Legendary boss joined by Jimmy and Vince Russo and Stuart Timperley on new board (From Watford Observer)

Legendary boss joined by Jimmy and Vince Russo and Stuart Timperley on new board

7:00am Friday 23rd January 2009

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Graham Taylor says his emotional return to Vicarage Road is “no magic wand”, but is seeking to re-establish “trust” between Watford and their supporters.

What had become an increasingly open secret – particularly after the Hornets’ legendary manager was in the directors’ box to watch the 2-0 defeat against Sheffield United on Saturday – was confirmed this morning when Watford announced that Taylor is to be part of an initial six-man new board of directors at the club.

It brings to an end a near two-month process with which chairman Andrew Wilson, who remains on the six-man decision-making body with Watford chief executive Julian Winter, was charged following the resignation of Graham Simpson at an extraordinary meeting at the start of last month and former chief executive Mark Ashton’s subsequent decision to quit as well.

However, it is understood that this is unlikely to be the end of the boardroom restructuring, and more appointments should be announced in due course.

Although Taylor is not the only familiar face in the new boardroom line-up – Jimmy and Vince Russo are back following an 18-month absence, while, in what will be a surprising move for some fans, Stuart Timperley takes up a formal position at the club for the first time in around 12 years – it is the former two-time manager’s return that will be greeted with particular enthusiasm by supporters.

“I am delighted to be returning to Watford Football Club in my new role as a non-executive director,” said the 64-year-old, who is the only person in the club’s history to lead the Hornets to the top-flight of English football twice, as well as into Europe and to an FA Cup Final. “As fans will hopefully know, Watford is both a club and a town that will always be part of my life.

“Agreeing to come back in my new role is not a decision I have taken lightly. I have asked many, many questions and discussed matters at great length with other members of the new board, especially Vince and Jimmy Russo.

“I must stress to supporters there is no magic wand – either on or off the pitch – but I do believe that the club needs to return to the days when the trust between itself and the supporters was paramount. I hope to play a part in re-establishing that.

“Honest, frank and regular communication with the supporters was always a hallmark of my club management career, especially at Watford,” continued the former England boss. “Even all of these years later on I still believe this to be of vital importance. Having said that, in the short term, I do ask for a degree of patience from supporters until the new board has had the time to settle in.

“In the meantime, the most important thing at any club is the team, and it is obvious that we have a relegation fight on our hands. It would be silly not to recognise that. At these times, we need to have players in as confident a frame of mind as possible, and support breeds confidence.

“Timescales around the announcement of my return have been such that I haven’t been able to give a fuller interview. However, I intend to speak at length to the Watford Observer and club website as soon as possible.”

The decision of the club’s honorary life president to return to Vicarage Road for a second time – he previously came back in 1996 for a second successful spell following his first managerial reign from 1977 to 1987 – will bring added credibility to the new board in the eyes of the majority of fans and enhance the belief that the “old Watford” – as manager Brendan Rodgers has previously termed it – could return. It is also a strong endorsement of Jimmy and Vince Russo, both as people, as well as their ethos and plans for taking the Hornets forward.

The Italian brothers were previously non-executives prior to their removal from the board in May 2007, but they intend to have significant involvement in the day-to-day running of the club and work closely with the chief executive, although they will not be based at Watford’s Tolpits Lane offices.

The Russos, who run a successful Essex-based salad company, pumped around £8m into the club during their previous two-and-a-half years on the board, and it was already understood they would seek to apply a common sense approach to running the Hornets if they did come back in a formal capacity.

Time will tell what this specifically involves, but Jimmy Russo has indicated that both his brother and himself will now set about looking into all aspects of the business, from catering to merchandising to staffing.

He said: “We are really delighted to be back on board.

“We are under no illusions about the task ahead, but we will give it every effort we can at all times in order to make sure we can deliver success in the long-term.”

The return of Timperley though, may raise some eyebrows among those who recall the unpopular Jack Petchey era.

Timperley served on the Watford board for six years from 1990 after Elton John sold his stake to the multi-millionaire East End businessman, and took over as chairman in 1994 in the wake of a fans’ demonstration against Petchey at Vicarage Road.

However, this newspaper understands Timperley has been brought back because of his knowledge of the club, his business acumen and communication skills and his ability to offer another perspective on some tough decisions that are likely to need to be taken.

Watford FC statement on new board

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