Watford F.C.

Watford

Watford badge
Full name	Watford Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Hornets, The Golden Boys, Yellow Army The Horns
Founded	1881
Ground	Vicarage Road Watford England
Capacity	17,000 (expanding to 23,500)(east stand temp closed)
Chairman	Giacomo (Jimmy) Russo
Manager	Brendan Rodgers
League	The Championship
2007–08	The Championship, 6th
Home colours Away colours

Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. They play in the Championship.

The club was founded in 1881, first playing at Cassio Road ground, before moving to Vicarage Road in 1922, where they remain to this day. Since 1997 they have shared the ground with Saracens Rugby Club. The club has the nickame of The Hornets due to its yellow and black strip. Watford have a long-standing rivalry with nearby Luton Town and a more recent one with MK Dons.

The club is best known for its two spells under the management of former England manager Graham Taylor. The first lasting from 1977 to 1987, when the club rose to the old Division One from Division Four, also reaching the FA Cup final in 1984 and competing in the UEFA Cup. The second lasting from 1997 to 2001, when Taylor took the club from Division Two to the Premiership in successive seasons. During both of these eras the club was owned by Sir Elton John, who has continued a long association with the club. He was made the club's honorary life president, a position he resigned in November 2008 but in late March 2009 he re-assumed the position as Honorary Life President, holding out the prospect of a summer 2009 fundraising concert at Vicarage Road.

History

The birth of Watford Football Club (1881-1921)

Watford Football Club were formed in 1881 as Watford Rovers, who played their home games at a pitch in Cassiobury Park. They later played at Vicarage Meadow and then at the Rose and Crown Pitch on Market Street. They first competed in the FA Cup in the 1886-87 season and in 1889 they won the County Cup.

In 1893, Watford Rovers became West Hertfordshire and joined the Southern Football League in 1896, becoming professional a year later.

In 1898, West Hertfordshire merged with Watford St Mary's to become Watford Football Club.

In 1898 they moved on to a ground in Casio Road owned by Lady Essex who was dubious about giving support to the game. Pressure from her to move eventually forced the manager, Harry Kent, to look for a new permanent ground which he found in 1914 at Vicarage Road , the clubs home today. They did not however move in until 1922.

They remained in the Southern League until 1921, when they joined the southern section of the Football League Third Division.

In the early years the club was sponsored by Ralph Thorpe , chairman of Wells Brewery and Benskins brewery sponsored the purchase of Vicarage Road earning the team the nickname of "The Brewers". Another early nickname was "the Wasps" because of their shirts which bore coloured hoops.

The Third Division South years (1921-1958)

1921-22 was only the second season of the third tier of the Football League (in parallel to the northern section), and 22 clubs were in each section of the two new divisions, fighting for both promotion to the Second Division and also battling to hold on to their hard-won league status - there was a re-election system in place which meant the bottom two teams in each of the two divisions had to apply for re-election in favour of the champions of the Northern League and Southern League.

Watford remained in the Third Division South for 37 years, and when the league was restructured into four national divisions for the 1958-59, Watford were placed in the new Fourth Division.

Up until 1950 the team was known as "The Blues".

Success at last (1958-1972)

Watford spent two seasons in the Fourth Division before they gained promotion to the Third Division in 1960. Nine years later, they reached the Second Division for the first time in their history by winning the Third Division championship, and a year later they reached the FA Cup semi-final for the first time, building up hopes that they could soon be playing First Division football. However, they fell back into the Third Division in 1972.

In 1966 the player manager Ken Furphy game the club its current nickname of "The Hornets".

Decline (1972-1977)

Watford failed to make an impact in the Third Division, and in 1975 were relegated to the Fourth Division. However, they were adopted by pop star Elton John in 1973 first as president and from 1976 as chairman. He had a declared ambition to take Watford into the First Division.

The Graham Taylor era (1977–1987)

When 32-year-old Graham Taylor was named as Watford's new manager at the start of the 1976-77 season, the club had just been purchased by world famous pop star Elton John (a lifelong fan of the club) and were an unremarkable Fourth Division side. In 1977 the greyhound track that encircled the pitch was removed as it was seen to lower the clubs professional reputation by the manager Graham Taylor. Thanks to the efforts of chairman, manager and playing staff, Watford had reached the First Division by the start of the 1982–83 season. Players like John Barnes, Ross Jenkins and Luther Blissett were some of the most respected players in the English game during the 1980s. Watford finished their first top flight season as runners-up behind champions Liverpool. The club competed in the UEFA cup the following season and an FA Cup final appearance followed in 1984, although Watford lost to Everton. After guiding Watford to a ninth-place finish in 1986-87, Taylor was lured away to Aston Villa.

Life after Graham Taylor: Outside the top division (1987–1998)

After Graham Taylor left, Dave Bassett was placed in charge. The Hornets suffered a terrible start to the 1987-88 season, and Dave Bassett was let go after a short stint of only eight months. Watford were relegated from the First Division at the end of that season. The next season, 1988-89, Watford failed to return to the First Division after they lost Second Division playoffs. Over the next few seasons, Watford never seriously challenged for promotion. Their highest finish was a Craig Ramage-inspired seventh in Division One at the end of the 1994-95 season, but they were relegated the following year.

The club did win the FA Youth Cup in the 1988-89 season, beating Man City 2-1 after extra time; David James was in goal for the Hornets.

The return of Graham Taylor (1998–2001)

Graham Taylor returned to Watford as Director of Football in February 1996, with former player Kenny Jackett as head coach, but was unable to stop the club from sliding into Division Two. After a mid-table finish in Division Two at the end of 1996-97, Jackett was demoted to the position of assistant manager and Taylor returned his old role as manager. The transition proved a success and Watford secured the Division Two championship in 1997-98, beating Bristol City into second place after a season-long struggle. A second successive promotion followed in 1998-99, thanks to a playoff final victory over Bolton which secured the club's promotion to the Premiership.

The Premiership season started brightly with an early surprising victory over Liverpool, but soon faded away, and Watford were relegated after finishing bottom. Graham Taylor retired at the end of the 2000-01 season (although just months later he returned to football management at Aston Villa), and was replaced in a surprise move by Gianluca Vialli, who had recently been sacked by Chelsea F.C..

Watford under Vialli (2001–2002)

Vialli's time at the club was short and unhappy. In an unpopular move he replaced long-time backroom staff such as Kenny Jackett and Luther Blissett, replacing them with ex-Chelsea staff he had brought with him. Vialli made several high-profile signings, and wage bills at the club soared, with Vialli himself earning almost a million pounds a year. However, the season was mediocre, with the club finishing a lowly 14th in the division, and Vialli was sacked after only one season, having refused to resign. He was replaced by Ray Lewington, who had come to the club the previous summer as Vialli's reserve team manager.

Ray Lewington (2002–2005)

Lewington took charge of Watford for the 2002-03 season. Over the summer many of the Vialli's signings left the club. Lewington had few funds to strengthen the side and was only able to bring in two players, the experienced Neal Ardley and Sean Dyche. The extent of Watford's financial difficulties was exposed in the autumn, along with many League clubs, following the collapse of ITV Digital. The club was facing administration when the players and staff agreed a 12% wage deferral. Exacerbating the club's difficulties were the large payoffs they had had to make to Vialli and several players on terminating their contracts, and Vialli's decision to sue the club early in 2003. The club started the season well, however, despite the players having to agree to a pay-cut during October, and finished in mid-table. An unexpected run to the FA Cup semi-final, where Watford lost to Premiership Southampton, also generated vital cash.

The ongoing financial difficulties saw a large number of players released that summer, including record signing Allan Nielsen and strikers Tommy Smith and Gifton Noel-Williams. There was a degree of hope around the new strike-force. Danny Webber - who had previously impressed on loan - was signed in a deal financed by several directors, along with Manchester United youngster Jimmy Davis, on loan for the season, and former star Bruce Dyer.

Tragically, however, Davis was killed in a car-crash on the opening day of the campaign. This had a huge effect on the team's form at the beginning of the season, and notably on Webber, who was one of his closest friends. Hovering above the relegation zone, the team struggled on through the winter. Terrace hero Paul Robinson was sold for the relatively small sum of £250,000, after a bid from West Brom. Non-league signing Scott Fitzgerald scoring many of the team's goals in a make-shift attack, with Gavin Mahon, who had a poor 2002-03, made a significant contribution in the centre of midfield. A strong finish to the season, led by winger Lee Cook, saw the club finish in mid-table.

The 2004-05 season saw a continuation of the good form of the end of the previous season, with the club well in the upper half of the Championship at the end of September. However, a long run of poor form subsequently saw the club drop steadily towards the relegation zone. Another good cup run further eased the club's financial position, with the team reaching the semi-final of the League Cup, soundly beating Premiership sides Portsmouth and Southampton on the way, before losing narrowly to Liverpool. The club's poor league form, however, came to a head in March, with a run of terrible performances and Lewington was sacked on the 22nd. His sacking was controversial, and many fans were unhappy at the loss of a man who had led the club to two cup semi finals in three seasons, enduring considerable financial hardships.

Aidy Boothroyd (2005–2008)

At the age of 34, Aidy Boothroyd was appointed manager of Watford after serving at Leeds United as a coach; 70-year-old Keith Burkinshaw was recruited as his assistant. Boothroyd's inexperience raised concerns among fans, who worried that he would not be able to keep the side in the Championship. However, Watford secured enough points to ensure survival with two games to go in the season.

Fan dissent continued throughout the summer of 2005, and increased due to the sacking of Nigel Gibbs as coach after more than twenty years of service and the departure of a large number of fan favourite players. Among those to go were star striker Heiðar Helguson and Danny Webber leaving the club with only one recognised striker.

In a flurry of late-August activity in 2005, Boothroyd signed strikers Darius Henderson and Marlon King (initially on a season-long loan), central defenders Clarke Carlisle and Malky Mackay, midfielder Matthew Spring and goalkeeper Ben Foster (also on a season-long loan), assuaging many fans' doubts about the depth of the squad. Carlisle and Spring had both worked with Boothroyd at Leeds United the previous season.

Although Watford lost the opening match of the season 2-1 at home to Preston North End, Boothroyd's first full season at the club subsequently saw strong performances from the team to take them into the top half of the Championship, with the side consistently maintaining a third place position. A strong run of form in early 2006, including an impressive 4-1 win at second-placed Sheffield United saw Watford threatening to take second place and an automatic promotion spot. A subsequent down-turn in form rendered this impossible, but a draw at home against Luton Town on 9 April secured Watford a play-off spot.

Championship Play-off final 2006. (Leeds United vs. Watford)

Following a 3-0 away victory at Crystal Palace and a subsequent 0-0 draw at Vicarage Road in the semi-finals Watford reached the playoff final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Watford then beat Leeds 3-0 in the final to gain promotion to the Premier League and an estimated £41m as a result (all 13,000 available season tickets were quickly sold out).

This money was spent on several players in the 2006 pre-season, including three players who represent their country at the international level; central midfielder Damien Francis, centre-back Danny Shittu and Hungarian striker Tamás Priskin and securing the re-signing of Ben Foster (on another season-long loan) and Tommy Smith.

The Hornets secured their first Premiership point of the season with a draw against West Ham in their second game of the season. However, they had to wait until 4 November 2006 to record their first league win of the season, against Middlesbrough.

The January transfer window was busy, with the sale of Ashley Young to Aston Villa for a fee rising to £9.65 million - a record transfer fee for the club. Watford also brought in 8 new signings.

Watford only recorded five wins in the Premiership, and sat at the bottom of the league table. However, they reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup, where they lost to Manchester United. Despite drawing 1–1 draw with Manchester City, Watford were relegated on 21 April 2007. Nonetheless Boothroyd's contract was renewed until 2010.

The team wasted no time in bringing in new players. As soon as the season finished, veteran centre back Matt Jackson joined from Wigan after his contract expired and goalkeeper Mart Poom joined from Arsenal for an undisclosed fee, Jobi McAnuff moved from Crystal Palace for £1.75 million and in a new record signing Nathan Ellington moved from West Brom for a fee of £3.25 million which may rise to £4.25 million. This move was partially funded by the £3 million departure of Hameur Bouazza to Fulham.

Watford made a good start to the 2007–08 season. With Darius Henderson and Marlon King scoring regularly, they built a lead at the top of the Championship. In November and December they had a poor run of form, particularly at home, which lead to their closest competitor, West Bromwich Albion, overtaking them in early January. Watford assured themselves a play-off place on the final day of the season after a fortunate draw at Blackpool.

On 25 January 2008 Marlon King made a surprise move to Wigan Athletic when he had been linked numerous times to Fulham. Reports claimed that King failed a medical at Fulham which prompted Wigan boss Steve Bruce to step in and sign the Jamaican international. On the same day 22 year old Fulham striker Collins John made a loan move to Watford which ended following an injury to the player. Watford also loaned in West Ham United defender Calum Davenport, who broke his neck during his first match for the club.

In the play-offs, Watford's wretched form continued with Hull City winning 2-0 at Vicarage Road and despite Watford taking the lead at the KC Stadium, Hull ran out 4-1 winners (6-1 on aggregate) to condemn Watford to another season in the Championship.

In the pre-season of 2008, Watford were rumoured to have financial problems, and sold a number of key players. Jordan Stewart and record signing Nathan Ellington were both sold to Derby County and last season's top scorer Darius Henderson was signed by Sheffield United for £2 million. Danny Shittu was also sold to Premier League Bolton. However, Boothroyd did manage to sign Jon Harley from Burnley and Grzegorz Rasiak on loan from Southampton.

After a disappointing start to the 2008/09 season, Boothroyd left the club by mutual consent on 3 November 2008, with Watford sitting 21st in the Championship table. Reserve team manager and former Watford player Malky Mackay took temporary charge of the managerial affairs at Watford following Boothroyd's departure. On 5 November 2008 Elton John ended his formal involvement with the club by resigning as honorary Life President.

Brendan (Buck) Rodgers (2008–present)

Former Chelsea Reserve Team Manager Brendan Rodgers (popularly known as Buck) was confirmed as Watford manager on 24 November 2008. Frank Lampard Snr moved with Brendan to the football coaching team as Football Consultant.Rogers' first move in the transfer market was to bring Chelsea Reserve team captain Liam Bridcutt to Vicarage Road on a one month loan, subsequently extended by a further month.

Within a week of Rodgers' appointment, chairman Graham Simpson resigned from his position at the club's holding company Extraordinary General Meeting held on 1 December 2008, shortly followed by director Mark Ashton's resignation on 12 December 2008. This was followed by Rodgers second consecutive win to Coventry, pulling them clear of the relegation zone.

Rivalry

Watford fans maintain a friendly but fierce rivalry with those of Luton Town. The two sides met regularly in the Southern and Football Leagues from 1900 to 1937, but Luton's promotion meant that aside from a Southern Cup meeting the two sides did not meet again until 1964. Throughout the sixties and seventies the two sides met sporadically, and the rivalry gradually grew in significance, bringing with it trouble in the ground and outside of it. The two sides were promoted to the First Division in the 1981–82 season, with Luton taking the championship ahead of Watford. The two sides were also relegated together from the new Division 1 in 1995–96. Watford's promotion from Division 2 in 1997–98 meant that the two sides did not meet again in the League until the 2005–06 season, when Luton were promoted into the Championship. Clashes in the nineties had seen a decrease in violence, but a one-off League Cup tie in the 2002–03 season was marred by violence inside Vicarage Road. The clubs' first League meeting in eight years, on 2 January 2006, passed largely without incident with Watford winning 2–1 at Kenilworth Road. Later in the season, the sides met at Vicarage Road with the game ending in a 1–1 draw.

Players

As of 26 March 2009.

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
1	GK	EST	Mart Poom
2	DF	ENG	Gavin Hoyte (loan from Arsenal)
3	DF	ENG	Mat Sadler
4	DF	ENG	Jack Cork (on loan from Chelsea)
6	DF	USA	Jay DeMerit (captain)
7	MF	SCO	Don Cowie
9	FW	HUN	Tamás Priskin
10	FW	POL	Grzegorz Rasiak (on loan from Southampton)
11	MF	JAM	Jobi McAnuff
12	DF	ENG	Lloyd Doyley
13	GK	ENG	Scott Loach
15	DF	ENG	Jon Harley
16	GK	ENG	Richard Lee
17	GK	ENG	Stuart Searle
21	FW	ENG	Tommy Smith

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
22	FW	ENG	Will Hoskins
23	DF	ENG	Adrian Mariappa
24	DF	ENG	Mike Williamson
25	MF	SCO	Gareth Williams
27	MF	ENG	Billy Gibson
28	MF	LVA	Aleksandrs Cauņa (on loan from Skonto)
31	DF	ENG	Jordan Parkes
32	MF	ENG	Lewis Young
33	FW	ENG	Liam Henderson
35	MF	ENG	Ross Jenkins
36	DF	ENG	Eddie Oshodi
37	FW	ENG	Marvin Sordell
38	DF	ENG	Rob Kiernan
—	MF	ENG	Danny Rose (on loan from Tottenham Hotspur)
—	DF	EST	Andrei Stepanov

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
5	DF	ENG	Leigh Bromby (at Sheffield United until the end of the 2008–09 season)
8	MF	ENG	John Eustace (at Derby County until the end of the 2008–09 season)
14	MF	JAM	Lee Williamson (at Preston North End until the end of the 2008–09 season)
18	FW	ENG	Theo Robinson (at Southend United until the end of the 2008–09 season)
19	FW	ENG	Steve Kabba (at Oldham Athletic until the end of the 2008–09 season)
20	MF	SLE	Al Bangura (at Brighton & Hove Albion until the end of the 2008–09 season)
26	MF	EIR	John-Joe O'Toole (at Sheffield United until the end of the 2008–09 season)
29	DF	FRA	Cédric Avinel (at Gueugnon until the end of the 2008–09 season)
34	DF	ENG	Dale Bennett (at Kettering Town until the end of the 2008–09 season)
—	FW	ENG	Nathan Ellington (at Derby County until June 2009)

Coaching staff

• Manager: Brendan Rodgers
• Assistant Manager: Dean Austin
• First Team Coach Malky Mackay
• Football Consultant: Frank Lampard, Sr
• Conditioning Coach: Martyn Pert
• Goalkeeping Coach Alec Chamberlain
• Head of Academy: Mark Warburton
• Academy Coach Sean Dyche

Notable players

• Skilly Williams, 1913–1926

A centre-forward before he came to Watford, Williams played as goalkeeper when he moved to the Cassio Road, making 341 appearances in 13 years at the club.

• Taffy Davies, 1931–1950

A two-footed forward, Davies is one of the few League players to spend 20 years at a single club.

• Cliff Holton, 1958–1961, 1965–1966

The most prolific striker Watford ever had. Signed in 1958, Holton's "golden year" was in Watford's 1959–60 Division Four promotion season, when he scored 48 goals in 52 appearances. In Division Three Holton averaged a goal every other game. He left the club in 1961, but returned for a period in the 1965–66 season.

• Pat Jennings, 1963–1964

One of the finest goalkeepers ever, Jennings started his career at Watford, making 52 appearances in his single season at the club.

• Duncan Welbourne, 1963–1974

An uncompromising right-back, Welbourne made 457 appearances for the club, including a record 280 in succession. He was ever-present in Watford's 1968–69 promotion season.

• Stewart Scullion, 1966–1970, 1973–1976

A talented winger, the 19 year old Scullion was brought to Watford as a make-weight in the deal that took Cliff Holton to Charlton. He was a key player in the 1968–69 promotion season, and scored the goal in Watford's 1-1 cup draw with the giants Manchester United at Old Trafford.

• Tom Walley, 1966–1977

A passionate midfielder, Walley was instrumental in the 1968–69 promotion season. Walley was a fixture in Watford's side for much of the seventies. After retirement he became a coach at the club and worked alongside Graham Taylor during his two successful spells at the club.

• Andy Rankin, 1971–1979

An extremely athletic goalkeeper, Rankin was Watford's keeper for most of the seventies. With 329 appearances, only Skilly Williams has made more appearances in goal for Watford.

• Ross Jenkins, 1972–1983

Jenkins joined Watford in 1972, and formed a formidable partnership with Luther Blissett in Watford's ascent through the Divisions. He left Watford in 1983, with the club in the top flight. He had played for Watford when they were both top of the old first division (1st in the Football League) and bottom of the old Fourth Division (92nd in the Football League), making him the first, and so far only, player to do so. He scored 142 goals in 398 games.

• Roger Joslyn, 1974–1980

An aggressive and ball winning central midfielder, Joslyn was instrumental in Watford's successive promotions from 1977–1979.

• Luther Blissett, 1976–1983, 1984–1988, 1991–1992

Making his debut in 1976, Blissett played for Watford throughout their ascent from Division Four to Division One. He was the first Watford player to be capped for England. He had three spells at Watford in total, and holds the club records for highest all-time goalscorer and most appearances. Blissett had a spell as coach at Watford from 1996–2001

• Ian Bolton, 1977–1983

Called the "best signing I ever made" by Graham Taylor, Bolton was another player who played for Watford throughout their Division Four to Division One ascent. Despite being a centre-half, Bolton had a talent for both passing and shooting. Able to turn defence into attack in an instant with a telling long pass.

• Steve Sherwood, 1977–1987

A long serving and loyal goal-keeper, Sherwood played for Watford throughout the Taylor heyday of 1977–1987. He started in first game under Taylor's reign and finished the last. During his time at the club Sherwood was frequently out of the side, but over the course of three seasons, 1981–1982 (promotion to Division One), 1982–1983 (record high 2nd place finish) and 1983–84 (Europe and the FA Cup Final), he missed just six games.

• Wilf Rostron, 1979–1989

Bought as a left-winger in 1979, Rostron was moved to left-back in 1982 and automatically excelled there. He became captain of Watford's successful eighties side, although he missed the FA Cup Final through suspension. He won the Player of the Season award several times.

• Steve Sims, 1978–1984, 1986–1987

When he signed for Watford at the end of the 1978–79 he was the most expensive Division Three player ever, costing £175,000. A high quality but injury-prone central defender, Sims played for Watford for six years, in two spells.

• Nigel Callaghan, 1980–1987 , 1991

A flamboyant right-winger, Callaghan was a frequent assist-maker and scorer of some spectacular long-range goals in the Watford side of the 1980s. Also played for England Under-21s.

• Kenny Jackett, 1980–1990

A cultured creative central midfielder, Welsh international Jackett was a fixture in the Watford side in their heyday of the 1980s. After retiring at 28 due to injury in 1990, Jackett took a coaching position at the club, and worked in a variety of positions - including manager in 1996–97 - until 2001.

• Les Taylor, 1980–1985

A hard-working central midfielder, Taylor was the Player of the Season in Watford's most successful season ever, when they finished second in Division One in 1982–83. With Rostron absent, Taylor captained Watford for their single FA Cup final appearance in 1984.

• John Barnes, 1981–1987

Perhaps the most talented player ever to play for Watford, Barnes made his debut for the club aged 17 in 1981. Usually deployed on the left wing in Watford's attacking 4-2-4 of the era, terrorising full backs and defenders at will and delivering lethal crosses. He played for the club for 6 years, during which he appeared in the FA Cup final side, and represented England 31 times. Scored an unforgettable goal dribbling through the Brazilian defence at the Maracana in 1984.

• Nigel Gibbs, 1982–2002

Gibbs made his Watford debut in a UEFA Cup tie in the autumn of 1983, at the age of 17. He served Watford as a player for 20 years, making his final appearance for the club in April 2002. A dependable and loyal right-back, Gibbs suffered a career-threatening injury in 1993 and was released in 1996, but stayed with the club, joining them for pre-season training and regaining a contract. After retiring, Gibbs served Watford as a coach for three years. He was sacked in the summer of 2006, to much protest from fans.

• Gary Porter, 1983–1996

One of Watford's longest serving players, Porter made 464 appearances for Watford in his 13 years at the club. He once scored a second half hat-trick against Bolton. Watford were 0-3 down with 20 minutes to play, went on to win the game 4-3

• Maurice Johnston, 1983–1985

Nippy striker whose prolific scoring in partnership with big George Reilly helped lead Watford to the F.A. Cup final and made his Scotland debut whilst playing at Vicarage Road.

• Tony Coton, 1984–1990

Arriving in 1984, Coton was Watford's number 1 for the rest of the 1980s. A strong and occasionally controversial 'keeper, Coton was a crowd favorite.

• John McClelland, 1984–1990

A deceptively quick central defender, McClelland marshaled Watford's defence for the second half of the eighties, captaining it for some time.

• David James, 1990–1992

The future England number one started his career at Watford, making 98 appearances for the club in two seasons.

• Richard Johnson, 1991–2003

A central midfielder whose partnership with Micah Hyde was central in Watford's double promotion seasons of 1997/98 and 1998/99. While he will be remembered for his spectacular goals and often crunching challenges, it was his vision and raking passes that marked him out as one of the greatest midfielders to play for the club.

• Robert Page, 1994–2001

The captain of the Watford side during its late 1990s success period, Page is the only Watford player to lift a trophy at Wembley, and was the Player of the Season in the 1999/00 Premiership season.

• Tommy Mooney, 1994–2001

A passionate and determined player, Mooney was instrumental in Watford's successive promotions in 1997–1998 and 1998–1999. A forward by trade, Mooney played at the back during 1997–1998, but returned to the forward line in 1998–1999 where an end of season goal-run pushed Watford into the play-offs. In his final season at the club, he became the first player since Paul Furlong to score 20 goals in a season.

• Steve Palmer, 1996–2001

Partner of Page in 1998–99 play-off final, Palmer also played every single game of the club's 1999–2000 Premiership campaign. A dedicated utility player, Palmer has the distinction of being the only player to have worn every shirt number from 1-14 in a single season, for Watford in the 1997–98 season.

• Gifton Noel-Williams, 1996–2003

A striker and product of the club's youth system Noel-Williams was top-scorer in 1998–99 promotion season. Considered a prodigious talent before being injured by Paul Butler in 1999. Noel-Williams never fully recovered and was eventually sold, he remains one of the great 'what-ifs?' of Watford F.C. and today is still a cult hero amongst Watford fans.

• Alec Chamberlain, 1996–2007

A goalkeeper who has proved to be a bargain after joining from Sunderland for just £40,000 and played an instrumental role in Watford double promotion in '98 to Division One and '99 to the Premiership. He has since been 2nd choice keeper for most of the time and taken a coaching role at the club but has also signed a contact extension making him the Premiership's oldest player in 2006-07.

• Paul Robinson, 1997–2003

A left-back who came through the ranks at Watford, he made his debut against arch-rivals Luton in 1997. A member of the 1998–99 play-off side, Robinson's passion made him become a favourite of the terraces.

• Tommy Smith, 1997–2003, 2006–present

A locally-born striker who came through the academy to make 149 appearances (scoring 33 goals) in his first spell for Watford. After three years away at Sunderland and Derby, he was resigned by Aidy Boothroyd on summer deadline day 2006. Recrafted as a right midfielder, he turned out several impressive performances in the Premiership 2006-07 season, helping the Golden Boys to the FA cup semi-final.

• Heiðar Helguson, 2000–2005

Principal forward in the 2000s, the Icelandic international moved from Lillestrom midway through the 1999–2000 season. He was loved by the crowds for his enthusiasm and commitment. The powerful and fiery centre-forward was the first player to win the Display of the Season, Goal of the Season and Player of the Season awards in a single season (2004–2005).

• Ashley Young, 2002–2007

A forward (Winger/Striker) who came through the youth academy at Watford. He was instrumental in Watford's 2005–06 promotion to the Premiership. In January 2007 he moved to Aston Villa for a club record transfer fee of £8,000,000 (with add-ons this may raise to £9,650,000). The previous record fee being £2,300,000 for Paul Furlong to Chelsea in May 1994 .

• Marlon King, 2005–2008

The first player since Luther Blissett to score 20 League goals in a season for Watford, he finished as the top scorer in the 2005–06 Championship season with 22 goals as he inspired the Hornets to promotion. He was voted the club's Player of the Season, but was injured against Arsenal in October 2006 and missed most of the 2006–07 season. He returned as a surprise substitute against Manchester United in the FA Cup Semi-final in April 2007. After 11 league goals in the 2007–08 Championship season, King moved to Wigan F.C. in the January transfer window for a potential fee of £4 million.

Ben Foster - A fans favourite

• Ben Foster, 2005–2007

The Manchester United goalkeeper was sent out on loan to Watford where he had two years of progress which saw him earn his first England cap. His imposing stature, confidence at set-pieces and excellent shot-stopping ability made him a firm favourite with the fans.

Players in order of debut; spells as coach not included in time at club.

Managers

Watford have had a total of 26 managers. Two, Len Goulden and Neil McBain had two spells, one, Graham Taylor had three. The statistics in the following table account for the league games of each manager.

Name	Nationality	From	To	P	W	D	L	F	A	Win %
John Goodall		May 1903	May 1910	246	90	63	93	347	358	36.59%
Harry Kent		May 1910	May 1926	484	187	121	176	661	663	38.64%
Fred Pagnam		May 1926	May 1929	126	45	28	53	204	239	35.71%
Neil McBain		May 1929	August 1937	336	137	71	128	591	516	40.77%
Bill Findlay		August 1937	February 1947	114	50	25	39	179	152	43.86%
Jack Bray		March 1947	January 1948	35	11	7	17	45	66	31.42%
Eddie Hapgood		February 1948	March 1950	88	29	27	32	102	107	32.95%
Ron Gray		March 1950	August 1951	56	13	15	28	63	93	23.21%
Haydn Green		August 1951	October 1952	54	16	11	27	70	95	29.63%
Len Goulden		November 1952	October 1955	136	52	39	45	210	198	38.24%
Johnny Paton		October 1955	February 1956	15	2	6	7	16	28	13.34%
Len Goulden		February 1956	July 1956	16	6	3	7	17	23	37.50%
Neil McBain		August 1956	February 1959	122	42	33	47	187	203	34.43%
Ron Burgess		February 1959	May 1963	200	80	45	75	347	326	40.00%
Bill McGarry		July 1963	October 1964	57	26	17	14	97	81	45.61%
Ken Furphy		November 1964	July 1971	295	115	79	101	388	331	38.98%
George Kirby		August 1971	May 1973	88	17	26	45	67	123	19.32%
Mike Keen		June 1973	April 1977	178	67	48	63	237	236	37.64%
Graham Taylor		June 1977	May 1987	428	191	105	132	692	544	44.63%
Dave Bassett		May 1987	January 1988	23	4	6	13	15	31	17.39%
Steve Harrison		January 1988	March 1990	80	36	29	35	127	111	45.00%
Colin Lee		March 1990	November 1990	28	5	9	14	31	45	17.86%
Steve Perryman		November 1990	July 1993	121	42	35	44	140	151	34.71%
Glenn Roeder		July 1993	February 1996	120	39	32	49	148	166	32.50%
Graham Taylor		February 1996	June 1996	18	5	8	5	31	30	27.78%
Kenny Jackett		June 1996	June 1997	46	16	19	11	45	38	34.78%
Graham Taylor		June 1997	May 2001	176	71	45	60	243	241	40.34%
Gianluca Vialli		May 2001	June 2002	46	16	11	19	62	56	34.78%
Ray Lewington		June 2002	March 2005	131	42	37	52	155	189	32.06%
Aidy Boothroyd		March 2005	November 2008	176	65	51	60	200	206	36.93%
Brendan Rodgers		November 2008	Present	4	2	1	1	7	6	50.00%

Grounds

• 1883:Vicarage Meadow
• 1883–1889:Colney Butts
• 1889–1922:Cassio Road
• 1922–:Vicarage Road

League history

1920: Original member of Division 3 1921 – 1958: Division 3 (South) 1958 – 1960: Division 4 1960 – 1969: Division 3 1969 – 1972: Division 2 1972 – 1975: Division 3 1975 – 1978: Division 4 1978 – 1979: Division 3 1979 – 1982: Division 2 1982 – 1988: Division 1

1988 – 1992: Division 2 1992 – 1996: Division 1 (now 2nd Tier) 1996 – 1998: Division 2 1998 – 1999: Division 1 1999 – 2000: Premier League (now 1st Tier) 2000 – 2004: Division 1 2004 – 2006: Championship (now 2nd Tier) 2006 – 2007: Premier League 2007 – 2008; Championship 2008 –Championship

Honours

• First Division
  • Runners-up: 1982–83
• FA Cup
  • Runners-up: 1984
  • Semi-finalists: 1970, 1987, 2003, 2007
• League Cup
  • Semi-finalists: 1979, 2005

Records

• Most league appearances: Luther Blissett, 415 league (503 all competitions), 1976–1992
• Highest all-time goal-scorer: Luther Blissett, 148 league goals (186 all competitions), 1976–1992
• Most goals in a season: Cliff Holton, 42, 1959–1960
• Most capped player: John Barnes, England, 31 caps
• Best win: 10-1 vs Lowestoft Town, 27 November 1926, FA Cup Round 1
• Best league win: 8-0 vs Sunderland, 25 September 1982, Division 1
• Most wins in one season: 30, 1977–78
• Most draws in one season: 19, 1996–97
• Highest league finish: 2nd, Division One, 1982–83
• Fewest defeats in one season: 0, 1903–1904
• Worst loss: 0-10 vs Wolverhampton Wanderers, 24 January 1912, FA Cup Round 1 Replay
• Highest transfer fee paid: £3,250,000 for Nathan Ellington from West Brom, August 2007. (Fee may rise to 4,250,000.)
• Highest transfer fee received: £8,000,000 for Ashley Young to Aston Villa, January 2007. (Fee may rise to 9,650,000.)
• Highest attendance: 34,099 vs Manchester United, 3 February 1969, FA Cup Round 4
• Highest average attendance: 18,840 FA Premier League 2006–07

See also

• Watford L.F.C., the affiliated women's team.
• Harry the Hornet, club mascot

External links

• Watford FC official homepage
• Watford on BBC Sport: Club news – Recent results and fixtures
• Soccerbase - a large amount of Watford data at Soccerbase
• Interviews with former Watford players
• Hornet History:History of Watford Football Club from 1940s
• History of Watford Kits
• AIM: WFC