List_of_Watford_F.C._players

List of Watford F.C. players

List of Watford F.C. players

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Watford Football Club is an English association football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. Formed on 15 April 1898 as a result of the amalgamation of two strong local clubs, Watford St. Mary's and West Herts. West Herts began life as Watford Rovers in 1881, and renamed West Herts in 1891, the team joined the Southern League in 1896. West Herts amalgamated with local rivals Watford St. Mary's for the start of the 1898–99 season, to form a new club, Watford Football Club.[2] Between 1898 and 1920, Watford competed in the Southern League, winning the championship in 1914–15. The Southern League was suspended for the next four seasons due to the First World War. On the league's resumption in 1919–20, Watford finished as runners up on goal average.[3] At the start of 1920–21, Watford joined the Football League Third Division, and transferred to the Third Division South when the league was reorganised the following season. They have played in the Football League ever since, with the exception of 1939–1946, when competitive football was suspended due to the Second World War, and the 1999–2000 and 2006–07 seasons, when they competed in the Premier League. In addition to the latter two seasons, the club also competed in the top division of English football between 1982 and 1988,[4] achieving their highest league placing of second in the 1982–83 season.[5]

John Barnes made 31 appearances for England during his Watford career.[1]

Many of Watford's individual records are held by former centre forward Luther Blissett. He has made more Watford appearances (503, including substitute appearances) and scored more goals for the club (186) than anyone else. His corresponding totals in the Football League (415 appearances and 148 goals) are also Watford records.[5] Cliff Holton has scored the most goals for Watford in a single season; 48 in all competitions in the 1959–60 season, including 42 in the Football League.[5][6] Eddie Mummery's five-goal haul against Newport County on 5 January 1924 is the club record for goals scored by a player in a Football League match.[5] Watford's most-used goalkeeper is Skilly Williams, who played for the club 341 times between 1913 and 1926.[7] John Barnes and Kenny Jackett share the record for the most international caps won while playing for Watford. Barnes made his first 31 England appearances before transferring from Watford to Liverpool in 1987.[8] Jackett, a one-club man,[9] made the same number of appearances for Wales.[1] Seven people have played competitively for the club while managing them: John Goodall, Harry Kent, Fred Pagnam, Neil McBain, Bill Findlay, Ken Furphy, and most recently Mike Keen between 1973 and 1975.[10]

Key

This list contains players who have made 50 or more competitive appearances for Watford, since the amalgamation of West Herts and Watford St Mary's. Non-professional players (or any player who has not signed a first team contract) or any other academy player(s) are not on the list.[lower-alpha 1] It includes appearances and goals in the Premier League, Football League, Southern Football League, FA Cup, Football League Cup, Football League Trophy, Full Members Cup, UEFA Cup and Anglo-Italian Cup. Appearances and goals in other competitions or non-competitive matches are not included. The table does not include appearances and goals from 1939–40; the season was abandoned after three matches due to the Second World War, and playing records from those matches were annulled.[12]

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Players

Maurice Cook (right) missed only four games between his debut and final appearance for Watford.[13]
Troy Deeney (left) celebrates a goal with Nyron Nosworthy
Danny Graham was the Football League Championship's top scorer in the 2010–11 season.[14]
Heiðar Helguson played for the club in two periods between 1999 and 2010.
Andy Hessenthaler played for the team between 1991 and 1996.
Goalkeeper David James started his career at Watford, and went on to play for England.
Scott Loach playing in goal for Watford
Malky Mackay played for Watford as a centre back, and later managed the team.
Jack McNee played for West Hertfordshire, prior to their merger with Watford St. Mary's in 1898.
Midfielder Gavin Mahon was voted Watford F.C. Player of the Season in 2003–04.
Adrian Mariappa graduated from Watford's academy, and has captained the team.[15]
Tommy Mooney made 287 Watford appearances between 1994 and 2001.
Academy graduate Gifton Noel-Williams played for Watford between 1996 and 2003.[16]
Hungary striker Tamás Priskin
Tommy Smith won the Player of the Season award twice during his second spell at the club.
Centre back Martin Taylor joined Watford in 2010.
Skilly Williams was Watford's goalkeeper as they won the 1914–15 Southern League.[17]
Ashley Young left Watford for a club record fee of £9.65 million in 2007.[18]

Current players' statistics correct at end of 2022-23 season.

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Notes

  1. Appearances made before the start of the 1898–99 season are not included, because West Hertfordshire and Watford St Mary's competed in the FA Cup as separate entities.[11]
  2. For more information, see Formation (association football).
  3. Years given denote the span between a player's first and last peacetime appearance—they do not take into account appearances for Watford while peacetime competitions were suspended due to the First and Second World Wars. Where a player spent multiple periods at the club, these periods are denoted as multiple ranges of years.
  4. Where a player did not compete internationally, no country is denoted. Only the highest level of international competition is given, except where a player competed for more than one country, in which case the highest level for each country is shown. Between 1926 and 1950, two competing teams claimed to represent the island of Ireland.
    Ireland denotes players who played for the Irish Football Association team.
    Republic of Ireland denotes players who played for the Football Association of Ireland team.
    For more information, see Ireland national football team (1882–1950) and Republic of Ireland national football team.[19][20]
  5. Also played for Watford during the Second World War.[23]
  6. Barnes and Jackett share the record for the most senior international caps won by a player while at Watford. Barnes made 31 appearances for England while at Watford; Jackett made 31 appearances for Wales during his one-club career.[1]
  7. Bennett played for Great Britain at the 1952 Summer Olympics.[25]
  8. Blissett holds the record for the most total appearances and goals for Watford. He also holds the club's records for the most Football League games and goals (415 games, 148 goals).[5]
  9. Also played for Watford during the First World War.[29]
  10. Davies played for the senior Wales team in a wartime international match. Matches played during the Second World War were not subsequently recognised as full internationals, and are regarded as "unofficial".[35]
  11. Findlay was player-manager between 1937 and 1944, and continued managing until 1947.[10]
  12. Furphy was player-manager for the entirety of his Watford playing career, and continued as manager until 1971.[10]
  13. Goodall was player-manager for the entirety of his Watford playing career. He continued managing the club until 1910.[10] He is the oldest player ever to play for the club; on his last appearance he was 44 years 87 days old.[5]
  14. Player made additional appearances for West Hertfordshire prior to the start of the 1898–99 season.[52]
  15. Holton holds the Watford record for the most goals in a season; 48 in 1959–60.[6] His 42 goals in the Football League that season is also a club record.[5]
  16. Keen was player-manager between 1973 and 1975, and continued as manager until 1977.[10]
  17. Kent was player-manager between 1910 and 1913, and continued to manage the club until 1926.[10]
  18. McBain player-managed the club between 1929 and 1931. He continued managing until 1937, and returned for a second spell as manager between 1956 and 1959.[10]
  19. Mercer was the youngest player to play for Watford in a competitive match, aged 16 years 125 days.[5]
  20. Mummery holds the record for the most goals by a Watford player in a Football League match. He scored five times against Newport County on 5 January 1924.[5]
  21. Pagnam was player-manager between 1926 and 1927, and continued managing until 1929.[10]
  22. Although primarily a midfielder, Palmer played in every position for the club during the 1997–98 season.[76]
  23. Sordell played for Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics.[87]
  24. Welbourne holds the Watford record for the most consecutive league games (280).[98]
  25. Williams has played more games in goal for Watford than anyone else.[7]

References

Bibliography
  • Jones, Trefor (1996). The Watford Football Club Illustrated Who's Who. T.G. Jones. ISBN 978-0-9527458-0-8.
  • Jones, Trefor (1998). Watford Season by Season. T.G. Jones. ISBN 978-0-9527458-1-5.
  • Phillips, Oliver (1991). The Official Centenary History of Watford FC 1881–1991. Watford Football Club. ISBN 978-0-9509601-6-6.
General
  • Positions, playing statistics and career spans from 1898–99 to 1997–98 sourced to: Jones, Watford Season by Season. pp. 225–241. Players with multiple spells at the club are cited individually.
  • Positions, playing statistics and career spans from 1998–99 onwards sourced to: "Watford player appearances". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 26 April 2016. Career spans for players with multiple spells at the club are cited individually.
  • International representation up to and including May 1996 sourced to: Jones, The Watford Football Club Illustrated Who's Who. pp. 279–284. Players who made their international debut after May 1996 are cited individually.
  • Players of the Season up to 2010–11 sourced to: "Former Watford Players of the Season". Watford Football Club. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2012. Subsequent winners are cited individually.
Specific
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