00:00, Sun, May 10, 2020 | UPDATED: 22:29, Sun, May 10, 2020. The multi-platinum selling singer is Watford's honorary life president and was chairman during their rise from the old Fourth Division to the top flight during the 1970s and early 80s. "We have always said we are here for the long-term and we will not allow this one moment of great disappointment to stop the continued development of this club over the next eight years and beyond. Worked for Newcastle for five years before a four-month stint at Everton in 2021/22. That is tough to actually deal with and we had to do that and we had to keep a team that was competitive with literally no income that was coming into the football club. The Pozzos are the clubs owners and son Gino will be the one who is more involved than his father Gianpaolo. Instead, the Pozzo model is akin to venture capital investing. Football is a machine that grinds the dreams of thousands of boys. Privacy Policy & Cookies, 2023 Training Ground Guru. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to Subscribe toFT Life on YouTube for the latest FT Weekend videos. If we think a players good enough, we will sign him regardless, says Duxbury. The calendar adjusts to your time zone and will automatically update throughout the season, so you'll never miss a match! Between Udinese and Watford, the family own about 80 senior players, each representing a potential blockbuster transfer. In 2009, Pozzo led the familys acquisition of Spanish club Granada (subsequently sold in 2016 to Chinese group Link International Sports for a reported 37m). There will be more from the Hornets new chief executive in next weeks Watford Observer. Beneath them is best described as a scouting board, with eight or nine individuals based around the world. Academic research suggests the best predictor of a teams league placing is its wage bill. To what end? That's where we should be. Former Chelsea and England striker Chris Sutton on BBC Radio 5 Live: "The owner dictates everything and he needs to have a good look at himself. If you look at the world in front of you, there is somewhere a better player than [the one] you are chasing., The same approach applies to managers. His time at Upton Park was controversial though, with the club fined 30m because of the Carlos Tevez affair, and he left in 2010 when David Gold and David Sullivan took over. Duxbury returned to England to head up a sports practice and it was then that he met Gino Pozzo. Duxbury has spent most of his adult life involved in football after qualifying as a lawyer. Watford are one of the Premier Leaguespoorest clubs. This account already exists. We cannot suggest for one moment you havent tried to play your part. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. [email protected], About How to get into football - the most popular sport in the world, with clubs and facilities throughout the UK. For a young player, being at a big club, if youre just sat there and not playing, not getting the opportunity, youre not showcasing your talent, says Nathaniel Chalobah, a 23-year-old midfielder who joined the club last year from Chelsea, one of Englands richest and most successful clubs. A manager is incentivised to pick the best possible team, so if new signings are good, they will play frequently. The CEO said that will only be achieved if all at Watford, fans, players and staff,aretogether. Theyll either be very successful and maybe go on to another bigger club or they wont work out and theyll move on. We dont want to hide behind anything. In acknowledging the continuing uncertainties around households financial commitments, we believe to provide a discount of at least seven per cent shows our recognition of loyal support across this and many previous seasons. Overseas players are attracted to Watford as it gives them an invaluable shop window into Europes top leagues, a platform from which they can convince bigger clubs to acquire them. And when I say cheap, in terms of transfer fee, it can be similar, but in terms of salary, [there is] a massive difference. Each email has a link to unsubscribe. They should not be competing in the Champions League but it is only because of the expertise of the Pozzos and the infrastructure they have developed that they are doing it year in and year out. Foreign imports, says Giraldi, offer better value for money: If you want to be economically efficient, [buy players in] South America. Worked for Tottenham for three-and-a-half years, latterly as Head of Academy Analysis, before joining Watford in June 2021. Editors' Code of Practice. "The Pozzos are here for the long term and they just don't fail. Difficult in practice. Not any more. The Watford hierarchy have said their "efforts surrounding the team were not good enough" following the Hornets' relegation from the Premier League on the final day of the season. After another three seasons with Udineses first team, Sanchez was sold to Barcelona for a reported fee of 23.4m. Scott Duxbury sets out #watfordfc's position on Project Restart. Watford get a good fee, the player gets his move and the system kicks into life again. OUR Scouting and Recruitment Webinar is back for a second edition and will once again provide industry insights from leading experts in the game. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website, Here's How Drew Barrymore Made Her $125 Million Fortune, Kim Kardashians $150 Million Private Jet Has Strict Rules, Travis Barker Releases New CBD Skincare, But Its Causing Controversy, Moving To Canada? Scott Duxbury in 2021. Their greatest finds include Chilean striker Alexis Snchez, who has gone on to play for European superpowers such as Barcelona, Arsenal and Manchester United. Watford chief executive Scott Duxbury reveals that the Hornets will sign more new players during the January transfer window. Speaking to the club's matchday broadcast Hive Live after the game, the chairman explained just how difficult things had been throughout the last season with no matchday revenuedue to the coronavirus outbreak and said the achievement meant "everything" to him. Only one has to make the big time to achieve huge returns. The company made a turnover of $297 billion in 2011. Scott Duxbury speaking after Watford were promoted to the Premier League. Scott Duxbury has been with Watford since 2012, having previously worked at West Ham Watford's strategy has been to build a structure behind the scenes that they hope will help the. About David Bernard Fransen British businessman and board member of Watford FC, David Fransen has a net worth of $104.26 million. That is what we are all working towards.. We want everyone to understand we accept that whats happened on the field of play, particularly at home, is unacceptable. They employ scouts who watch players before the board convene every three months or so to be updated. Team Focus: Watford Formed: 1881 Stadium: Vicarage Road Stadium (21,000) Captain: Tom Cleverley Chairman: Scott Duxbury Manager: Slaven Bili Competitions: Championship position 3 The Pozzos were ridiculed when they came to power, with plenty questioning how a head coach could be in place when he did not have the complete say on transfers. The clubs scouts had been tracking the player for months but believed he was beyond reach. Duxbury calls them absolute nonsense. "That's been our biggest strength that, as a fan base, asan ownership, as a management, we're all together. The suggestion that Watford is a London club is something of a touchy subject with a lot of supporters, considering the side are based in Hertfordshire, but the link with the capital was a huge positive for the Pozzos. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused. Brother of the Head Coach and also arrived at the club in December 2020, having previously spent a season with Valencia in La Liga. Improvements and developments must and will be made. If we need their support with regards to money, we will get it. If thats playing for Real Madrid orParis Saint-Germain, thats mutually compatible with our ambition because we will improve as a football club, they will improve as a player, and the merry-go-round will continue.. Watfords scouts are instructed to get to know a players agents, even his parents, to better understand their desires in advance of any transfer. Yet, there is scant evidence that even the best scouts can guarantee sure-fire hits. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused. "We are a Premier League football club now. Thats the emotion, laughs Duxbury as he recounts the story to me. Data profile of Scott Duxbury who is contracted to Watford. Saturday May 09 2020, 12.01am, The Times. "I've always said from day one that together we can achieve great things and it's not just rhetoric, it's the truth," he said. Most, however, are obsessive freelancers who travel thousands of miles a season, are paid little more than 40 pence a mile for petrol, and are sustained by a diet of bacon sandwiches. Being a small club has advantages. It was how they were able to persuade Gerard Deulofeu to sign from Barcelona and Nathaniel Chalobah from Chelsea, while Domingos Quina turned up at the training ground on deadline day in the summer when West Ham said he could go because he knew Watford would give him a chance. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please Manchester United, the richest club in the world, employ 50 full-time scouts globally. Until a remarkable climb up the league in the late 1970s, they had spent most of their history in English footballs lower divisions. If you look at the balance sheet of Watford, what people would see as a negative in terms of certain incomes being low Gino sees as a positive, because he believes with the clubs fan base, Watford can grow. No teams ever been relegated with 11 wins, says Duxbury. And while our full focus is of course on the current season, if you are thinking about things beyond the end of this campaign then I do hope Season Ticket holders reading in have already seen fit to renew for next year courtesy of the reduced prices offered within our Early Renewal period. Our site is locked until the 2nd part of the winter patch comes out. Simply put, staying in the Premier League is valuable. So it's grea thatwe've had a fantastic season in the Championship, it's great that we've won so manyconsecutive games and were fantastic, but we're a Premier League football club. Also a well-travelled coach, having managed sides in Croatia, Russia, Turkey, England, Saudi Arabia and China. They just want to do a deal because they know theyre going to lose him in January, [so] we have a guy in a car park with 10 minutes to go before the window closes., Duxbury spoke to Pozzo, who instantly gave the green light. This club means everything to me. In a chaotic campaign, the club had four different managers. Yet now, today, its not about a bid to retain status, or where we will finish in the league at the end of the season, its far more important than that. Also what the Pozzos don't do is just sign an influx of foreign players. Role Active Director Appointed on 12 July 2012 . Watford have also had their share of regulatory problems. Filter appointments . Sign up for exclusive newsletters, comment on stories, enter competitions and attend events. They try to keep the identity of the club, so I think Watford fans should be really encouraged. The programme produced a youth team that beat a Brazilian under-17 side featuring Neymar and Philippe Coutinho, who would go on to become two of the most expensive players ever. According to their recent accounts, the clubs net spend the difference between outlays on transfers minus fees received from selling players has been about 30m a season since re-entering the Premier League. Elton John Splurges On Luxury Toronto Apartment, The 8 Biggest Deals On Shark Tank Ever, Ranked, John Wick's Garage: 10 Crazy Expensive Motorcycles In Keanu Reeves' Collection, Inside Red Sea Project: The $5 Billion Saudi Desert Megaresort, Larsa Pippens New $3.3 Million Miami Penthouse, A Peek Inside Tom Hardy's Insane Car Collection. Calvin after shadowing people such as Mel Johnson, who spotted current international starsGareth Bale andRaheem Sterling as teenagers reckons scouts develop intuition that allows them to divine which players will make it to the top. In a joint statement,external-link owner Gino Pozzo and chief executive Scott Duxbury expressed "great disappointment". Rest assured, we will do everything in our power to take Watford Football Club back to the Premier League, something we all believe we can achieve. About. . These are parts of our football clubs daily life too seldom spoken about. Last updated on 27 July 202027 July 2020.From the section Watford. Should a club hire a player on their recommendation, a scout earns a bonus of a few hundred pounds. Scott Duxbury in 2021. It must be on Watfords terms, too, as they showed when they held out until Everton paid 40m for Richarlison. In his award-winning 2013 bookThe Nowhere Men, football writer Michael Calvin followed the lives of English talent spotters. contact the editor here. "We came here eight years ago, we are now an established Premier League football club and that's where we belong.". That system is headed up by Duxbury, owner Gino Pozzo and technical director Filippo Giraldi. The question ishow? You, our supporters, deserve more. The deal would have been quite a return for Pozzo, given he paid 500,000 to buy Watford six years ago as well clearing the clubs debts of about 10m. Joined Watford in August 2022. A lot of the bigger clubs, they will look at a player and they need a little more convincing, a little more proof. To see staff profiles for other clubs, click here. He aspires to scale greater heights, of course. Premier League champions Manchester City have created a database of 300,000 players, with the club identifying just three targets in each position they consider the best in the world. Since their most recent promotion to the Premier League in 2015, they have, on average, acquired and sold more players than any other side in Englands top division. They watch matches, then attempt to decipher which players have what it takes. Its the situation here, and when you [join] Watford, you know what you are going to find, says current head coach Javi Gracia, 48, who took over in January. . Sociology graduate student at the Ohio State University. Of the 28 teams to have played in the Premier League in the past three years, only four have bought a lower percentage of players from the British Isles, according to 21st Club. One heavy defeat was all it took to suggest replacing Ben Foster, Watfords vastly experienced new goalkeeper, with Heaton, a highly rated recent England international. The creation of the Fans Committee comes with the distribution of a Memorandum of Understanding, so that all those taking part are clear about the terms of reference for involvement; what can be shared more widely and what should remain within the room, so to speak. Along with the clubs Finance Director Emiliano Russo and Head of Communications Richard Walker, it was refreshing to be able to speak with supporters in an environment where confidentiality from both sides was assured. You deserve better. Was a manager in his own right, for HNK Orijent 1919 in Croatia, before linking up with Bilic at Al-Ittihad, West Brom and Beijing Guoan. But Watford largely eschew such methods, Giraldi says. Research interests: Crime and deviance; social control and conflict; computational and mathematical sociology; relational sociology . All Rights Reserved, Webber considering long-term future outside football after abuse, Strudwick steps down as Wales Head of Performance after five years, Plymouth secure permanent home for Academy as they prepare for Cat 2, Inside Brentfords new Robert Rowan Performance Centre, How futsal is part of the football fabric of River Plate in Argentina, App that gives released players new Routes after Academy football, How Ajax are building a full model of football, John Morling: Ferguson, Moran and different approaches to development. For primary use with Football Manager 2021. Instead, Watford have successfully gamed footballs multibillion-pound transfer market: buying low, selling high, while maintaining a team of 11 players capable of scoring 11 wins against richer rivals. Enter your password to log in. Yet few made the big time. This will be an extremely exciting campaign for the club . If Im the club thats buying a player for 40m because youve heard of him onMatch of the Day, somethings gone wrong., Murad Ahmed is the FTs sports correspondent, Follow@FTMag on Twitter to find out about our latest stories first. But Chaudhuri has found that in only half of transfers of peak-age players those in their mid- to late-twenties do they end up playing 50 per cent of minutes for the club they sign for. As was the case with Richarlison, clubs are eyeing Pereyra, Deulofeu and Abdoulaye Doucoure but if they are sold this summer, you can be sure Watford are ready to replace them. Watford look set for another season in Englands top tier following an outstanding start to this term. "There were moments where it was touch and go whether we thought we could actually continue, but we managed to find a way through, we managed to adapt, and we've got back to the Premier League, which iseverything for this football club. But what if Watford simply underpay their players relative to their true worth? The Pozzos are focused solely on football. Please report any comments that break our rules. As we chat, ravenous players filter in following a training session. To have great resources and for them not to bear fruit is bitterly disappointing.