Watford’s 2-0 victory at Woking in the 2018/19 FA Cup third round itself was a relatively unremarkable game, best remembered for being the first step towards the final.
The occasion is fondly remembered by many, however. The opportunity to watch the Hornets away at non-league opposition was something of a novelty for supporters, while Gracia himself embraced the romance of the day wholeheartedly.
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The Spaniard and then Woking boss Alan Dowson exchanged a bottle of sangria and Newcastle Brown Ale after the match, with Gracia contributing to a fundraising initiative at the club the following year.
Javi Gracia arrives at Woking in 2019
As he prepares to take charge of the Hornets in the third round once again at Bristol City this evening, Gracia spoke fondly of that day and the run that followed.
He said: “I had a good relationship with the manager [Dowson] from that day.
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“It was an amazing experience for me and, for sure, an important step in the FA Cup.
“We had to play so many games away, all of them until Crystal Palace at home in the quarter-final.
“All of them had different circumstances, different level of the teams, but the team competed – and if you remember, we competed many games with players who didn’t have the minutes they expected in the Premier League.
“That’s my objective for the competition this year, to enjoy it and try to get good results.”
