I noticed that former long-serving director Muir Stratford had a letter published in the Watford Observer recently, criticising the club for renaming the Rous (West) Stand as the Graham Taylor Stand. He felt the Rous Stand should remain as named and Graham Taylor’s contribution should be recognised by naming the new stand after the former manager.

In fairness to Muir, it should be said he wrote the letter not knowing the new stand, erected on the site of the old Main Stand, was about to be named the Sir Elton John Stand. Muir played a significant part in the Watford story. He had supported the club from childhood, had become a vice-president, and then joined the board with a significant financial contribution, second only to that of Jim Bonser.

Perhaps his biggest contribution was joining forces with Geoff Smith and grabbing hold of the reins when Elton threatened to gallop off in the direction of Bobby Moore, and re-steer him in the direction of Graham Taylor as the best possible choice for manager in 1977. Little things add up to something of significance, as indeed was Muir’s contribution then.

He then played his part as a director and subsequently earned himself a place in Dave “Call Me Harry” Bassett’s biography for inopportune remarks made in the boardroom on match days. When I told Muir he had been dubbed by Bassett as being “rude” the former director, who lives in my former home village of Sarratt, went out and invested in the biography.

In fact Muir had a point then and there was never doubting Muir had his heart in the right place and while he left the board back in 1990 after 19 years, he continues to watch the Hornets regularly.

However, I cannot agree with his criticism of the present regime in their decision to rename the stand after anyone: Elton, Graham, Cliff Holton, Luther, Skilly, Ralph Thorpe or anyone who made an actual noteworthy contribution to the Watford cause.

Sir Stanley Rous was a Watford Grammar School sports master who helped to found youth district football leagues in the locality before moving on. He appeared briefly at Vicarage Road during the war, publicising the need for physical fitness and health.

Although not a local man, Sir Stanley certainly made a contribution to local football in south west and west Herts, but with the drawing up of the Laws of the Game, his position as secretary of the FA and later FIFA precluded him from becoming too involved in Football League concerns, let alone matches.

He did attend matches at Vicarage Road in the Taylor-Elton era, being among those open-mouthed as we watched Watford demolish the top-flight leaders Southampton 7-1. He accepted an honorary post at Watford and was a regular attendee over six years, before he had the new stand named after him, when the Shrodells Stand was pulled down and replaced.

The stand was built in 1986, coincidentally marking the tenth anniversary of Elton’s chairmanship, but the star, who spent much of the year on tour, was not in favour of having the stand named after him.

In fact the entire stand saga proved to be the first signs that things were not quite as they seemed. The cost of the proposed stand was such that Elton and the board made a public announcement that they would not build it.

Graham Taylor observed that this was the first time since the club had started to progress up the league to the top flight that Watford and the board had made a negative announcement. Was the behind-the-scenes-momentum slowing, Taylor wondered, just a year before he made the reluctant decision to leave Vicarage Road?

Apparently not. The publicity accorded Watford’s decision promoted a company to tender for a cheaper but nevertheless impressive stand. Permission was sought and granted and Watford floated a Rights Issue to raise capital for the project.

I was told by sundry parties, who I had no reason to doubt, that Elton was disappointed in the public and business response to this Issue and he had to commit the best part of £2m to the erection, to ensure he maintained his aim for the club in that it did not incur debt.

Personally I thought more pressure should have been placed by the board to make sure the stand was named after the biggest single benefactor in the club’s history, but the chance was lost. Elton appeared adamant on the subject and so the stand lacked a name, while the chairman never ceased to show anyone who would listen in the USA pictures of the stand’s progress.

When Elton snubbed Bobby Moore and opted instead for someone with managerial ability, Taylor was conscious he might be seen as an upstart taking a pop star’s money. Watford needed the cachet of someone with respect in the game, so Bertie Mee with his knowledge of scouting and general experience, was recruited as assistant manager.

That proved to be a successful appointment, with Bertie finally gaining a seat on the board.

I could understand, by the same yardstick, while they chose the former president of FIFA and the FA, Sir Stanley Rous, for the name of the new stand. Watford were in the top flight, upsetting a few such as journalists Jeff Powell and Ken Jones; a few managers such as Terry Venables and John Bond. They were also being praised in Parliament, cited as an example with their family and community approach and were included in talks, which eventually led to the formation of the Premier League.

Naming the stand after their President, former FIFA secretary Sir Stanley, gave them a cachet – a further claim to tradition and respectability as they sought a place at the top table among the game’s elite. To the modern fan it might be hard to envisage Watford in such climes, but that was the all-too-brief reality. Sir Stanley was a fine man, a delightful gentleman of the old school, a true giant of the game and but not a giant of Watford FC.

I thought at the time, the choice of Rous Stand was no more than posing and my view is unchanged. So I for one applaud the decision to name the stands after people who actually made significant contributions to the club: Elton and Graham.

This article was first published in Friday's Watford Observer.