Elton John, the former owner of Watford FC, has publicly expressed his disappointment with the club’s recent form following a 4-0 loss to Burnley at Vicarage Road. The match, which saw the Hornets drop to 20th in the Championship, marked the third consecutive league defeat and five losses in six games for the team.
In a now-deleted Instagram reply, the 79‑year‑old music icon said, “As a lifetime supporter of Watford FC, I am very upset and disappointed at the decline over the past few weeks. I really feel for the supporters who have to watch this.”
Watford’s new manager, Alessio Dionisi, appointed in June on a two‑year contract, has only managed to secure a single win in the last five fixtures, with the club’s only recent victory coming in a 2-1 home win over Preston. The team was 3-0 down within the first 25 minutes of the Burnley match, a game in which Burnley had not recorded an away win in almost a year.
John’s history with the club dates back to the 1970s, when he helped guide Watford from the fourth tier to European competition under Graham Taylor. He returned to the club in the mid‑1990s, overseeing a promotion to the Premier League in 1999. In 2024 he released a book, Watford Forever, detailing his relationship with the club, and a stand at Vicarage Road bears his name. He stepped down from ownership again in 2002.
As the Championship season progresses, supporters and the club’s hierarchy will be watching closely to see if Dionisi can reverse the downturn and restore the team’s competitive edge.
