Watford F.C.: Difference between revisions
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{{fs player| no= 5 | nat=England | pos=DF | name=[[Leigh Bromby]]|other=at [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]] until the end of the [[2008–09 in English football|2008–09]] season}} |
{{fs player| no= 5 | nat=England | pos=DF | name=[[Leigh Bromby]]|other=at [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]] until the end of the [[2008–09 in English football|2008–09]] season}} |
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{{fs player| no=14 | nat=Jamaica | pos=MF | name=[[Lee Williamson]] |other=at [[Preston North End F.C.|Preston North End]] until the end of the [[2008–09 in English football|2008–09]] season}} |
{{fs player| no=14 | nat=Jamaica | pos=MF | name=[[Lee Williamson]] |other=at [[Preston North End F.C.|Preston North End]] until the end of the [[2008–09 in English football|2008–09]] season}} |
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{{fs player| no=18 | nat=England | pos=FW | name=[[Theo Robinson]]|other=at [[Southend United F.C.|Southend United]] until the end of the [[2008–09 in English football|2008–09]] season}} |
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{{fs player| no=20 | nat=Sierra Leone | pos=MF | name=[[Al Bangura]]|other=at [[Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.|Brighton & Hove Albion]] until the end of the [[2008–09 in English football|2008–09]] season }} |
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{{fs player| no=26 | nat=Ireland | pos=MF | name=[[John-Joe O'Toole]]|other=at [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]] until the end of the [[2008–09 in English football|2008–09]] season }} |
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{{fs player| no=29 | nat=France | pos=DF | name=[[Cédric Avinel]]|other=at [[FC Gueugnon|Gueugnon]] until the end of the [[2008–09 in English football|2008–09]] season}} |
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{{fs player| no=34 | nat=England | pos=DF | name=[[Dale Bennett]]|other=at [[Kettering Town F.C.|Kettering Town]] until the end of the [[2008–09 in English football|2008–09]] season}} |
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{{fs player| no=— | nat=England | pos=FW | name=[[Nathan Ellington]]|other=at [[Derby County F.C.|Derby County]] until June 2009}} |
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== Coaching staff == |
== Coaching staff == |
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Revision as of 08:17, 7 May 2009
| 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 | ||
| 2008–09 | The Championship, 13th | ||
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| |||
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.[1] 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 Luton Town.
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 old Division Four, also reaching the FA Cup final in 1984[2] and competing in the UEFA Cup. The second lasting from 1997 to 2001, when Taylor took the club from new 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,[3] a position he resigned in November 2008 and which he re-assumed in late March 2009.[4]
History
The birth of Watford Football Club (1881-1920)
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 Cassio 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.[5]
They remained in the Southern League until 1920, when they became founder members of 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.[5][6]
The Third Division South years (1920-1958)
From 1921-22, the third tier of the Football League consisted of two parallel sections of 22 clubs, fighting both for 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 38 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".[5][6]
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.[6]
In 1966 the player manager Ken Furphy game the club its current nickname of "The Hornets".[5]
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.[6]
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.[7] 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.[5] Thanks to the efforts of chairman, manager and playing staff, Watford had reached the First Division by the start of the 1982–83 season.[7] 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.[2] After guiding Watford to a ninth-place finish in 1986-87, Taylor was lured away to Aston Villa.[7]
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,[7] 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),[7] and was replaced in a surprise move by Gianluca Vialli,[8] who had recently been sacked by Chelsea F.C..[9]
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.[10] 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.[11] The club was facing administration when the players and staff agreed a 12% wage deferral.[12] 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.[13] 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,[14] also generated vital cash.[15]
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.
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.[16][17] 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.[18] Despite drawing 1–1 draw with Manchester City, Watford were relegated on 21 April 2007. Nonetheless Boothroyd's contract was renewed until 2010.[19][20]
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[21] and goalkeeper Mart Poom joined from Arsenal for an undisclosed fee,[22] 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.[16][23] 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.[24] 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.[25] 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[26] and last season's top scorer Darius Henderson was signed by Sheffield United for £2 million.[27] Danny Shittu was also sold to Premier League Bolton.[28] However, Boothroyd did manage to sign Jon Harley from Burnley and Grzegorz Rasiak on loan from Southampton.[29]
After a disappointing start to the 2008/09 season, Boothroyd left the club "by mutual consent" on 3 November 2008, with Watford languishing 21st in the Championship table.[30] Reserve team manager and former Watford player Malky Mackay took temporary charge of the managerial affairs at Watford following Boothroyd's departure.[31] On 5 November 2008 Sir Elton John ended his formal involvement with the club by resigning as honorary Life President.[4] 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.[4]
Brendan (Buck) Rodgers (2008–present)
35 year old former Chelsea Reserve Team Manager Brendan Rodgers (popularly known as Buck - [1]although he has stated publicly that he does not like that name) and was confirmed as Watford manager on 24 November 2008.[32] Frank Lampard Snr moved with Rogers to the football coaching team as Football Consultant.[33]Rodgers' 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.[34] Futher loan signings of Gavin Hoyte (brother of Middlesbrough's Justin), Jack Cork (son of former Wimbledon player, Alan), Aleksandrs Cauna and Danny Rose gave Watford strength in their team as the season neared an end. As Watford slowly came futher away from the relegation area, Tamas Priskin went on his best goalscoring record. Other players such as Jobi McAnuff, Adrian Mariappa and Lloyd Doyley went on good form since Rodgers took over as manager.
Within a week of Rodgers' appointment, Chairman Graham Simpson resigned from his position at the club's holding company (Watford Leisure) Extraordinary General Meeting held on 1 December 2008[35]. This was shortly followed by director Mark Ashton's resignation on 12 December 2008 and then by Watford's second consecutive win under Rodgers over Coventry, pulling them clear of the relegation zone. Rodgers eventually secured Watford's position in the league with one game to go, and the 'Ornes eventually finished a creditable 13th.
Rivalry
Watford fans maintain a 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.[36] 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 16 April 2009.[37]
Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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