Chapter 10 – After Ninety-One Years
‘I hope the people who weren’t there the night we made it felt a part of it’The Hornets make history, reaching the top flight for the first time. The 1981-82 season had gone almost perfectly. They wer...
12 Okt 202334min
Chapter 9 – Finding John Barnes
'His performance against Chelsea showed he was the last piece of the jigsaw.'In late summer 1981, Watford found the final piece of the jigsaw – John Barnes. The discovery of a 17-year-old spotted play...
12 Okt 202314min
Chapter 8 – Gerry and Pat
‘He wanted to play with two wingers and attack. I thought, I love this guy.’Graham Taylor goes shopping again, spending a significant amount of Elton John's investment on a player from each of the Nor...
12 Okt 202326min
Chapter 7 – Glory Nights
The Southampton players just wanted to get out of thereThe Hornets complete a stunning League Cup comeback in September 1980, hitting seven past Southampton at Vicarage Road having trailed 4-0 from th...
12 Okt 202312min
Chapter 6 – Long Ball or Long Pass?
'My biggest regret is using his phrase in interviews' – Graham TaylorWhat’s the difference between a long ball and a long pass? It's a question that came to characterise the media's coverage of Graham...
12 Okt 202317min
Chapter 5 – Sergeant Major Tom
'If you didn’t want a clip round the ear, don’t cross Tom Walley'Meet Sergeant Major Tom Walley, the man who built Watford’s youth system and turned boys into men.When Graham Taylor arrived at Watford...
12 Okt 202329min
Chapter 4 – Sink or Swim
I knew I had to change something or it was the end of the dream - Graham TaylorWatford made it to the Second Division just two years into Elton and Graham's ten-year plan, but life was not easy rubbin...
12 Okt 202331min
Chapter 3 – Giant Steps
Graham Taylor appoints a veteran, Double-winning manager as his assistant in the clearest sign yet that Watford were going places. With an emphasis on fast, attacking football and a desire to outscore...
12 Okt 202348min
