Watford

We can kind of skip ahead here. Watford was formed in 1881, joined the Football League in 1921, and basically spent the next 60 years in the third tier. It was in 1976 that their modern history started—from a rather unusual source.

A certain Reginald Kenneth Dwight grew up in the area. He stood on the Watford FC terraces and then made a bit of money in the entertainment business after changing his name to Elton John. He bought his favorite club in 1976—who gets to do that?—and said he was taking them to the top. They were in the Fourth Division at the time.

He hired Graham Taylor as manager, and off they went. They crushed the Fourth Division in Taylor’s first year and, by 1982, were all the way up in the First. Incredibly, that season they finished second behind Liverpool, thus qualifying for the UEFA Cup (today’s Europa League). So in seven years, they went from playing Hartlepool and Northampton Town to losing to Sparta Prague in the third round of Europe!

They lost the 1984 FA Cup final to Everton, but of course this couldn’t last. Taylor left for Aston Villa in 1987, and Watford was relegated the next season. They were back in the third tier within 10 years. Taylor came back in the late ’90s, secured two straight promotions to the new Premier League, then retired for good in 2001. Sir Elton sold the club in 2002 but remains its honorary president.

They got back in the Premier League in 2015, and lost the final of the 2018-19 FA Cup, but one story along the way has to be told. In the 2013 Championship playoffs, they drew Leicester City in the semifinals. Leicester won the first leg at home, 1-0. At the very end of the second leg at Watford, the Hornets were up, 2-1, with extra time looming. Leicester drew a penalty. Make it and go to the final at Wembley. But the Watford keeper saved it, then saved the rebound shot, and then Watford sprinted down the other way. Troy Deeney blasted in a 97th-minute winner and leaped into the wildly celebrating crowd. They lost the final to Crystal Palace, but still. It’s one of the most amazing soccer videos you’ll ever see.

They were relegated to the Championship in 2020 after finishing 19th. They bounced right back up for the 2021 season, then down they went again for the 2022 season and they have remained there since.

2024–25 SEASON: 14th in the Championship, 3rd Round FA Cup, 3rd Round League Cup

2025–26 SEASON: The Championship (relegated in 2022)

Nearby Luton Town are the biggest rival. During the 2020–21 season and the 2021–22 season, they finally played again for the first time in 14 years. Now that Luton is back in League One, though, this rivalry is back on hold.

Getting to Know the Luton Town vs Watford Rivalry

The rivalry between Watford and Luton Town, sometimes known as the Beds-Herts Derby, goes back over 100 years and is one of the more bitter derbies in English football. Chances are, though, you don’t know much about it. The two...

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Watford FC Women are in the Women’s National League Premier Division South at tier 4. Home games are at Grosvenor Vale, the home of Wealdstone FC. 

Back in the 1960s, Watford adopted the theme song to a BBC show called Z-Cars, kind of a drum-and-fife number. (In England they say “ZED-cars.”) That’s random enough; apparently, it was the manager’s favorite show. What makes it odder is that Everton uses it as well. They will also do a call-and-response to spell out Watford.

Their home since 1922, Vicarage Road—may it ever remain so named—is surprisingly pleasant and cozy; its capacity is 21,997. The oldest part of it was built in the 1980s, and it’s all had work done recently to make it nice all around. Groundhopper Guides’ beer guru Andrew says their selection is well above average.

Along one side is the Graham Taylor Stand, and on the other the Sir Elton John Stand. Along the top of the latter is written a long quote from “Your Song.” When they dedicated it to him in 2014, he famously said that not only did he never think he’d have a stand named for him, “I never thought I would sit in a stand.” The home rowdies will be in the Rookery Stand behind a goal, and the away fans in the other end’s Vicarage Road Stand.

TOURS: No tours are available at this stadium.

GETTING THERE: From Euston station in London, there are three ways to get to Vicarage Road:

∙ Take the Tube to Watford, which is the slowest way.
∙ Take London Overground service from Euston to Watford High Street, which is the closest station to the ground. But this ride is about 40 minutes.
∙ The best way to do it is to take the 16-minute West Midlands service (not the Overground, which has more stops and takes longer) from Euston to Watford Junction. You can even use your Oyster card to get there. Watford Junction is a big suburban train station that is about a 20-minute walk from the ground, with lots of food along the way. The first bit of walking directions can be odd on Google Maps, so we’ll save you some trouble: take the middle of the three streets in front of you, past the Holiday Inn onto Clarendon Road.

PUBS: The closest is The Oddfellows pub in Fearnley Street, an Irish-themed place that occasionally has a barbecue going. In the town center are three big chain pubs, including an Aussie-themed Walkabout, an O’Neills, and a Wetherspoon pub called the Moon Under Water.

GRUB: Also on the walk from the station, you will come across the fun New Watford Market with lots of food options; it’s open Tuesday through Saturday until 5:30 p.m. There is a Five Guys, which will be packed. Taste of Lahore near Watford High Street station offers great curries.