Tributes will be paid to John Duncan and Graham Taylor before Saturday’s Emirates FA Cup tie at Watford. Please read the open letter below for further details…
Happy New Year to all Spireites
We are looking forward to welcoming you to Vicarage Road this weekend for the first time in more than 25 years. It should be a cracking FA Cup tie atmosphere; both of our teams share exciting cup histories.
We’re writing to invite you to join in with a special pre-match tribute, something that Watford supporters take part in annually to remember our greatest-ever manager, the late Graham Taylor OBE, on the nearest home matchday to the anniversary of his passing. It is our way of paying our respects and showing Graham’s family, in attendance, our continuing gratitude and affection for this great man.
We are hoping you will hold aloft your scarves as the teams walk out onto the pitch and whilst we’ll be remembering Graham, let’s also remember your own legendary manager, John Duncan, who led the Spireites to play-offs success and an FA Cup run no Chesterfield supporter needs reminding of! Both managers would have relished this fixture, no doubt.
Our matchday programme contains a tribute from Sean Dyche, who captained both clubs and, alongside former Hornet Mark Williams, played for Chesterfield – including in your amazing 1997 run to the semi-final. Dyche shares his memories of that game, as well remembering playing in Watford’s FA Cup tie against Chelsea in 2004.
Remembering two great men of football – in Graham and John – will be a very poignant moment just before kick-off at Vicarage Road. We will also be paying a half time tribute to a Hornet hero off the pitch, Captain Tom Sawyer of the 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery; a local lad who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2009, aged just 26.
So let’s join together and create some heartfelt moments and share some wonderful memories as we enjoy the excitement of FA Cup third round weekend.
Yours in football,
Luther Blissett OBE DL
Club Ambassador, Watford Football Club
