg. England missed out on the finals for a second successive tournament. Watson did not miss another England game until 1980.
The following season, Watson was made club captain after veteran Mike Doyle started to wind down his career, and Manchester City finished fourth in the League with Watson missing just one match. During the same year, Watson's establishment as England's first choice central defender was galvanised by a 4–3 victory over Denmark
in Copenhagen
which set the seal on a qualification for the 1980 European Championships – England's first major tournament qualification for a decade.
debut in a 1–0 win against Bayer Uerdingen. In his second league game with the club, a 4–1 defeat against 1860 Munich, he was sent off for violent conduct against Hermann Bitz
, and received an eight-week suspension for the incident. In October 1979, Watson's relationship with the management deteriorated further after refusing to travel to an away game against Schalke 04, claiming he was injured. He returned to England shortly afterwards, signing for Southampton
for a fee of £200,000.
Watson continued his England career, earning his 50th cap against Argentina
in a warm-up game prior to the European Championships in Italy
. Watson duly played in all three of England's group games – against Belgium, Italy and Spain
– but a draw, defeat and victory respectively was not enough for England to progress.
Southampton were a strong, experienced team when Watson joined them, with his England friends Kevin Keegan
, Mick Channon
, and Alan Ball
among their charges. However, Watson was now 33 years of age, and it was believed that his career was winding down. Yet he played for Southampton and continued to be selected for England as a result, playing in the first six of the eight qualifying games for the 1982 World Cup in Spain
.
Though in the squads for the last two qualifiers, England coach Ron Greenwood looked a little to the future by selecting Russell Osman
and then Alvin Martin
to replace Watson at the back. England booked their place at the finals thanks to a 1–0 win over Hungary at Wembley in the final qualifier, and in the preparatory friendly matches over the next six months, Watson featured just twice: in a 4–0 win over Northern Ireland in February 1982, and then in a 1–1 draw in Reykjavík
against Iceland
in June, just a fortnight before England's first match in a World Cup finals tournament for twelve years. By now, Watson had left Southampton for Stoke City
and had thus become the first player to be capped by England while with five different clubs. Only Peter Shilton
and David Platt have since emulated this achievement. Plus Emile Heskey and David James
To Watson's dismay, Greenwood chose not to select him in the World Cup squad of 22. Thompson and the young Ipswich Town
defender Terry Butcher
was his preferred partnership at the back with young Brighton
centre back Steve Foster
getting the nod as cover.
England went out of the tournament in the second phase and with Greenwood leaving the job and new coach Bobby Robson needing to build a new team for the rest of the 1980s, it was obvious that a 36-year-old Watson would no longer be required for England. With 65 caps and four goals, it was over. During the summer of 1982, Watson took part in a disastrous 'rebel' tour of South Africa, organised by Jimmy Hill and managed by John Barnwell. The tour included many other former England players whose best days were behind them, such as Mick Channon, Stuart Pearson and Brian Greenhoff.
As well as the welcome record for being capped while with five clubs, he also holds a less welcome record for winning the most England caps without ever playing in the World Cup finals. At 36 years of age when winning his final cap, Watson is also one of the oldest outfield players ever to play for England.
Watson scaled down his career by playing for Derby County
and making a brief return to his first club Notts County. He also spent some time with Vancouver Whitecaps
in the NASL
in 1983 (26 Apps 3 Goals). In 1984, he joined the Fort Lauderdale Sun
of the second division United Soccer League
(USL).
Watson has kept a low profile since retirement, concentrating on his business interests. When his England career ended, he was seventh in the list of most capped players, though since then no fewer than 20 players, as of September 2010, have surpassed his total.
Manchester City
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
who was part of the Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
team that won the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
in 1973.
Early career
Watson was born in Stapleford, NottinghamshireStapleford, Nottinghamshire
-External links:***...
, and started his career in 1966 as a striker with hometown club Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
, before moving to Rotherham United
Rotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...
in 1968.
Rotherham United
Watson was signed by Tommy DochertyTommy Docherty
Thomas Henderson "Tommy" Docherty , commonly known as "The Doc", is a Scottish former footballer and football manager.-Playing career:...
for Rotherham United
Rotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...
in a player exchange which involved Keith Pring
Keith Pring
Keith David Pring , is a Welsh former professional footballer and Wales international. A winger, he began his career as an apprentice at Newport County and made his debut in 1961. He made 61 Football League appearances for Newport, scoring 3 goals before joining Rotherham United in October 1964 for...
, a Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
international left winger, going to Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
and the Millers paying £1,000.
In his debut he wore the number 11 shirt and played on the left wing in a 6-0 thrashing at Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
on 6 January 1968. In his second match he played on the left side of midfield and in his third match, Docherty intended to play him at right back in the Third Round FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
match at Millmoor against the top flight club Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
.
30 minutes before the game was due to start Watson told Docherty he couldn't play at right back and asked to play centre half where he would be up against the legendary centre forward, Derek Dougan
Derek Dougan
Alexander Derek Dougan was a former Northern Ireland international footballer who played for Wolverhampton Wanderers....
. Docherty relented and Watson played one of the finest games of his life keeping Dougan completely out of the game in a big cup upset which Rotherham won 1-0. Dougan even drifted over to the left wing to try to get the ball and was followed by Watson who unceremonially dumped him and the ball over the touch line.
Watson then made the number 5 shirt his own and was recognised as a future England international at centre half. He scored so many goals from corners that he was converted to centre forward and scored 12 goals in 20 matches before being transferred to Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
for £100,000.
Sunderland
In December 1970 he journeyed to the north-east to join Sunderland and in the 1971-1972 season was their leading scorer with 15 goals. The following season new Sunderland boss Bob StokoeBob Stokoe
Robert "Bob" Stokoe was an English footballer and manager who was able, almost uniquely, to transcend the traditional north-east rivalry between the region's footballing giants, Newcastle United and Sunderland....
successfully moved him from centre forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
to the centre-back position.
Sunderland were outside the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
at the time but made a run to the FA Cup final at Wembley to face Leeds United. Leeds were the FA Cup holders and had many international players of great experience, yet on a rainy day at Wembley Sunderland won.
Watson's performances were noticed at the highest level and less than a year later he was given his debut for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
in a friendly game against Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. Watson – quite advanced in years for a debutant at 27 – was one of six first-timers on show (among the others were Trevor Brooking
Trevor Brooking
Sir Trevor David Brooking CBE is a football player turned manager, on-air analyst, and administrator.Brooking attended Ripple Infants School and left Ilford County High School with 11 O-levels and 2 A-levels....
) in what would prove to be 1966 World Cup-winning manager Alf Ramsey
Alf Ramsey
Sir Alfred Ernest "Alf" Ramsey was an English footballer and manager of the English national football team from 1963 to 1974. His greatest achievement was winning the 1966 World Cup with England on 30 July 1966...
's last game in charge.
Later in 1974, Watson won his second cap in an 2–0 defeat by Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, coming on as a substitute for Norman Hunter. His first competitive game at international level was his seventh appearance in all as England defeated Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia national football team
The Czechoslovakia national football team was the national association football team of Czechoslovakia from 1922 to 1993. At the dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, the team was participating in UEFA qualifying Group 4 for the 1994 World Cup; it completed this campaign under the name...
3–0 at Wembley in a qualifier for the 1976 European Championships. Despite this scoreline, England would not ultimately qualify for the finals while the Czech team would go on to win it.
Watson had started to become an England regular, playing in every international match in 1975. He was still a Sunderland player until the summer of that year but with the club, despite its FA Cup success and size, not yet achieving promotion back to the top flight of English football, Watson moved to Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
for £275,000. He had 14 caps to his name by the time he finally played a top flight game. The year ended with England losing the return leg of the European qualifiers to the Czechs and then drew in Portugal.
Manchester City
In 1976 Watson had a strong beginning to his Manchester City career, with the side finishing eighth in the First Division and reaching the League CupFootball League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
final, where they beat Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
2–1, giving Watson another successful day at Wembley and a winner's medal in the game's other major domestic cup competition.
In the autumn of 1975, Watson sustained an injury to his back which resulted in him having a laminectomy
Laminectomy
Laminectomy is a spine operation to remove the portion of the vertebral bone called the lamina. There are many variations of laminectomy. In the most minimal form small skin incisions are made, back muscles are pushed aside rather than cut, and the parts of the vertebra adjacent to the lamina are...
at the end of the season in May 1976. As a result of this he could not play for England during the whole calendar year of 1976. He did continue to play for Manchester City during this period but missed numerous games due to the injury. Despite this, Manchester City still achieved a defensive record at the end of the 1975–76 campaign, which had been bettered only by the top three teams in the final table. In the absence of Watson, England boss Don Revie
Don Revie
Donald George 'Don' Revie, OBE, , was an English footballer who played for Leicester City, Hull City, Sunderland, Manchester City and Leeds United as a deep-lying centre forward. After managing Leeds United he managed England from 1974 until 1977...
had decided to look at other central defenders, including Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
's Phil Thompson
Phil Thompson
Philip Bernard Thompson is a retired English footballer, who played as a defender for Liverpool team of the 1970s and 1980s. During this time, he also represented the England national football team on 42 occasions...
and Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
's precocious youngster Brian Greenhoff
Brian Greenhoff
Brian Greenhoff was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Manchester United, Leeds United and Rochdale. He was capped 18 times for England....
. Watson was not able to take part in a special tournament to commemorate the United States Bicentennial
United States Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to the historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic...
celebrations, which would have pitched him up against the likes of Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
and Bobby Moore
Bobby Moore
Robert Frederick Chelsea "Bobby" Moore, OBE was an English footballer. He captained West Ham United for more than ten years and was captain of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup...
, both of whom were playing in the NASL
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
at the time. He also sat out three qualifying games for the 1978 World Cup.
At the beginning of 1977, Thompson had suffered an injury which put paid to his whole season (missing Liverpool's first European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
victory in the process) and Watson, now 30 years old and back to full health, was back in the England side. He played every minute of England's fixtures that year, including World Cup qualifying victories over Luxembourg
Luxembourg national football team
The Luxembourg national football team is the national football team of Luxembourg, and is controlled by the Luxembourg Football Federation. The team play most of their home matches at the Stade Josy Barthel, in Luxembourg.- History :...
(twice) and Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
, though after the Italians had earlier defeated England in the campaign and had a better goals record against Luxembourg. England missed out on the finals for a second successive tournament. Watson did not miss another England game until 1980.
The following season, Watson was made club captain after veteran Mike Doyle started to wind down his career, and Manchester City finished fourth in the League with Watson missing just one match. During the same year, Watson's establishment as England's first choice central defender was galvanised by a 4–3 victory over Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
which set the seal on a qualification for the 1980 European Championships – England's first major tournament qualification for a decade.
After Manchester City
Watson was surprisingly sold to Werder Bremen in the summer of 1979. He made his BundesligaBundesliga
The Bundesliga is the name for the premier league of any sport in Germany or Austria...
debut in a 1–0 win against Bayer Uerdingen. In his second league game with the club, a 4–1 defeat against 1860 Munich, he was sent off for violent conduct against Hermann Bitz
Hermann Bitz
Hermann Bitz is a retired German football player. He spent eight seasons in the Bundesliga with 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Kickers Offenbach and TSV 1860 München. He also participated in the 1972 Olympics for West Germany....
, and received an eight-week suspension for the incident. In October 1979, Watson's relationship with the management deteriorated further after refusing to travel to an away game against Schalke 04, claiming he was injured. He returned to England shortly afterwards, signing for Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
for a fee of £200,000.
Watson continued his England career, earning his 50th cap against Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
in a warm-up game prior to the European Championships in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Watson duly played in all three of England's group games – against Belgium, Italy and Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
– but a draw, defeat and victory respectively was not enough for England to progress.
Southampton were a strong, experienced team when Watson joined them, with his England friends Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
, Mick Channon
Mick Channon
Michael Roger "Mick" Channon is a sportsman who enjoyed a career as a striker with Southampton and England in the 1970s and later became a hugely successful racehorse trainer.-Southampton:...
, and Alan Ball
Alan Ball (footballer)
Alan James Ball, Jr., MBE was a professional English footballer and football club manager.He was the youngest member of England's 1966 World Cup winning team and played for various clubs, scoring more than 180 league goals in a career spanning 22 years...
among their charges. However, Watson was now 33 years of age, and it was believed that his career was winding down. Yet he played for Southampton and continued to be selected for England as a result, playing in the first six of the eight qualifying games for the 1982 World Cup in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
Though in the squads for the last two qualifiers, England coach Ron Greenwood looked a little to the future by selecting Russell Osman
Russell Osman
Russell Charles Osman is a retired England international footballer.-Playing career:Osman was born in Repton, Derbyshire, the son of Rex Osman who played a handful of games for Derby County in the early 1950s...
and then Alvin Martin
Alvin Martin
Alvin Edward Martin is a retired English footballer who played as a defender.Playing most of his footballing career for West Ham United he appeared in 598 games for scoring 34 goals...
to replace Watson at the back. England booked their place at the finals thanks to a 1–0 win over Hungary at Wembley in the final qualifier, and in the preparatory friendly matches over the next six months, Watson featured just twice: in a 4–0 win over Northern Ireland in February 1982, and then in a 1–1 draw in Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
against Iceland
Iceland national football team
The Iceland national football team is the national football team of Iceland and is controlled by the Football Association of Iceland. It has never advanced to the finals of any major international competition....
in June, just a fortnight before England's first match in a World Cup finals tournament for twelve years. By now, Watson had left Southampton for Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
and had thus become the first player to be capped by England while with five different clubs. Only Peter Shilton
Peter Shilton
Peter Leslie Shilton OBE is a former English footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He currently holds the record for playing more games for England than anyone else, earning 125 caps....
and David Platt have since emulated this achievement. Plus Emile Heskey and David James
To Watson's dismay, Greenwood chose not to select him in the World Cup squad of 22. Thompson and the young Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
defender Terry Butcher
Terry Butcher
Terence Ian "Terry" Butcher is an English football manager and former player. He was a highly successful football player and made his name as an uncompromising defender with Ipswich Town and Rangers in the 1980s. He was also a captain of England and won 77 caps in a ten-year international career...
was his preferred partnership at the back with young Brighton
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
centre back Steve Foster
Steve Foster
Stephen "Steve" Brian Foster is a former English football player, famed for wearing a headband and having one of the greatest beards in football.-Football career:...
getting the nod as cover.
England went out of the tournament in the second phase and with Greenwood leaving the job and new coach Bobby Robson needing to build a new team for the rest of the 1980s, it was obvious that a 36-year-old Watson would no longer be required for England. With 65 caps and four goals, it was over. During the summer of 1982, Watson took part in a disastrous 'rebel' tour of South Africa, organised by Jimmy Hill and managed by John Barnwell. The tour included many other former England players whose best days were behind them, such as Mick Channon, Stuart Pearson and Brian Greenhoff.
As well as the welcome record for being capped while with five clubs, he also holds a less welcome record for winning the most England caps without ever playing in the World Cup finals. At 36 years of age when winning his final cap, Watson is also one of the oldest outfield players ever to play for England.
Watson scaled down his career by playing for Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
and making a brief return to his first club Notts County. He also spent some time with Vancouver Whitecaps
Vancouver Whitecaps (NASL)
The original Vancouver Whitecaps were founded on December 11, 1973 and during the 1970s and 1980s played in the North American Soccer League . The Whitecaps achieved success, winning the 1979 Soccer Bowl. The Whitecaps of that era included international players such as Alan Ball, but also "home...
in the NASL
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
in 1983 (26 Apps 3 Goals). In 1984, he joined the Fort Lauderdale Sun
Fort Lauderdale Sun
Fort Lauderdale Sun was a U.S. soccer team which played two seasons in the United Soccer League. In 1983, the team was known as the Fort Lauderdale Sun, but in 1985, changed its name to the South Florida Sun.-Origins:...
of the second division United Soccer League
United Soccer League
The United Soccer League was a professional soccer league in the United States in the mid-1980s.After the demise of the second incarnation of the American Soccer League in 1983, four ASL teams founded the USL...
(USL).
Watson has kept a low profile since retirement, concentrating on his business interests. When his England career ended, he was seventh in the list of most capped players, though since then no fewer than 20 players, as of September 2010, have surpassed his total.
As a player
Sunderland- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
winner: 1973FA Cup Final 1973The 1973 FA Cup Final took place on 5 May 1973 at Wembley Stadium. It was the 92nd final and the 45th to be played at Wembley, which was celebrating its 50th anniversary year. The final was contested between the previous season's winners Leeds United, who were one of the dominant teams at the time,...
Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
- Football League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
winner: 19761976 Football League Cup FinalThe 1976 Football League Cup Final took place between Manchester City and Newcastle United on 28 February 1976 at Wembley Stadium. It was the sixteenth final and the tenth Football League Cup final to be played at Wembley. Manchester City won the match 2–1 to win the competition for the second time...