A new book which tells the remarkable story of Sir Elton John, Graham Taylor and Watford FC is due to be published in mid-November.

Watford Forever has been written by bestselling and prize-winning author John Preston in collaboration with the legendary musician and lifelong Hornets fan.

The book marks the first time that Elton has told the story in full of his time as chairman of Watford and his friendship with the late, great Watford boss.

One of sport’s great underdog stories, Watford Forever tells the remarkable story of the club's transformational journey from the Fourth Division to the top of the First Division.

Publishers Viking will release Watford Forever in hardback, e-book and audiobook on November 16.

Sir Elton said: “I cherish my relationship with Graham as one of the greatest of my life.

“What we accomplished together was extraordinary on and off the field, but so was the lifelong bond we built. He was like a brother to me and I loved him dearly.

“When we started working together in 1977 I had huge ambitions and hopes for my childhood club, but Graham's understanding of the game and leadership achieved something beyond even my wildest dreams. He was a true genius.

“We took a club in financial turmoil at the bottom of the football pyramid to second in the league, an FA Cup final and European football. It's one of the greatest managerial accomplishments of all time.

“Myself and every single Watford fan will be forever grateful to him for the memories he gave us and what was achieved for the club and the community.”

The book's author John Preston is an award-winning journalist, novelist, original screen writer and writer of non-fiction with a proven track record for writing bestselling books which translate seamlessly to the screen.

His most recent book, Fall: The Mystery of Robert Maxwell, was a Sunday Times bestseller, was shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize and won the Costa Biography Award in 2021.

His novel The Dig was made into a BAFTA-winning film and his television drama series, Stonehouse, starring Matthew Macfadyen was broadcast to rave reviews earlier this year.

He said: “When Elton John bought Watford FC in 1976, the first rock star ever to buy a football club, almost everyone said that it was an act of madness - a rich man’s folly that was sure to end in tears.

“But they had fatally underestimated Elton’s determination and his emotional bond to the club.

“His father had first taken him to Vicarage Road when Elton was six, and when he became a superstar it was the one place in the world where he felt both safe and at home.

“One of Elton’s first acts as Chairman was to appoint Graham Taylor as manager, a man as ostensibly conventional as Elton was flamboyant. But the two of them would form an extraordinarily close bond and take Watford FC from the bottom of the Football League to the top in just five years - something that's never been done before or since.

“In the process, they would have a hugely dramatic effect on one another’s lives.

“The chance to work in close collaboration with Elton has been the fulfilment of a long-held dream, and I hope we’ve managed to produce a book that does justice to the ultimate story of underdogs triumphing against all the odds.”