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Watford could end up paying Carlisle United £550,000 for Danny Graham

3:57pm Thursday 6th August 2009


Watford could be forced to pay more than £500,000 for Danny Graham after the Football League tribunal was held today.

The Hornets have been ordered to pay Carlisle United £200,000 for the 23-year-old striker after the clubs could not agree a transfer fee following an initial £25,000 offer last month.

Watford will also have to pay an additional £30,000 every 15 appearances Graham makes up to a maximum of 75 games. If the Hornets win promotion in the next three seasons they will also have to give the League One club another £200,000.

Graham has made an impact in his short spell at Vicarage Road netting five goals in five pre-season games and is expected to start the first Championship match against Doncaster on Saturday.

Watford chief executive Julian Winter said: "We feel we have acquired an excellent player in Danny Graham and the fee represents good value for our money. Everyone at the club is looking forward to seeing Danny play this season."

Carlisle chief executive David Allen told United's site: "We are absolutely chuffed to bits. This is a really good result for us. It was Carlisle United who took the chance on signing Danny when Middlesbrough were prepared to let him go and it was also this club who developed and transformed his career into what it is now.

"Watford's offer of £25,000 was totally derisory and we made it perfectly clear that we would not be messed around in this way. We are now thrilled that the transfer tribunal's decision was to award us a package that is a much truer reflection of the player's real value.

"We had offered Danny a very handsome wage rise to stay here but he chose to exercise his right to move on. He leaves our fans with some great memories of the goals he scored, even though they dried up for him back in January."


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Your Say YourWatford

djwatford, Hatch End says...
4:04pm Thu 6 Aug 09

Oh dear:(

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Johnjones1959, Aylesbury says...
4:05pm Thu 6 Aug 09

I call that being shafted by a bunch of useless tw*ts at the FA again, mention the name Watford FC and all the ars**oles have to get their oars in, just like there referee's FIN useless.

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scottwfc, Northolt says...
4:06pm Thu 6 Aug 09

Disgraceful decision by the FA. I don't like to see clubs short changed for their talent. But Danny Graham's development was all done by Middlesborough, he wasn't at Carlisle long enough to have been improved by them to any great degree. A real slap in the face, although the irony of it is if we had offered Carlisle £150K upfront when he signed they probably would have snatched our hands off.

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Garston Tony, Garston says...
4:08pm Thu 6 Aug 09

The club seem happy with the fee, or is that just putting a brave face on it?

Seems like we've been shafted to me, especially as since Carlisle were willing to accept 250k the player hasnt scored a goal!

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WFC4ever, Watford says...
4:10pm Thu 6 Aug 09

No wonder we were quick to sell Priskin to raise funds for this fee.

We'll probably try to sell him after 74 games...and as for promotion I doubt it somehow.

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Gusthehorn, Chorleywood says...
4:10pm Thu 6 Aug 09

Bureaucrats!!

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Dr.Oftaw, wd18 says...
4:24pm Thu 6 Aug 09

absolutely shocking, no direspect meant to Danny but thats just wrong

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Hornet Cornet, Hornetsville says...
4:26pm Thu 6 Aug 09

So, let me get this straight. If we get relegated to League 1 and then get promoted to the Championship, we will have to pay an extra £200k? Either the Wobbo have got their wording wrong, or the Football League are an even bigger bunch of sponge-heads than I gave them credit for being.

Hornet O'Cornet

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WFC4ever, Watford says...
4:48pm Thu 6 Aug 09

Hornet Cornet wrote:
So, let me get this straight. If we get relegated to League 1 and then get promoted to the Championship, we will have to pay an extra £200k? Either the Wobbo have got their wording wrong, or the Football League are an even bigger bunch of sponge-heads than I gave them credit for being. Hornet O'Cornet
No..I think its only if we were to somehow get promoted to the Premiership!


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worthing_hornet, worthing says...
4:53pm Thu 6 Aug 09

And I'll bet an appearance will be anything over 1 minute on the pitch, I hope to god it doesn't include him sitting on the bench. What a crock! - Watch that slime from Reading come in with another deisory offer. We have been royally given the raspberry by the FA what a disgrace.

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VitalWatford, Leighton Buzzard says...
5:10pm Thu 6 Aug 09

er, did the W'Observer forget to mention that Carlisle also managed to negotiate a 15% sell-on clause in the deal?

Well, that's what their local rag is reporting anyway!

Let's wait until they want a youngster on loan then charge them £11,000 a week for the priviledge.

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Bolton's Boots, back then says...
5:13pm Thu 6 Aug 09

We'll fix them - we just wont get promoted. That'll show them!

Good point, Hornet Cornet - there's nothing in the article about 'Premiership', just 'promotion'. Mind you, I'd rather not find out by getting relegated - unless of course there is a clause that says we get a refund if that happens.

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martin62, abbots langley says...
5:20pm Thu 6 Aug 09

I think we have paid the price for taking the "p*ss" with the 15k offer. However i do find the "final" figure strange bearing in mind Carlisle were always quoting £250k and we could end up paying nearer £500k!!. Still lets get behind the lad and hope he scores a hatfull of goals. The way the club is going we'll probably sell him for a million in a couple of years!!!!

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whos blue now !, carlisle says...
5:43pm Thu 6 Aug 09

It is what Watford fc deserved, your club offered a embarrasing amount of money for a decent stricker and got what they deserved. Basically they tried to take the Pi** which no doubt wound up the FA and carlisle. Graham will get you goals but he does disappear off the radar for long periods not just last season but the season before etc. I here you shout he will get better service at Watford so score more goals , sorry but he just starts missing then he starts slotting them in again if you give him the time which at Championship level I dont think he will get. You could always try another club and see what £200,000 gets you . Come on guys you got a bargain . All your predictions where wrong . Have a good season at least your buying players try been Carlisle fan another season of struggle ahead.

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UZZY, LONDON COLNEY says...
5:53pm Thu 6 Aug 09

whos blue now ! wrote:
It is what Watford fc deserved, your club offered a embarrasing amount of money for a decent stricker and got what they deserved. Basically they tried to take the Pi** which no doubt wound up the FA and carlisle. Graham will get you goals but he does disappear off the radar for long periods not just last season but the season before etc. I here you shout he will get better service at Watford so score more goals , sorry but he just starts missing then he starts slotting them in again if you give him the time which at Championship level I dont think he will get. You could always try another club and see what £200,000 gets you . Come on guys you got a bargain . All your predictions where wrong . Have a good season at least your buying players try been Carlisle fan another season of struggle ahead.
Go away & eat your sour grapes !

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whos blue now !, carlisle says...
6:33pm Thu 6 Aug 09

I take it you can't read , sour grapes ! try reading it properly or get someone to read it to you. Nearly £300,000 if he plays the full season. I can feel your hurt !

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TonyCoton, Brighton says...
8:58pm Thu 6 Aug 09

I have to say if another club had behaved towards us as we have to Carlisle we would all be disgusted.

Its embarrassing that we should try and take the pi$$ out of a club that we think we are bigger than and only offer 25k.

We got what we deserved.

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henry, oxhey says...
9:47pm Thu 6 Aug 09

Initial fee seems steep at 200k although Carlisle are entitled to a fee for their contribution to the development of the player. You could argue that they should pay Middlesborough something for their efforts.
However, the guy was out of contract and decided to leave Carlisle and come to Watford to improve his ability and prospects. I cannot see why we should pay Carlisle for any value added as he steps up to Championship level with the help of our coaching staff.

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Henry VIII, Hampton Court says...
1:24am Fri 7 Aug 09

To be fair I think our initial offer was poor, Crlisle would probably have settled for 125,000-150,000 with no add-ons, but WFC took a chance and it did not work. It is not a terrible outcome, we do have what many seem to think is a very decent striker - why not review this at say Christmas time when he has had time to establish himself. As for the promotion add-ons etc, obviously it would be a steal for WFC if we got promoted.
However, I do and always have had the feeling, that for some reason (totally unknown to me) that the FA has never liked WFC. This is not some sad lonely whine, but it just seems there is something about our club that they really don't like.
Anyway, once Priskin goes hopefully Raziak or someone else can come in, because we do need to add.
If I am honest, I think the squad is still in better shape than I thought it would be a few months back.
I am sure we will still lose another two and get two more before September 1st.
This is not a bad day at all.
It is another day in the real life of being a WFC fan - or any other club doing all it can to survive in the current climate.
Good luck Danny Graham and best wishes to Tamas.
Most importantly, good luck boys on Saturday....

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Henry VIII, Hampton Court says...
3:34am Fri 7 Aug 09

...and talking of Saturday, I predict Watford 2 Doncaster 0.

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WFC & Proud, Watford says...
8:14am Fri 7 Aug 09

The contract Danny Graham signed in 2007 with CUFC expired on Jun 6 2009 (according to their website).
Surely that would have made him out of contract & £500,000 "compenstation" for a player who'd been at a club for just 2 seasons of their career seems a helluva lot of money.
I don't feel it bears comparison with the deal Villa got for Harry Forrester who'd been with Watford from 10 until 16.

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Chris the Vic, The Vic says...
8:17am Fri 7 Aug 09

Well now Danny has to face competitive football.

The fee is interesting, the structure is not bad and is success related. if he scores goals he will seem ver very cheap, if he fails and performs like Will Hoskins has, he wont be as expensive.

I wish him and the team luck for Saturday and I hope the fans fill the ground because we need the cash.

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harry uk, dunstable says...
8:20am Fri 7 Aug 09

No sympathy for Watford from me, we moaned about a derisory offer for Tommy Smith, then some fans claim its not fair to pay Carlisle that amount of money. Watford were sloppy and tried to get him on the cheap, they took a chance at the tribunal and came unstuck.!!

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bizlink, says...
9:12am Fri 7 Aug 09

worthing_hornet wrote:
And I'll bet an appearance will be anything over 1 minute on the pitch, I hope to god it doesn't include him sitting on the bench. What a crock! - Watch that slime from Reading come in with another deisory offer. We have been royally given the raspberry by the FA what a disgrace.
Non-playing sub matches do not count .Not sure if it has to be starts.

The £200k for promotion is a red herring. He will cost us £350k and we got £275k for Theo on same sort of basis.

WFC could have settled this more economically, but the tribunals are erratic.

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herts hornet, watford says...
2:19pm Fri 7 Aug 09

personally think Mr Julian Winter needs to have a very close look at himself ,to take watford to the lottery of a tribunal having offered a stupid 25k has cost the club very badly ,he is using spin to say they are pleased with the deal THEY ARE NOT mark my words ,Carlisle would have taken 100-150k no problem BUT now are laughing all the way to the bank MR WINTER SHOULD CONSIDER HIS POSITION IN MY VIEW

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JamesA, KL says...
3:22pm Fri 7 Aug 09

I don't know much about Mr Winter, but offering £25k was an embarrassment to the club. Hopefully they'll learn a lesson and will show more respect to fellow clubs in future.

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Hexham Hornet, HEXHAM says...
10:15pm Fri 7 Aug 09

The FA have not got things in any sort of perspective and yet again have treated Watford with contempt. How they can accept that Carlisle have made DG into the player he is today is beyond me. How they can also justify that Carlisle should receive such a huge sum for so small an investment in the player is unbelievable. The FA obviously do not like Watford, as most of their decisions in recent seasons have shown.

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Comments are closed on this article.

Danny Graham could cost Watford more than £500,000: Holly Cant Danny Graham could cost Watford more than £500,000: Holly Cant


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