The Hornets released a special blue shirt to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the town’s most renowned son becoming chairman of the football club in 1976.
Watford will wear a one-of-a-kind blue kit on Saturday as a tribute to Sir Elton John, the most important character in Hornets history.
This may appear to be a minor disrespect to the late, great Graham Taylor, but without Elton, there would be no GT at Vicarage Road.
Despite the rock-and-roll glitter and luxury, Watford’s greatest manager was brought in by a footballer. And a Watford supporter. And for that, everyone involved with the club, and indeed the entire town, should be grateful.
He is unquestionably the greatest celebrity sports fan in history. Who else is recognized for their creativity and popularity who bought the club they supported as a child and guided them to their most successful moment in history? More importantly, he left a legacy in his small area of suburbia that continues to this day.
Naturally, the plot revolves around romance. Kid begins going to matches in the 1950s, ostensibly to be close to his father. Sticks with them through the tough times, gains fame and fortune as one of the world’s biggest rock stars, and then buys his club, propelling them to the top flight, Wembley, and Europe.
When he joined the board in 1976 – and Saturday’s kit (in the blue Watford wore when Elton first started going to Vicarage Road) is part of a season-long celebration of 50 years since – Watford were perennial lower-league fodder, playing in front of a few thousand every week.
His first management appointment would become legendary. Even employing Taylor in the first place demonstrated his football knowledge. With Bobby Moore as the frontrunner, a decade after being England’s World Cup-winning captain, Elton might easily be convinced by someone whose star power rivalled his own.
Instead, according to the latest Watford Forever biography, he called England manager Don Revie to find out who the best manager in the lower divisions was. Taylor, from Lincoln City, was the answer.
What these two accomplished has been well recorded. In six seasons, they advanced from fourth to first division, finishing second in the league in 1982-83, and reaching Europe and the FA Cup final the following season. Off the field, Watford was hospitable.
Hooliganism was not a concern once the Family Enclosure, Family Terrace, and Junior Hornets were established. If you lived in the region, you were inundated with mailings. When all of these factors were considered, the town’s pride surged.
Throughout this, the club provided Elton with sanity and humility, primarily from Taylor himself. One incident in Watford Forever hits home: Taylor catching Elton in the boardroom early, throwing a bottle of brandy in front of him, and yelling, “That’s what you have for breakfast, isn’t it? “What the f**k are you doing?”
Elton said, “It shook me to my core.” In effect, Graham saved my life. I had to become the person Graham believed I was capable of being.”
When Occupation Road, which runs behind what is now the Sir Elton John Stand to the Rookery End, was renamed Yellow Brick Road in 2023, Elton was more than gracious in stating, “Watford Football Club has done more for me in my lifetime than I ever did for it.”
Maybe, Elton, but what you’ve done for all of us is invaluable. He’s performed five concerts at Vicarage Road, and one of the more positive aspects of following Watford recently was the outpouring of enthusiasm for his 2023 Glastonbury set among Watford supporters. It gave us a chance to join together, at least on social media, over affection for one of our own during a time when matches were toxic.
That legacy continues. Prior to Elton’s arrival, Watford had spent three seasons in the top two divisions. Since their promotion to the former Second Division in 1979, the Hornets have spent all but two seasons in the top two levels, and have spent at least part of each of the last five decades in the top tier.
On Saturday, around 20,000 fans will sing “Your Song” and “Elton John’s Taylor-made Army” with greater enthusiasm.
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