Today we publish our review of Watford’s programme for the 2021/22 season. You can read our full review below and click here to see all of the top-flight issues for the season.
The Hornets’ programme for 2021/22 is an 84-page issue, with a square shape that is not dissimilar to Manchester United’s familiar programme. This season, each of Watford’s issues commemorates ‘100 Years at the Vic’ with a range of classy cover designs featuring ‘Men Who Made the Vic’, as well as offering a historical section inside the programme.
That section opens with ‘Home Ground Heroes’, which profiles the club legend pictured on the cover, looking over their career and a selection of notable highlights. ‘Limited Editions’ looks back at match programme covers and excerpts from past meetings against the day’s opponents, each accompanied by a report on the game. ‘The Boss Files’ turns the spotlight on those men who have managed the Hornets down the years, while ‘The Last-Minute Club’ recalls memorable late goals from the club’s history. ‘On the Board’ profiles various club officials and decision makers who have been part of Watford’s story, offering an interesting alternative to the bulk of historical feature that focus on players and managers, and providing some insight into some of the off the field issues each person faced. This whole historical section is well compiled, with some interesting reading and well-designed layouts.
The pick of the rest of the content is ‘The Ambassadors’, which provides interviews with former Watford players who have since become ‘Hornets Ambassadors’ – described in the programme as “an informal collective of former players going right back to the 1950s”. There is also an interview with one current Watford player, and an extensive ‘Junior Hornets’ pull-out section in the centre of each issue, featuring quizzes, competitions, and a player poster. ‘Dream Team’ sees one player selecting their ideal five-a-side team from those players they have played with or against.
The opposition section covers eight pages, although the actual amount of content is a touch on the light side. There is an opening two-page spread with an image of one player from the visiting team, recent form, and a head-to-head record. There follows a manager profile and ‘5 Things You (Maybe) Didn’t Know About’, which highlights some lesser-known facts about the opponents. ‘The FM Four’ uses the Football Manager database to spotlight four key opponents – with the remainder of the squad given the usual pen-pic treatment. A few additional features, such as tactical insights, would help to round out this section.
Each issue gathers an impressive amount of club information. As well as the familiar columns from manager and chairman, ‘Voice of the Vic’ provides updates and news from around the club. Previous matches are covered in ‘Action Replay’ – a two-page spread including line-ups, stats, and images from the game. ‘Academy News’ offers updates, interviews, and a results and fixtures spread for Watford’s youth teams, while there are an impressive six pages on the club’s women’s team, and a three-page first-team stats section. ‘Watford Welcomes’ is a page with news from the club’s Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Team, and there are a couple of pages on Watford’s Community Sports & Education Trust. Another column worthy of note is ‘Team Behind the Team’, which provides interviews with unsung heroes who work behind the scenes for the club.
There’s plenty to like about this Watford issue then, with an excellent historical section and several other worthwhile articles and features that offer something different to the norm.