Watford F.C. - Wikipedia

Association football clubhouse in England

football club
Watford Football Club is an english professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. They play in the Premier League, the acme tier of English football, having been promoted in 2021.

Reading: Watford F.C. – Wikipedia

The clubhouse recognises its foundation as 1881, aligned with that of its antecedent, Watford Rovers, and was established as Watford Football Club in 1898. After finishing the 1914–15 season as Southern League champions under the management of Harry Kent, Watford joined the Football League in 1920. The team played at respective grounds in their early on history, including what is now west Herts Sports Club, [ 3 ] before moving to Vicarage Road in 1922. They have a long-standing competition with nearby golf club Luton Town. Graham Taylor ‘s tenure as director at the club between 1977 and 1987 see Watford emanation from the one-fourth tier to the inaugural. The team finished second in the First Division in 1982–83, competed in the UEFA Cup in 1983–84, and reached the 1984 FA Cup Final. Watford declined between 1987 and 1997, before Taylor returned as coach, leading the team to successive promotions from the renamed Second Division [ a ] to the Premier League for one season in 1999–2000. The golf club played again in the highest tier in 2006–07 under Aidy Boothroyd ‘s management, and then again from 2015 to 2020, reaching the 2019 FA Cup Final, their irregular FA Cup Final. In April 2021, Watford were promoted back into the Premier League having spent just one season in the Championship .

history [edit ]

early years [edit ]

The origins of the club can be traced back to 1881 when Watford Rovers were formed by Henry Grover, who went on to play for the club as a full back. [ 5 ] [ 6 ] Rovers, in the first place composed entirely of amateurish players, held home games at respective locations in the township of Watford. [ 6 ] [ 7 ] The team first base competed in the FA Cup in the 1886–87 season, and in 1889 Watford won the County Cup for the first base time. The team became the football section of “ West Hertfordshire Club and Ground ” in 1891, and consequently moved to a ground on Cassio Road. In 1893 Watford Rovers changed their name to “ West Herts ” and in 1896 they joined the Southern Football League. West Herts fortunes slumped at the begin of the 1897–98 season and attendances were less than 200. They took the bold step of turning master and their fortunes revived. Watford St. Mary ‘s were runners up in the Hertfordshire Senior Cup of 1894–95 and attracted crowd of 400 to 500 even when West Herts were at home plate. The two clubs talked of an amalgamation, which ultimately occurred on 15 April 1898. This was reported by the Watford Observer of 7 May 1898. It was agreed that the two clubs should complete their persist fixtures for the season. The new cabaret was named Watford Football Club. [ 7 ]
Long-serving Skilly Williams was Watford ‘s first choice goalkeeper between 1914 and 1926. Following delegating to the Southern League Second Division in 1903, Watford appointed its inaugural director – former England international and inaugural Division top scorer John Goodall. He led Watford to promotion, and kept the team in the division until his deviation in 1910. [ 8 ] Despite fiscal constraints, Watford won the Southern League title in the 1914–15 season under his successor, Harry Kent. Watford held the title for five years following the suspension of the Southern League during the First World War – after finishing the 1919–20 temper runner-up on goal average, the club resigned from the Southern League to join the new Football League Third Division. [ 9 ] From 1921–22, the third base tier of The Football League consisted of two parallel sections of 22 clubs, fighting both for promotion to the Second Division and besides battling to hold on to their league status. [ 4 ] There was a re-election system in place which meant the bed two teams in each of the two divisions had to apply for re-election to the league. [ 10 ] Watford finished outside the top six league positions in every temper between 1922 and 1934. Following Kent ‘s passing in 1926, they finished 21st out of 22 clubs in 1926–27, but were unanimously re-elected to the league after a vote of clubs in the top two divisions of The Football League. [ 11 ] By contrast, under Neil McBain and subsequently Bill Findlay, the team recorded five consecutive top six finishes between 1934–35 and 1938–39, and won the Football League Third Division South Cup in 1937. [ 12 ] The Football League was suspended in 1939 due to the second World War .

Post-war era [edit ]

Chart of annually table positions of Watford in the English football league. football resumed in 1946, with Watford still in the Third Division South. A 23rd-placed end in 1950–51 intend that the club had to apply for re-election to the league once more, but again teams in the First and Second Divisions unanimously voted for Watford to stay in the league. [ 13 ] McBain returned in 1956, [ 8 ] and the team remained in the division until 1958 ; the league was restructured into four national divisions for the 1958–59 season, and Watford were placed in the Fourth Division. Ron Burgess replaced McBain during that season, and in the follow campaign Burgess presided over Watford ‘s beginning Football League promotion. This team included Fourth Division crown scorer Cliff Holton, [ 14 ] who scored a club record 42 league goals in the season. [ 15 ] Holton was sold to Northampton the following year after another 34 goals, to the anger of supporters. [ 16 ] Burgess was succeeded by Bill McGarry, who bought new players such as Charlie Livesey and Ron Saunders, and in his entirely season at the club led the club to what was at the time its highest always league position : one-third in the Third Division. [ 17 ] Eighteen-year-old Northern Irish goalkeeper Pat Jennings besides featured under McGarry, and made his international debut despite being a Third Division actor. [ 18 ] McGarry joined Ipswich in 1964, and was replaced by player-manager Ken Furphy, from Workington [ 17 ] Furphy rebuilt the team around players such as Keith Eddy and Dennis Bond, but after holding Liverpool to a draw in the FA Cup and narrowly failing to win promotion in 1966–67, Bond was sold to Tottenham Hotspur for £ 30,000, Watford ‘s record transfer reception at the fourth dimension. [ 19 ] Furphy ‘s rebuilding came to realization in 1969 with the sign of Barry Endean, whose arrival marked the start of an unbeaten run after Christmas. [ 20 ] Watford secured the Third Division claim in April, at home to Plymouth Argyle. A class former Watford reached the FA Cup semi-final for the first time, defeating First Division teams Stoke City and Liverpool along the manner. [ 21 ] Hampered by a lack of funds, however, Furphy finally joined Blackburn Rovers, to be succeeded by George Kirby. Forced to sell players to survive, Watford fell back into the Third Division in 1972. The team continued to struggle in the one-third tier, and despite a managerial change, Watford were relegated again in 1975. [ 8 ] [ 22 ]

Elton John earned run average [edit ]

Lifelong Watford athletic supporter Elton John became club president in 1976. The singer declared an ambition to take the team into the First Division, and sacked Kirby ‘s successor Mike Keen in April 1977. [ 24 ] When Graham Taylor was named as Keen ‘s successor, the club was still in the Fourth Division. [ 25 ] Taylor achieved promotion in his first base temper ; Watford won the Fourth Division championship, recording the most wins, fewest defeats, most goals scored and fewest goals conceded of any side in the part. [ 26 ] Promotion to the Second Division followed in 1978–79, and Ross Jenkins finished the season as the league ‘s exceed scorer with 29 goals. Watford consolidated with 18th and 9th-placed finishes over the follow two seasons, and secured forwarding to the First Division for the first time in 1981–82, finishing moment behind rivals Luton Town. [ 25 ] [ 27 ] Watford started the 1982–83 season with four league wins from the opening five fixtures ; in the space of seven years, the club had climbed from buttocks station in the lowest division of The Football League to top position in the highest part. [ 28 ] [ 29 ] Watford were unable to maintain a title challenge, but finally finished the season second behind Liverpool, which ensured UEFA Cup reservation for the watch season. Luther Blissett finished the season as the First Division top scorer, before signing for italian Serie A side Milan for £1 million at the end of the season. [ 30 ] An FA Cup Final appearance followed in the 1984 regular, where they lost to Everton. [ 23 ] After guiding Watford to a ninth-place polish in 1986–87, Taylor left the club to manage Aston Villa. [ 25 ] Following Taylor ‘s deviation, Wimbledon coach Dave Bassett was appointed as his refilling, and England winger John Barnes was sold to Liverpool. After 4 wins from his opening 23 league fixtures, Bassett was sacked in January 1988. Watford were bottom of the First Division at the meter of his deviation, and Steve Harrison could not prevent relegation at the end of the season. In 1988–89, Harrison ‘s Watford failed to return to the First Division, after get the better of in the second Division play-offs. The under-18 team won the FA Youth Cup, beating Manchester City 2–1 after extra time, [ 31 ] with future England international David James in goal for the Hornets. Harrison departed in 1990, and over the following few years, the closest Watford came to promotion was a seventh-placed eat up in Division One [ bel ] in the 1994–95 temper. [ 33 ] however, in the postdate season – Glenn Roeder ‘s one-third as coach – Watford struggled. Despite the fall of Graham Taylor as caretaker director in February 1996, the golf club was relegated to Division Two. [ 8 ] [ 25 ] Following the relegation, Taylor became film director of football, with former Watford midfielder Kenny Jackett as director. After a mid-table finish in Division Two in 1996–97, Jackett was demoted to the military position of assistant coach. taylor returned as coach, and won the Second Division title in 1997–98 – Watford ‘s second league title under his management. A moment consecutive promotion followed in 1998–99, thanks to a 2–0 play-off concluding victory over Bolton Wanderers. Watford ‘s beginning Premiership season started with an early on victory over Liverpool, but Watford ‘s form soon faded, and the club was relegated after finishing bottom. Graham Taylor retired at the end of the 2000–01 season, [ 25 ] and was replaced by Gianluca Vialli. [ 34 ] Wage bills at the club rose by £4 million during Vialli ‘s tenure, and the cabaret finished 14th in the division in 2001–02. Vialli was sacked at the end of the temper, following a challenge with the cabaret ‘s board over the wage charge. [ 35 ] [ 36 ] He was replaced by Ray Lewington, who had joined the golf club the former summer as Vialli ‘s reserve team coach. [ 37 ]

fiscal struggles [edit ]

Watford ‘s watery fiscal situation was exposed in 2002–03, following the collapse of ITV Digital. [ 38 ] [ 39 ] The club was facing administration, but an agreement by players and staff to a 12 % engage deferral helped the cabaret ‘s cash flow, and a run to the FA Cup semi-final generated vital tax income. [ 40 ] [ 41 ] Financial constraints saw a big act of players released that summer. After consolidating in 2003–04, the following season started well, with the club in the upper one-half of the Championship at the end of September. Poor shape, however, saw the clubhouse fell towards the delegating zone. Despite reaching the semi-final of the League Cup, Watford ‘s league shape did not improve, and Lewington was sacked in March 2005. [ 42 ] His successor, Aidy Boothroyd, [ 43 ] led the club to Championship survival. [ 33 ]

render to the Premier League [edit ]

Watford finished third base in the league in Boothroyd ‘s first fully season, [ 33 ] and defeated Leeds United 3–0 in the play-off final to gain forwarding to the Premier League. [ 44 ] But the team did not record a Premier League succeed until November, and Ashley Young was sold to Aston Villa for a club phonograph record fee of £9.65 million in January 2007. [ 15 ] [ 45 ] Watford finished penetrate after only winning five league games, [ 33 ] but did reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup. [ 46 ] Boothroyd continued as director, and spent heavily on players, including a then-club record £3.25 million for Nathan Ellington. [ 47 ] Watford led the Championship by several points early in 2007–08, but alone finished one-sixth ; [ 33 ] Boothroyd ‘s team were defeated 6–1 on aggregate by Hull City in the play-off semi-finals. [ 48 ] Boothroyd left the club by common consent three months into the 2008–09 season, with Watford 21st in the Championship table. [ 43 ] Under Boothroyd ‘s successor, Brendan Rodgers, Watford finished 13th. Rodgers left to manage Reading at the end of the season ; [ 49 ] Malky Mackay, who had previously served as caretaker coach, was his successor. [ 50 ] Amid the departures of several key players during Mackay ‘s tenure, including Tommy Smith and Jay DeMerit, and the club coming close to administration, [ 51 ] Watford finished 16th in 2009–10 and 14th the following season. [ 52 ] Mackay left to manage Cardiff City in June 2011 and was replaced by Sean Dyche. [ 53 ] Despite presiding over Watford ‘s highest league position in four years, Dyche was dismissed as Watford coach in July 2012. [ 54 ]

Pozzo syndicate earned run average [edit ]

In June 2012, Laurence Bassini completed the sale of the club to the Pozzo family ( Gino Pozzo and his beget ). Following Dyche ‘s dismissal, the newly owners brought in former Italy international Gianfranco Zola to take charge. [ 55 ] In the 2012–13 season Watford finished third in the Championship, and reached the play-off final where they were defeated in the final by Crystal Palace 1–0 via an extra-time penalty by Kevin Phillips. The be season, Giuseppe Sannino replaced Zola, as their new coach and the team finished the season in 13th place. Sannino resigned at the start of the 2014–15 season and was replaced by Óscar García, who left concisely afterwards for “ health reasons. ” truncheon McKinlay replaced him and won his first game in charge, 2–1 against Brentford F.C., before a 1–1 reap with Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. . Despite the team getting 4 points out of a possible 6 under his stewardship, the club decided to replace McKinlay, just eight days into his tenure, with Slaviša Jokanović. With Jokanović managing the team, Watford, on 25 April 2015, gained promotion to the Premier League after defeating Brighton 2–0 and other results going their way. [ 56 ] however, they failed to win their final game of the season against Sheffield Wednesday, therefore allowing AFC Bournemouth to win the Championship title in the season ‘s stopping point. [ 57 ] Jokanović and Watford did not renew his annual condense and the coach was replaced in June 2015 by the Spaniard Quique Sánchez Flores. [ 58 ] Watford ‘s first fastness in their hark back to the Premier League was a 2–2 aside draw with Everton. [ 59 ] In the 2015–16 season, Watford reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup with a goal by midfielder Adlène Guedioura against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium, ending Arsenal ‘s bid to win the rival for three consecutive times, [ 60 ] and finished 13th in the Premier League. [ 61 ] Near the end of the season, in May 2016, Sánchez Flores and the club enacted a break clause in his abridge, he and was replaced by italian coach Walter Mazzarri who signed a three-year contract. [ 62 ] At the end of the future season, in May 2017, Watford finished 17th and Mazzari resigned, [ 63 ] replaced by Marco Silva. [ 64 ] The fresh passenger car was sacked after approximately six months, in January 2018, and the club hired Javi Gracia. [ 65 ] After four games of being in consign in the 2019–20 season, Gracia was sacked due to poor people form in the league. 30 minutes after he was sacked, former Watford director Quique Sánchez Flores was so far again appointed. He survived only until 1 December 2019 after getting only one gain since his appointment in September. A caretaker director was appointed for one game before Nigel Pearson came into management. He led the Hornets from out of the run to back in controversy, but was sacked with 2 games to play. [ 66 ] In April 2019 Watford came back from 2–0 down to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers to reach the FA Cup Final for the second time in their history, with Gerard Deulofeu scoring twice and Troy Deeney scoring a penalty in the 94th minute to take it to extra prison term. [ 67 ] After a 4–1 loss to West Ham on the final league game of the season, Watford confirmed their highest always points run and finish in English Premier League football of 50 points and 11th topographic point respectively, [ 68 ] although they did finish 2nd with 71 points in the 1982–83 season of the English Football League. In February 2020, Watford defeated Liverpool in a Premier League match, ending Liverpool ‘s unbeaten run of 44 top-flight games in a row and 18 victories in a rowing. [ 69 ] They were relegated to the championship at the end of the season, however, following a 19th-place ending just one point from safety. [ 70 ]

Club identity [edit ]

Watford ‘s colours were blue sky and white from 1927 until 1959. Watford ‘s kit out has changed well over the course of the club ‘s history. The cabaret ‘s kit featured diverse combinations of crimson, greens and chicken stripes, before a newly coloring material scheme of total darkness and flannel was adopted for the 1909–10 season. These colours were retained until the 1920s, when the cabaret introduced an all-blue shirt. After a variety of colours to gold shirts and black shorts for 1959–60, the team ‘s nickname was changed to The Hornets, after a popular vote via the supporters club. These colours remained until 1976, when Watford ‘s kits started featuring bolshevik, and the gold was changed to yellow. That color outline has continued into the twenty-first century. [ 71 ]

The golf club changed to a gold and bootleg color dodge in 1959–60. Watford ‘s initial nickname was The Brewers, in reference to the Benskins Brewery, which owned the freehold of Vicarage Road. [ 72 ] This nickname did not prove particularly popular, and upon the adoption of a blue-and-white color schema in the 1920s, the club became predominantly known as The Blues. When Watford changed kit color in 1959, supporters chose The Hornets as the team ‘s new nickname, and the club late introduced a crest depicting a hornet. [ 71 ] In 1974 the design was changed to depict Harry the Hornet, the clubhouse ‘s mascot. [ 71 ] [ 73 ] The cabaret ‘s nickname remains, but in 1978 the hornet crest was replaced by a delineation of a hart – a male crimson fallow deer– on a chicken and black background. A hart represents the township ‘s location in the county of Hertfordshire. Until Barnet [ c ] and, late, Stevenage joined the Football League, Watford were Hertfordshire ‘s only league club. [ 76 ] other nicknames have since been adopted, including Yellow Army [ 77 ] and The ‘Orns. [ 78 ] Until April 2019, when Watford played at Vicarage Road their players traditionally entered the pitch at the start of the bet on to the Z-Cars root tune. [ 79 ] however, in mid-april 2019 the team changed their capture birdcall to Elton John ‘s “ I ‘m calm Standing “. [ 80 ] The cabaret returned to Z Cars as the theme to welcome players to the pitch in August 2019 at the originate of the 2019–2020 Premier League season, following fan pressure and petitions. [ 81 ] [ 82 ] [ 83 ]

stadium [edit ]

Watford fans at Vicarage Road, on the survive sidereal day of the 1999–2000 temper Watford Rovers played at several grounds in the late nineteenth hundred, including Cassiobury Park, Vicarage Meadow and Market Street, Watford. In 1890, the team moved to a web site on Cassio Road, and remained there for 32 years, before moving to Watford ‘s current stadium at nearby Vicarage Road in 1922. [ 7 ] The new stadium was initially owned by Benskins Brewery ; the club rented the ground until 2001, when it purchased the freehold instantaneously. however, the club ‘s fiscal situation worsened following the purchase, and in 2002 Watford sold the establish for £6 million in a hand which entitled Watford to buy the stadium back for £7 million in future. Watford took up this choice in 2004 using a campaign backed and funded by the fans called “ Lets buy back the Vic ”. [ 84 ] parsonage Road is a quadrilateral footing with a capability of 21,577. [ 85 ] The East Stand, part of which was constructed in 1922, was closed to the general public in 2008 for health and safety reasons, although it however hosted the dress rooms and the matchday iron area. [ 86 ] In November 2013, the East Stand was demolished and in its place a newly steel-framed, 3,500-seater stand was constructed. The point of view opened amply on Boxing Day 2014 and was named The Elton John Stand after the club ‘s longstanding president. [ 87 ] The Graham Taylor Stand [ 88 ] ( previously the Rous Stand ), built in 1986, has two tiers and runs the distance of the pitch, with the upper section containing the club ‘s corporate cordial reception. At either end of the flip, The Vicarage Stand is split between the club ‘s syndicate section and away supporters, while the Rookery Stand is for family supporters only. Both stands were built in the 1990s, financed by proceeds from player sales. [ 89 ] [ 90 ] In the summer of 2015, The Elton John Stand was revamped in order to accommodate an extra 700 seats. [ 91 ] This number was revised a sidereal day subsequently to around 1,000 extra seats following the announcement of an expansion in the northeast corner. [ 85 ]

Luton competition [edit ]

Watford fans maintain a competition with those of Luton Town. The two sides met regularly in the Southern League between 1900 and 1920, [ 98 ] and continued to do therefore in The Football League until 1937, [ 99 ] when Luton gained promotion from Division Three South. Luton remained in a higher division than Watford until 1963. [ 100 ] Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Watford and Luton met sporadically. Despite this, the competition grew in significance, particularly following an crabbed equal between the sides in 1969, in which three players were sent off. [ 100 ] Both sides won forwarding to the First Division in the 1981–82 season, with Luton taking the championship ahead of Watford. [ 27 ] They were besides relegated together from the new Division 1 in 1995–96, with Watford finishing 23rd ahead of bottom-placed Luton. [ 101 ] [ bacillus ] Watford ‘s promotion from Division 2 in 1997–98 mean that the two sides did not meet again until Luton won promotion to the Championship for the 2005–06 season. [ bel ] The only meeting between those seasons – a League Cup bind in the 2002–03 season – was marred by violence inwardly Vicarage Road. [ 102 ] On 2 January 2006, Watford won 2–1 at Kenilworth Road in the Championship, followed by a 1–1 draw between the sides, on 9 April 2006, a luff that secured Watford ‘s place in the 2006 Championship play-offs, from which they finally won promotion to the Premier League for the second time, beating Leeds United 3–0 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. [ 103 ] Over a fourteen-season bridge, Watford have played in a higher division than Luton between 2006–07 and the 2019–20 season, with Luton dropping out of the football league all in all for six seasons between 2009–10 and 2014–15. [ 33 ] [ 104 ] The competition between the two clubs resumed in the 2020–21 season. On 26 September 2020, Watford won the first base league couple of the season between the two clubs 1–0 at Vicarage Road. [ 105 ] On 17 April 2021 in the reverse fastness at Kenilworth Road, Luton won 1–0, so the spoils for the temper were shared, but with Watford ‘s forwarding back to the Premier League for season 2021–22 confirmed just days belated, the competition will once again have to be put on oblige. The neck and neck record between the clubs, in competitions which presently exist, stands at Luton 39 wins, Watford 27 wins, with 23 draws. [ d ] Watford have remained the higher ranked team at the end of every season since 1997 ( and for 28 of the last 29 seasons, with merely 1996–97 seeing Luton finish higher in the league than Watford ) .

Players [edit ]

current squad [edit ]

As of 10 October 2021[107]

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

Out on loan [edit ]

The following players have previously made a league or cup appearance for Watford and are presently on lend at early teams :
note : Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality .

other players with first-team appearances

[edit ]

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

former players [edit ]

managerial history [edit ]

Graham Taylor took Watford from the Fourth Division to the First, between 1977 and 1982. Watford ‘s team was selected by committee until 1903, when early England international John Goodall was appointed player-manager. The shock was immediate, as Watford secured promotion to the Southern League First Division in 1903–04. Goodall retired as a actor in 1907, and left the clubhouse in 1910. He was replaced by his former captain, Harry Kent, who become known for his fiscal management of the club ; under Kent, Watford frequently made a profit in the transfer market. [ 108 ] Kent led the club to the Southern League title in 1914–15, and missed out on a second title in 1919–20 on goal average, before resigning in 1926. His three immediate successors – Fred Pagnam, Neil McBain and Bill Findlay – all played for Watford before and during the early separate of their managerial tenures. none were able to lead the team to promotion from the Third Division South, although Findlay did lead Watford to a Third Division South Cup gain in 1937. up until Findlay ‘s passing in 1947, Watford had been managed by five managers in 44 years, all of whom played for the team. By contrast, six men managed the club between 1947 and 1956, only two of whom were former Watford players. [ 8 ] After a far three years under McBain between 1956 and 1959, Watford ‘s following three managers presided over improved teams. Ron Burgess led Watford to promotion from the Fourth Division in 1959–60. Bill McGarry was only in charge for one wide season ( 1963–64 ), but Watford recorded a finish of third in the Third Division, the club ‘s highest Football League finish up until that sharpen. His successor Ken Furphy matched that accomplishment in 1966–67, and led Watford to the Third Division title in 1969, before taking the club to its foremost FA Cup semi-final in 1970. Following Furphy ‘s passing in 1971, Watford entered a period of refuse, experiencing relegation under subsequent managers George Kirby and Mike Keen. [ 8 ] Graham Taylor took charge of Watford in 1977. He led the club to forwarding to the Third Division in 1978, the Second Division in 1979, and the First Division for the first time in Watford ‘s history in 1982. After a second-placed finish in the First Division in 1983, Watford competed in european rival for the first base time in 1983–84, a well as reaching the 1984 FA Cup concluding. taylor left the club at the conclusion of 1986–87. Under the six subsequent permanent wave managers ( Dave Bassett, Steve Harrison, Colin Lee, Steve Perryman, Glenn Roeder and Kenny Jackett ), Watford slid from 9th in the circus tent tier in 1987, to 13th in the third grade in 1997. taylor returned as director for the startle of the 1997–98 season. He led the club to consecutive promotions, but could not prevent delegating from the Premier League in 1999–2000. Since Taylor ‘s retirement in 2001, Watford have had twelve managers. Of these, Aidy Boothroyd took Watford back to the Premier League in 2006, but Watford were relegated in 2007, and Boothroyd departed in 2008. [ 109 ] Following Watford ‘s takeover by the Pozzo syndicate, Gianfranco Zola was appointed headway passenger car, replacing former center back Sean Dyche in July 2012 ,. [ 52 ] Zola took Watford to third position in the Championship in 2012–13 but resigned on 16 December 2013. He was replaced by companion italian Beppe Sannino in December 2013. Sannino guided the team to a concluding league position of 13th. Despite winning four of the beginning five league matches of the 2014/15 season, and with Watford sitting in 2nd invest, Sannino ‘s put had become the topic of much speculation following rumours of dressing-room unrest and some players taking a dislike to his style of management. Sannino resigned from his situation as head coach on 31 August 2014 after barely over eight months in charge. His final plot in charge was a 4–2 succeed at dwelling to Huddersfield Town the day before. Sannino ‘s deviation initiated a bizarre sequence of events which led to Watford having three further head coaches in short more than a calendar month. On 2 September, Watford confirmed the appointment of erstwhile Brighton & Hove Albion steer bus Óscar García as the successor to Sannino, beating off rival from colleague Championship side Leeds United for his services. García, however, resigned from his position on 29 September 2014 for health reasons, having been admitted to hospital with chest pains a couple of weeks anterior. Billy McKinlay, who had lone been appointed first team coach on 26 September 2014, was appointed as his contiguous successor on the same sidereal day – his first base position in management. [ 110 ] A workweek later, McKinlay was released by reciprocal accept and former Partizan coach Slaviša Jokanović appointed in his place, apparently because the club favoured a head coach with greater know. [ 111 ] On 4 June 2015, Quique Sánchez Flores was announced as the modern drumhead coach as the surrogate to Jokanović, [ 112 ] who had failed to agree shrink terms. Despite going on to lead the newly promoted Watford to a comfortable mid-table position in the Premier League and the semi-final of the FA Cup, it was announced on 13 May 2016 that Sánchez Flores would be leaving the club at the end of the temper. [ 113 ] Following Sánchez Flores ‘s deviation, Walter Mazzarri was announced as Watford ‘s promontory bus starting on 1 July 2016. [ 114 ] Mazzari ‘s tenure as coach was terminated at the end of the season. On 27 May 2017 Marco Silva was appointed head bus. [ 115 ] On 21 January 2018, Javi Gracia was appointed as head coach following Silva ‘s passing. [ 116 ] Gracia has been met with far-flung praise since his date after a successful 2018–19 Premier League crusade which saw Watford finish with their highest points count always in English Premier League football. After a disappointing begin to the 2019–20 season, Javi Gracia was sacked and replaced by previous coach Quique Sánchez Flores. then Quique Sánchez Flores was fired again after a 2–1 loss to Southampton on 1 December. On 6 December 2019, Nigel Pearson agreed to take director ‘s caper, with Craig Shakespeare as his assistant, on a short-run contract to the end of the season. [ 117 ] He was sacked on 19 July 2020 with two games to go with Hayden Mullins appointed as interim passenger car until the end of the season. [ 118 ]

club officials [edit ]

Position	Name
Head coach	Claudio Ranieri
Assistant coach	Paolo Benetti
Assistant coach	Carlo Cornacchi
Fitness coach	Carlo Spignoli
Goalkeeping coach	Antonello Brambilla
Performance coordinator	Álvaro Reina
Sporting Director	Cristiano Giaretta
Head of injury prevention & rehabilitation	Alberto León Herranz
Under-23s lead coach	Omer Riza
Under-23s assistant coach	Richard Shaw
Academy Director	Richard Johnson
Head of Technical Development	Jimmy Gilligan
Head of academy goalkeeping	Graham Stack
Under-18s lead coach	Tom Hart
Kit manager	David Walter
Football secretary	Gayle Vowels
Global strategy & partnerships director	Spencer Field
Commercial director	Paul O’Brien
Operations director	Glyn Evans
Head of facilities	Ian Pope
Head of HR	Gayle Clarke
Community director	Rob Smith
Finance director	Emiliano Russo
Head of communications & media relations	Richard Walker

Honours [edit ]

For a complete commemorate of the club ‘s achievements, see List of Watford F.C. seasons

Records [edit ]

Striker Luther Blissett holds the record for Watford appearances, having played 503 matches in all competitions between 1976 and 1992, and his 415 appearances in The Football League during the same period is besides a club read. Blissett holds the correspond goalscoring records, with 186 career Watford goals, 148 of which were in the league. The records for the most league goals in a season is held by Cliff Holton, having scored 42 goals in the 1959–60 season. The highest count of goals scored by a player in a individual game at a professional floor is the six registered by Harry Barton against Wycombe Wanderers in September 1903. [ 15 ] Watford ‘s biggest ever competitive win came in 1900, when the team defeated Maidenhead 11–0 in the Southern League Second Division. [ 15 ] The team ‘s biggest Football League winning margin is 8–0 ; this first occurred in a Third Division South equal against Newport County in 1924, and was repeated in a first Division match against Sunderland in 1982. Both of these matches were at home – Watford have won an away league pit by five goals on six occasions, most recently in the 6–1 succeed against Leeds United at Elland Road in 2012. The most goals scored in a Football League game involving Watford is 11, in Watford ‘s 7–4 victories against Swindon Town, Torquay United and Burnley in 1934, 1937 and 2003 respectively. [ 119 ] The club ‘s highest home attendance is 34,099, for a one-fourth round FA Cup match against Manchester United on 3 February 1969. The read home league attendance is 27,968 against Queens Park Rangers in August of the lapp class. [ 15 ] Watford ‘s home capacity has since been reduced due to all-seater requirements ; it presently stands at 21,577. [ 120 ]

Affiliated clubs [edit ]

further read [edit ]

Birnie, Lionel (2012). Tales from the Vicarage, volume one. Peloton Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9567814-2-0.
Birnie, Lionel (2011). The 100 Greatest Watford Wins. Peloton Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9567814-1-3.
Birnie, Lionel (2010). Enjoy the Game – Watford FC, The Story of the Eighties. Peloton Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9567814-0-6.
Birnie, Lionel & Cozzi, Alan (2001). Four Seasons – Watford FC 1997–2001. lionelbirnie.com. ISBN 0-9541757-0-0.
Phillips, Oliver (2001). The Golden Boys: A Study of Watford’s Cult Heroes. Alpine Press Ltd. ISBN 0-9528631-6-2.
Jones, Trefor (1998). Watford Season by Season. T.G. Jones. ISBN 0-9527458-1-X.
Jones, Trefor (1996). Watford Football Club Illustrated Who’s Who. T.G. Jones. ISBN 0-9527458-0-1.
Phillips, Oliver (1991). The Official Centenary History of Watford FC 1881–1991. Watford Football Club. ISBN 0-9509601-6-0.