Olly Wicken tells of one of the Vicarage Road faithful, whose roots go all the way back to 1922.
You used to find Rubus in the south west corner of the ground on the cinder banking that people used to call The Bend. Rubus was an ever-present. From Watford’s very first match at Vicarage Road in 1922, Rubus was always there, rain or shine, season after season. Always in exactly the same spot.
In those days, some people stood down at the front by the railings, to be close to the game, and some stood on the top of the banking for a better vantage point, but Rubus chose to be at the very back, right up against the fence. Rubus liked it there. People said Rubus had set down roots.
For Rubus’s first thirty seasons at the stadium, Watford played in the same division. Each summer there would be a flowering of hope, but it didn’t bear fruit. Some supporters gave up, but Rubus was hardy.
A further fifty seasons on, though, things changed. The club became more ambitious, and needed to develop the stadium. The Bend was concreted over and became an area for away supporters. Rubus was uprooted.
And, all of a sudden, that was it for Rubus. Rubus was gone. In time, a huge new stand was built where Rubus had grown up,, and now there are hospitality boxes and restaurants. Rubus hasn’t been seen inside Vicarage Road for decades now. The environment just hasn’t been right.
Inside the stadium, that is.
Because the thing about Rubus is that Rubus sticks around
Another fifty seasons on, you’ll still find Rubus outside the stadium on match days. Ever-present. Always in exactly the same spot.
It surprises some people that, after all this time, Rubus is still there on Occupation Road, directly opposite the Players’ Entrance. But Rubus is always against the wall, next to one of the old lock-up garages. Next time you go to a game, look out for Rubus.
In 2024, Rubus has been a regular at Watford Football Club for more than a century — with roots genuinely running deep. And we can learn something from Rubus’s continued presence. Rubus Fruticus (to use the full genus name for brambles) teaches us that, no matter how much the club changes, there are elements of Watford’s history that, pleasingly, never go away.
