The 2007–08 football season was Watford Football Club's 62nd consecutive season of competitive football since the Second World War. It began on 1 July 2007, and concluded on 30 June 2008, although competitive games were only played between August and May.

Season summary

Following relegation from the Premier League in 2006–07, Watford started the 2007–08 season strongly, winning eleven of their opening sixteen games and opening up an 8-point gap at the top of the Championship table. However, after the departure of Adam Johnson to Middlesbrough on 11 November 2007 Watford's form declined; they won six of their next sixteen Championship games, and only one of their final sixteen. In January 2008 Watford sold captain Gavin Mahon and top scorer Marlon King, but purchased Mat Sadler, Leigh Bromby and John Eustace. Watford finished the 2007–08 season in 6th position, and were eliminated in the play-off semi finals to Hull City.

Matches Legend

Championship

+Championship match detailsDateOpponentVenueResultF–AScorersAttendance11 August 2007Wolverhampton WanderersAway2–1 Stewart 87', King 90' pen.23,11518 August 2007Sheffield UnitedHome1–0 Williamson 56'16,41425 August 2007Leicester CityAway1–4 King 90' pen.21,6421 September 2007Ipswich TownHome2–0 Henderson 6', Smith 75'17,29516 September 2007SouthamptonHome3–2 Shittu 42', Henderson 81', 90'15,91519 September 2007Cardiff CityAway2–1 Henderson 17', 78'13,16922 September 2007Queens Park RangersAway1–1 Johnson 49'14,24029 September 2007BlackpoolHome1–1 Johnson 41'16,5802 October 2007Sheffield WednesdayHome2–1 Henderson 6', King 16' pen.15,7436 October 2007Scunthorpe UnitedAway3–1 Johnson 10', Henderson 61', King 63'7,51520 October 2007Hull CityHome1–0 King 20'15,80323 October 2007Coventry CityAway3–0 Johnson 30', King 42', Henderson 46'17,03229 October 2007Crystal PalaceAway2–0 Smith 32', King 67'13,9863 November 2007West Bromwich AlbionHome0–318,2736 November 2007Norwich CityAway3–1 Henderson 36', Marshall 43' o.g., King 88'24,19210 November 2007Colchester UnitedHome2–2 Johnson 4', King 64'16,06924 November 2007BarnsleyAway2–3 Shittu 36', 45'10,11727 November 2007BurnleyHome1–2 Shittu 86'15,0211 December 2007Bristol CityHome1–2 O'Toole 87'16,6894 December 2007Colchester UnitedAway3–2 King 40', O'Toole 42', Priskin 64'5,7609 December 2007Stoke CityAway0–015,51615 December 2007Plymouth ArgyleHome0–118,53222 December 2007Sheffield WednesdayAway1–0 McAnuff 6'19,64126 December 2007Cardiff CityHome2–2 DeMerit 49', McAnuff 90'17,01429 December 2007Queens Park RangersHome2–4 Francis 52', Shittu 84'18,6981 January 2008SouthamptonAway3–0 Francis 45', King 55', Henderson 62'23,00812 January 2008Preston North EndAway0–112,34719 January 2008Charlton AthleticHome1–1Ellington 59'17,21429 January 2008Sheffield UnitedAway1–1Ellington 21'23,1612 February 2008Wolverhampton WanderersHome3–0Kabba 1', Smith 76', 78'18,0829 February 2008Ipswich TownAway2–1Smith 33', Ellington 56'24,22712 February 2008Leicester CityHome1–0Henderson 45'15,94416 February 2008Charlton AthleticAway2–2O'Toole 54', Shittu 55'26,33723 February 2008Preston North EndHome0–016,7981 March 2008BurnleyAway2–2Henderson 23', Stewart 85'13,6774 March 2008Norwich CityHome1–1Shittu 11'16,53711 March 2008Bristol CityAway0–019,02615 March 2008Stoke CityHome0–018,33822 March 2008Plymouth ArgyleAway1–1Williamson 37'17,51129 March 2008Hull CityAway0–323,5015 April 2008Coventry CityHome2–1Ellington 7', Smith 79'17,1889 April 2008BarnsleyHome0–316,12912 April 2008West Bromwich AlbionAway1–1Bromby 6'26,50819 April 2008Crystal PalaceHome0–217,69426 April 2008Scunthorpe UnitedHome0–116,4544 May 2008BlackpoolAway1–1Smith 62'9,640

League standings by round

+Round01020304050607080910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243444546GroundAHAHHAAHHAHAAHAHAHHAAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHHAResultWWLWWWDDWWWWWLWDLLLWDLWDLWLDDWWWDDDDDDDLWLDLLDPoints3669121516172023262932323536363636394040434444474748495255585960616263646565686869696970Position5♣1♦4♣2♦1♦1♦1♦1♦1♦1♦1♦1♦1♦1♦1♦1♦1♦1♦1♦1♦1♦2♦1♦2♦2♦2♦3♣2♦3♣2♦1♦1♦2♦3♣3♣2♦3♣3♣4♣5♣4♣5♣5♣5♣5♣6♣

Play-offs

Watford's sixth-placed finish meant that they qualified for the play-off semi finals, where they would play a home and away match against third-placed Hull City. As 6–1 aggregate winners, Hull qualified for the final at Wembley Stadium, and as a result of victory in that match they earned qualification to the Premier League for the 2008–09 season. RoundDateOpponentVenueResultF–AScorersAttendanceSemi-final, first leg11 May 2008Hull CityHome0–214,713Semi-final, second leg15 May 2008Hull CityAway1–4Henderson 12'23,155

FA Cup

As a Championship club, Watford did not enter the FA Cup until the third round stage. Their potential opponents were the 20 Premier League teams, the 23 other Championship clubs, and 20 teams from lower divisions which had progressed through the first and second rounds, and in some cases additional qualifying games.

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultF–AScorersAttendanceThird round5 January 2008Crystal PalaceHome2–0Shittu 28', 65'10,480Fourth round26 January 2008Wolverhampton WanderersHome1–4O'Toole 70'12,719

League Cup

For the 2007–08 season, all Football League clubs entered the League Cup in the first round. For the first round, the draw was split into two regional sections of 36 teams. The 18 highest placed teams in the league from the previous season were seeded in each region. Watford, having been relegated from the Premier League, were therefore seeded, and placed in the southern section of the draw. RoundDateOpponentVenueResultF–AScorersAttendanceFirst round14 August 2007GillinghamHome3–0Priskin 22', Rinaldi 36', Campana 71'8,166Second round28 August 2007Southend UnitedAway0–25,554

Ownership and finance

Watford Football Club is owned by the holding company Watford Leisure Plc (LSE: WFC). Its 2007–08 financial year coincided with the football season, running from 1 July 2007 until 30 June 2008. The company's annual accounts were released in November 2008, showing an operating loss of £10.977 million, but a net profit of £426,000 as a result of the sale of player registrations and land. Watford Leisure's chief executive was Mark Ashton, while their chairman was self-professed lifelong Watford fan Graham Simpson, who also owned shares in the company. The club's other major shareholders were Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party Michael Ashcroft through his investment company Fordwat, and brothers Jimmy and Vince Russo through their business Valley Grown Salads.

Squad details

Player statistics Key

# = Squad number; Pos = Playing position; P = Number of games played; G = Number of goals scored; = Yellow cards; = Red cards; GK = Goalkeeper; DF = Defender; MF = Midfielder; FW = Forward

Statistics do not include games played for other clubs. Starting appearances are given first, followed by substitute appearances in parentheses where applicable.All players who were named in a Watford first-team matchday squad are listed. This includes players who only featured as unused substitutes.

This table of statistics is incomplete. You can help by expanding it.

PosNamePGPGPGPGPGLeagueFA CupLeague 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

Transfers

In DatePlayerFromFee22 May 2007Douglas RinaldiVeranópolis£250,00024 May 2007Matt JacksonWigan AthleticFree 26 May 2007 Mart PoomArsenal Undisclosed 5 June 2007 Jobi McAnuff Crystal Palace £1,750,000 29 August 2007 Nathan Ellington West Bromwich Albion£3,250,00022 October 2007Ian JoyceFree 5 January 2008 Lionel Ainsworth Hereford UnitedUndisclosed 24 January 2008Mat SadlerBirmingham City£750,000 31 January 2008 Leigh BrombySheffield United£600,000 31 January 2008 John EustaceStoke City£250,000

Out DatePlayerToFee 30 June 2007 Chris Powell Charlton AthleticReleased30 June 2007Dominic BlizzardMilton Keynes DonsReleased30 June 2007Albert JarrettReleased30 June 2007Joel GrantAldershot TownReleased 11 July 2007 Harry ForresterAston Villa 7 August 2007 Hamer Bouazza Fulham £3,000,000 (can rise up to £4,000,000) 16 August 2007 Clarke Carlisle Burnley£200,00020 August 2007Johan CavalliMutual consent 18 January 2008 Anthony McNameeSwindon Town 25 January 2008 Marlon KingWigan AthleticUndisclosed

Loans in Start datePlayerFromEnd date31 August 2007Santiago AloiRiver PlateEnd of season14 September 2007Adam JohnsonMiddlesbrough16 November 200722 November 2007Lionel AinsworthHereford United5 January 200818 January 2008Calum DavenportWest Ham United25 January 2008Collins JohnFulhamEnd of season

Loans out Start datePlayerToEnd date10 August 2007 Toumani DiagouragaHereford United31 December 2007 (later extended)10 August 2007 Theo RobinsonHereford United31 December 2007 (later extended)14 September 2007Cédric AvinelStafford RangersOctober 200718 September 2007 Scott LoachStafford RangersOctober 200718 September 2007 Will HoskinsMillwall30 November 2007 Alex CampanaWealdstone1 January 2008Scott LoachMorecambe1 January 2008Gavin MahonQueen's Park RangersEnd of season17 January 2008Jordan ParkesBrentford18 January 2008Moses AshikodiSwindon Town18 January 2008Anthony McNameeSwindon Town28 January 2008Scott LoachBradford City

Footnotes

References