Watford FC Watford Football Club is an English football club founded in 1881 as Watford Rovers by Henry Grover. Playing in yellow and black, the team took its nickname, The Hornets, from these colours; the club crest featured an image of the insect for decades, though it is now dominated by a hart, referencing the coat of arms of Hertfordshire, the county in which Watford lies.
Since 1922 the club has played its home matches at Vicarage Road, which, after years under lease, only became fully owned by the club again in 2004, thanks to the fan-led 'Let's Buy Back The Vic' campaign and financial support from Elton John. The British musician, who grew up in nearby Pinner, became club chairman in 1976 and remains honorary life president; the stadium's east stand has borne his name since 2014, while the west stand honours Graham Taylor.
It was the partnership between Elton John and Taylor, appointed manager in 1977, that produced the most spectacular period in the club's history. Under Taylor, Watford rose from the English fourth division to the top flight within five seasons, and in the 1982-83 season finished runners-up in the First Division, behind only Bob Paisley's Liverpool - the highest league position in the club's history. The following year Watford reached the FA Cup final, losing to Everton, and made its European debut in the UEFA Cup in the 1983-84 season.
Taylor returned to the club in the late 1990s and led Watford back into the top flight in 1999, a legacy commemorated by the stand named in his honour. The club's identity also remains closely tied to its long-standing, friendly rivalry with neighbouring Luton Town.