Watford’s greatest player of all time, Luther Blissett OBE DL, has been invited to become only the third Honorary Life-President of the club.

The striker, who holds just about every club record there is, had been a glaring absentee in the list of official Hornets Ambassadors, but in a statement released today the club said they “had been discussing with Luther about his potential involvement with the Hornets Ambassadors programme but the awarding of a Life-Presidency feels far more appropriate in its significance and distinction”.

The announcement comes just a couple of months before Watford FC marks the 100th anniversary of its first game at Vicarage Road, and it’s fitting that a player who graced the WD18 turf with such honour, distinction and skill is now set to join Sir Elton John CBE and the late Graham Taylor OBE who have been awarded this status.

That triumvirate will forever be remembered as the key men who took the club from being a footballing backwater to the old First Division, the FA Cup Final, Europe and beyond. Who knows where Watford FC would be now without the three of them?

The club statement added that as well as bestowing this honour upon Luther, “the Hornets will also continue the conversation with Luther as to how we’ll further recognise his incredible service to the club”.

His unrelenting work for charity and in the community generally has become a key part of his life since retiring from playing, and it was recently recognised by the town’s Elected Mayor Peter Taylor, with the awarding of the Freedom of the Borough of Watford.

Then earlier this month he was recognised by Her Majesty The Queen when she made him an OBE in her Platinum Jubilee Honours List.

The club said in their statement they want to help Luther in his charitable endeavours and so will be making available 20 match tickets for each home game to him, so that he can “personally recognise the hard work and commitment of others who serve this town and its local community, as well as providing access to live football to those who might otherwise not be fortunate enough to be able to come along”.

A quick bit of basic maths using £30 as a guide price per ticket means the club are handing Luther almost £14,000 worth of free tickets to use as he sees fit.

Luther’s name is chanted every time he appears at Vicarage Road, and on the final day of last season he received a standing ovation just for walking across the front of the Rookery End on his way to make a trophy presentation!

“It’s entirely appropriate that we’d like to recognise Luther in this way,” said Hornets’ Chairman & CEO Scott Duxbury.

“He would join the exalted company of the late Graham Taylor OBE and Sir Elton John as those to have been granted Honorary Life-Presidencies of Watford Football Club.”

“His position as an essential part of the fabric of Watford FC – both at home matchdays and all other days of the year – remains as important as it ever was.”

Luther has also been invited to meet new head coach Rob Edwards at the club’s training ground so that in the words of the chairman “he’s fully connected and engaged at the start of this exciting future for our club”.