Thanks Malky

So Malky has gone to Cardiff and a lot of Watford fans will be feeling frustration, even anger about his move. Personally, I'm feeling a little lost and wondering what will happen next, but that's often the life of a football fan. What I do know is how much Malky did for our club during some very tricky times. I don't think I'm talking out of turn when I say that Jason, Mike and I want to thank him for everything he has done as our manager over the last two seasons and everything he's done since he signed for Watford as a player. You can hear just how much we liked him as our manager in the special song we wrote for him in Podcast 12 (40 minutes in)

In their end of season review, our brother is Watford blogging over at BHaPPY said that Malky would be risking another season at Watford. He's had two great years of saving the club from the doom of League 1 and proved to the football world that he can manage a team to 'success'. But what if season 3 wasn't as good? What if his playing budget wasn't increase and Watford went down? He would surely see a promising managerial career disappear. If he is to become the next Sir Alex then he needs to have a different story to tell.

We were lucky enough to spend a good hour with Malky in December and you can hear most of it in Podcast 7. He was charismatic, intelligent and clearly passionate about this club. I'm sure some Watford fans will take his move to Cardiff as a sign that he wasn't passionate about the club - I won't. There have been some MAJOR changes at the club and maybe it was the 'best' time for him to move on.

He is going to a bigger club, with bigger pressures and he could easily have an even bigger fall than one down to League 1. As I said we wish him all the luck in the world. We are going to get a new manager with new energy and a season of the unknown. Now that is something to get excited about - far more exciting than an opening game of the season away to Burnley.

He'll be back on Boxing Day for our home game against Cardiff. I for one will be "drinking a beer and having a pie" in his honour.

- Jon

---
Remember you can get these blog posts straight into your inbox by entering your email address in the "Subscribe by Email" box in the right hand column of this page. Or if you're really technical you can use this RSS code

Podcast 12: End of Season Awards 2010-2011

The football season may have come to an end, but there is still plenty for Hornets fans to enjoy, as the 12th ‘From the Rookery End’ podcast is now available for you to download.

The end of season special features the 2nd annual ‘From the Rookery End’ awards, honouring the players and performances that we've enjoyed the most, along with a song for popular manager Malky Mackay and an extensive interview with club captain John Eustace. Yes, Mike finally got to meet his current Watford hero.

We were also lucky enough to chat with the players we chose as winners and it was great to hear their thoughts on their performances and the season as a whole.

Talking to John Eustace was a real highlight, as club captain he has been one of the most influential men at Vicarage Road this season and to spend some time in his company was both exciting and enlightening. I’m sure you'll enjoy hearing from him.

IF you are a fan of our forays into singing you may or may not be pleased to hear that an Elton John classic has been reworked as a tribute to Malky Mackay. And on top of the awards and interviews Jason has a run of the potential summer ins and outs at Vicarage Road.

This edition of the podcast, which has now had over 20,000 downloads, is the biggest and best yet and can be downloaded from iTunes or heard on the website at www.fromtherookeryend.com

---
Remember you can get these blog posts straight into your inbox by entering your email address in the "Subscribe by Email" box in the right hand column of this page. Or if you're really technical you can use this RSS code

PHOTOS: Watford vs QPR 2

The state we're in...

Walsall. Bournemouth. Southend. Swindon. Stockport. Brighton. Huddersfield. Towns and Cities with football clubs. Towns and Cities with football clubs and populations far greater than that of Watford. Further examples including Slough, Telford, York and Luton can’t even muster a Football League team between them.

In the population stakes, Watford (120,960) is sandwiched between Gloucester (123,205) and Rotherham (117,262). Birmingham or Manchester we are not.

Now, if you’ll indulge me, I’m going to list what has happened to Watford FC in the twenty or so years I have been following them. By my calculations, I have experienced the following:

• Four relegations


• Three promotions


• The Division One Championship


• Two successful Play-Off Finals


• Three FA Cup Semi-Finals


• One Carling Cup Semi-Final

Had I been a shade older, you could also count an FA Cup Final and a UEFA Cup campaign. For a town with a population comparable to that of Stockport, our recent history is pretty impressive. Ask fans of the clubs mentioned at the start of this article what they think. I’m sure they will agree.

You should have by now guessed the premise of this piece. Watford is a relatively small town which just so happens to have a football club. A football club that has delivered more excitement, fun and unrefined joy than any fan has a right to expect. Have a look through that list again. Trips to Wembley. Promotions. Europe. Cup Semi Finals. Fans of clubs bigger than ours would kill for just some of the excitement we’ve had.

When you look at the facts, we’ve overachieved. We’ve always had to sell our best players, have existed with small gates and will forever suffer for being near neighbours to the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham. Now, in 2010, nothing has changed, except now we are flat broke. Each month is a financial challenge, meaning holding on to our best players is harder than ever, whilst attracting new high calibre players and staff is almost impossible.

This isn’t news. We’ve known for ages. We’re not in great shape. We’re hanging in there, but it isn’t pretty. We’re not just battling to stay in the Championship, we’re battling to stay afloat.

I’m sure there are things both players and the management wish they had done differently as we have slid down the table from Play-Off outsiders to relegation dog fighters. Hindsight is twenty-twenty after all. Personally though, I’m pretty sure that Malky Mackay is doing the best with what he’s got, and as usual for a Watford Manager, that isn’t much.

Of course fans pay to be entertained and have every right to voice their displeasure when things aren’t going to plan. None of us like losing. It is however worth taking time to remember the bigger picture. We are a club still very much in the depths of a financial crisis. It’s pretty simple - the amount of cash going out far exceeds the amount coming in. How we got there is a different discussion, but like it or not, that is the situation.

If you want to be in a position where the Manager can just go out and buy a replacement for a striker who isn’t scoring or a goalkeeper who is conceding, I suggest you go and support Manchester United or Chelsea. If you want a subs bench awash with experienced game changers and goal poachers, well Arsenal is just up the road. We are a club with a small, inexperienced and young squad and management team. Why? Because we lack ambition? Because we’re content with being “Little old Watford”? Grow up. It’s through necessity. We’re finally cutting our cloth according to our means. Of course it’s painful and the side effects are clear for all to see. No-one wants to be struggling. It’s frustrating, it’s annoying and it’s no fun. But it’s where we are. Deal with it.

It’s almost certain to get worse before it gets better. The summer brings with it contracts that we are unlikely to renew, transfer fees we are unable to turn down and the disappearance of influential loanees. If you think this squad is inexperienced, just wait until next season.

That’s the point though isn’t it. With a bit of luck, at least there will be a next season…

Come on you Horns.

"Watford People"

For a while back there it all seemed a bit dicey. A tax exile in Belize and two Chelsea supporting entrepreneurs were fighting a very public battle for control of my football club. As you will recall it wasn’t pretty, with claims, counterclaims and threats of administration bandied about all to freely. Even GT got a bit hot under the collar. Now I’ll be the first to accept that the bond between fan and football club has changed dramatically since I stood on the family terrace as a starry eyed kid, but never had I felt so detached and disheartened as I did during all that post AGM financial wrangling and brinkmanship.

Watford aren’t alone in being owned by those without a heartfelt interest, but the financially motivated unrest that is in evidence right across the footballing spectrum, from the splendour of Old Trafford to the blood and thunder of Roots Hall, didn’t make it any easier to stomach. This is Watford. A community club. Home of the family terrace. Home of the Junior Hornets. A safe and happy place. Or at least it was...

I’m starting to hope that those days might return.

Having attended the excellent Fans Forum at Vicarage Road last night, it is clear to me that whilst the club isn’t exactly in an enviable position, we’ve got a team of people in charge that are talented, focussed and above all passionate – and in this day and age, that counts for a lot.

I won’t be able to say much about Graham Taylor that hasn’t already been said, but seeing him in full flow last night was for a Watford fan, gratifying,

[caption id="attachment_148" align="alignright" width="265" caption="Yours truly, in the presence of greatness"][/caption]

heart-warming, exciting and encouraging. A true joy. Graham was at pains to explain that becoming Chairman was never originally in his thoughts, and it was with an understandably weary air that he talked us through the events that led to him eventually taking the role. He also left us in no doubt as to the extent of his powers. “I’m not a saviour. I am not a saviour” he proclaimed. Who did he think he was kidding? To Watford fans, whatever happens, GT will always be god.

He was serious though. A lot of water has passed under the Vicarage Road bridge and even Graham Taylor can’t undo a lot of what’s happened. For example, we’re a PLC. If, as Lord Ashcroft desires, the club is sold, the major shareholders (Ashcroft, the Russo brothers and Graham Simpson) will decide who the buyer is. The Board will provide advice, but that is the extent of their influence.

The Board’s hands are tied when it comes to the East Stand too. It was clear last night that the Board share the fans appetite to begin the long overdue

[caption id="attachment_149" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Not great is it?"][/caption]

development of what is nothing more than a dilapidated, dysfunctional mess. It was equally apparent that we haven’t got the money to do it, and without outside help and support we never will. Chief Executive Julian Winter wasn’t throwing in the towel though. Instead Watford are currently seeking “partners” who could help us develop the stand in return for access to the facilities. A simplified description, but you get the idea. You see this is where we should have been anyway, in Partnership. Watford FC gets a new stand; Watford the town gets a new facility. It isn’t rocket science…

Of course other topics were discussed and I have no doubtthese will be covered in greater detail elsewhere. Malky refused to be drawn on contract talks. He and Graham Taylor praised Birmingham City and Martin Taylor for their conduct during the successful completion of his transfer – Malky’s number one target during the transfer window. Graham Taylor made it clear that Elton John is not and will not be coming back as “the money man”. The panel discussed agents and the shady dealings that still go on, the success of our loan dealings and the interesting story surrounding the signing of “Footballs next star” runner up Connor Smith.

The thing I took away from the event was less tangible. It was a feeling. A feeling that at long last, Watford have worked out what has been going so terribly wrong and more importantly, a willingness and desire to start putting it right. There were no wildly optimistic promises, no suggestions of preparing for the Premiership. No nonsense. Instead there was a powerful undertaking to get Watford back on track. To put them back at the heart of the community and back into the hearts of fans who have had to watch from a distance as the club they love lurched from crisis to crisis.

In summing up at the end of the night, Stuart Timperley was quick to praise Malky Mackay, Julian Winter and Graham Taylor, all of whom are experiencing their roles as Manager, Chief Executive and Chairman for the first time. He described them as understanding the challenge and appreciating the Watford way. He described them as “Watford people”.

The club has been in trouble. Is in trouble. The financial strife is just the half of it though. Watford has lost its soul. I’m confident that if nothing else, Graham Taylor and his fellow “Watford people” can at least help us find that again.

Come on you Horns.