There had been many noteworthy encounters throughout the 1981/82 campaign, but for the sheer significance of the match, the Watford players had probably not appeared in a more important game then when they played Wrexham.

This was the night on which, after 100 years of existence, Watford had the chance to reach the First Division of English football.

The maths was straightforward. The Hornets were in second place with three games to go, in the days when the top three went up. One last push, one last win over Wrexham at The Vic and nothing could stop Graham Taylor and his side from marching into the top-flight.

Going into that game, promotion was all but inevitable. Even if Watford fell short against the Dragons, their rivals would have to conjure up something pretty special to elbow their way past the Golden Boys.

This was a group that knew all about clinching promotion, having done it in the Fourth and Third Divisions in the past. It was a team that included Luther Blissett and John Barnes – footballers with more than enough talent to step into most top division teams.

It was a special side where each player knew his job, a side that blended youth and experience, and was destined to clinch promotion. They were utterly focused on claiming the ultimate prize come season's end. And then there were the visitors, Wrexham, hovering on the brink of the relegation zone, having scored just two goals in six games.

But Watford didn’t underestimate the challenge and refused to lose focus, even if the fixture seemed favourable.

The opening to the game was as frenetic as you would have expected. Wrexham retreated deep into their own territory in the hope of securing at least a point from the evening, while Watford poured forward in search of that crucial first goal.

Chances came and went, but after 33 minutes Nigel Callaghan fed captain Pat Rice down the right. His cross was perfectly played, and Ross Jenkins rose highest to fire a header into the back of the net.

Collective relief spread around Vicarage Road, but following the interval, Wrexham were a far more potent threat. The relief dispersed as soon as it had arrived as the crucial second goal refused to arrive. There was no opportunity for that release of tension.

And then, finally, after 89 minutes it happened. A neat combination between Barnes and Wilf Rostron, and Jenkins was there waiting at the near post to place the ball past the goalkeeper. The strike was followed by bedlam in the stands and eventually on the pitch.

Once a sense of normality had been restored and the action restarted, the referee blew the final whistle, and the ground was once again awash with yellow and red as it was made official – Watford were in the First Division for the first time in their history.

It was quite an evening of celebration, replicated in the final home game of the season four days later against Leicester City, as the Watford faithful celebrated not just promotion, but the victory in the FA Youth Cup against Manchester United.