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Watford Forever

How Graham Taylor and Elton John Saved a Football Club, a Town and Each Other

John Preston author Elton John author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Penguin Books Ltd

Published:16th Nov '23

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Watford Forever cover

The inspiring tale of Watford Forever chronicles the friendship between Elton John and Graham Taylor as they revive a struggling football club.

In Watford Forever, John Preston narrates the heartwarming and unlikely friendship between two contrasting figures in English football: Sir Elton John and Graham Taylor. Set against the backdrop of 1970s Britain, a period marked by social unrest and economic challenges, the story unfolds as Watford FC struggles at the bottom of the Football League. With a dilapidated club and a dwindling fanbase, the odds seem stacked against them.

Elton John, at the pinnacle of his music career, defies expectations by purchasing Watford FC, a club that many had written off. His flamboyant persona stands in stark contrast to the gritty reality of the football world, yet his passion for the team runs deep, stemming from his childhood support. Under the guidance of manager Graham Taylor, a no-nonsense former player, the club embarks on a remarkable journey from the depths of despair to the heights of success in the First Division.

Watford Forever captures the essence of this underdog story, highlighting the resilience of both the players and the community. With humor and warmth, Preston illustrates how Elton and Graham's partnership not only transformed the club but also forged a lasting bond between two men from very different worlds. This inspiring tale serves as a tribute to the beautiful game and the power of friendship in overcoming adversity.

If John Preston hasn’t already sold the film rights to this book, he surely will soon. Watford Forever is the heartwarming story of the collaboration and friendship between English football’s oddest couple, Elton John and Graham Taylor -- Robert Crampton * The Times *
A wonderful, feel-good account of an ultimately English provincial story -- Simon Kuper * The Spectator *
A rollicking period tale of footballing success . . . Watford Forever teems with unforgettable images . . . from first to last, this is an ever-entertaining telling of a remarkable sporting fairy-tale -- Declan Ryan * Daily Telegraph *
Entwining sport, music and social history, the absorbing Watford Forever is masterfully judged, saccharine-free, true-life fairy tale, which showcases another side of Elton John -- John Aizlewood * iNews *
A warm and redemptive tale . . . packed with anecdotes, moments that skewer the times with economy and prevision. Plus endless laugh-out-loud yarns…as Preston tells [Elton John and Graham Taylor’s] story, it rattles along at page-turning pace….it reads, indeed, like the script of a movie -- Jim White * Independent *
It is hard to read Watford Forever without becoming overwhelmingly nostalgic . . . Preston burrows to the heart of what for a while Watford got so right -- Simon Burnton * Observer *
John bought his beloved Watford FC when it was near the bottom of English football, then carried it to glory in alliance with manager Graham Taylor — his polar opposite. The rock star collaborated with Preston, a skilled and versatile writer, for this English-odd-couple feelgood story * Financial Times *
The original football fairytale of a small club rising from the bottom to the top * Watford Observer *
You don't have to be a Watford fan to enjoy this terrific book. It is about much more than the unlikely friendship between one of the most famous stars on the planet, who as a boy had loved being taken to Watford matches by his distant father, and the fiercely ambitious son of a sports editor who wanted, in his managerial achievements, to make up for an undistinguished playing career * Daily Mail *

ISBN: 9780241597903

Dimensions: 238mm x 158mm x 34mm

Weight: 540g

304 pages