A Mozart‑costumed Elton John meets Watford directors in Austria
In a crowded hotel restaurant in Austria, a table fell silent as Elton John entered dressed as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, wig in place, and you could have heard a pin drop. The flamboyant entrance would later link the pop star to Watford Football Club, a partnership that endured for decades.
Early memories at The Bend
Back in 1959, blackberries grew behind The Bend, the most unlovely corner of the unfashionable ground at Vicarage Road, home of Watford FC. I was 18 and counted myself among the ‘Boys on The Bend’, a loose group of perhaps 20 fans who perched on the low bank to watch the newly‑named Hornets.
From that bank I might have spotted a podgy 13‑year‑old Pinner County Grammar School boy, equally pleased to be there. Perhaps, had we spoken, he would have told me he inherited his love of Watford from his father, Stanley, and that his uncle, Roy Dwight, had scored and broken his leg in the FA Cup final that year.
Elton John's Watford partnership
In August 1973, on a Friday morning, Vic Lewis arrived at Vicarage Road, soon followed by Elton John, soberly dressed apart from his platform shoes. Chairman Jim Bonser, expecting a bizarre ‘nutter’, was pleasantly surprised by Elton’s politeness, knowledge of the game and deference, even addressing the chairman as ‘Sir’.
Bonser offered honorary vice‑president facilities; Elton declined, saying, “I’ll pay. I’m here to help not sponge.” He agreed to pay £50 per annum for a seat, which included access to a pay‑bar and free sandwiches.
Elton’s involvement grew: twice chairman, three times director and twice life president, costing him in excess of £4m on ground improvements and a huge phone bill, yet delivering the joy of seeing his dreams realised.
Watford rose from Division Four in 1978, finished runners‑up to Liverpool in the top flight five years later, and reached the FA Cup final in 1984. The club’s fortunes were inextricably linked to Elton’s passion and investment.
Even in setbacks, such as the 1974 relegation to Division Four, Elton’s presence was felt; chief executive Eddie Plumley recalled him peering over the directors’ box like a small child, urging the team on before matches ended.