The extravagantly attired Rocket Man transformed Watford – not once but twice
In the 1970s, most club chairmen were straight-laced business types with a suit and tie, desperate to look serious at all times. Not Elton John.
A boyhood Watford fan and cousin of Roy Dwight, Nottingham Forest goalscorer in the 1959 FA Cup Final, popstar Reg became the Hornets’ vice-president in 1973 and took part in a training session with Rod Stewart at Vicarage Road, before being dunked in the bath by the squad. Three years later he became owner of the club in the Fourth Division. On the advice of then-England manager Don Revie, he recruited Lincoln boss Graham Taylor, who rejected top-flight West Brom.
As the chairman sported an ever more extravagant array of hats in the directors’ box, Watford bagged three promotions in five years, then finished second in their first season in the top flight. Cue another photo op at the Summer Palace on a summer tour to Beijing (above), before beating China’s national team in front of 80,000.
Also briefly a co-owner of the Los Angeles Aztecs, John led Watford to a first-ever FA Cup final, then sold the club in 1990 but repurchased it seven years later with the Hornets back in the third tier – playing all the old hits by recruiting Taylor for a second spell and taking them up to the top flight once more. He stepped down again in 2002, but later held a concert that helped raise funds to recruit Troy Deeney – today he’s honorary life-president. John even has a stand named in his honour – if terraces ever return to Vicarage Road, presumably they’ll rename it the I’m Still Standing Stand.
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