2011–12 Watford F.C. season


Watford Football Club is an English football club from Watford, Hertfordshire. The team competed in the Football League Championship in 2011–12, their fifth consecutive season in the second tier of English football since their relegation from the Premier League in 2006–07. The 2011–12 season consisted of pre-season friendlies in July 2011, followed by competitive matches in the Football League, FA Cup and Football League Cup between August 2011 and April 2012. Assistant manager Sean Dyche became manager in July 2011, following the departure of Malky Mackay. The club's captain for the season was central midfielder John Eustace. Watford's chairman was Graham Taylor, who previously took Watford from the Fourth Division to the First Division as manager.
The team was widely tipped for relegation in 2011–12, following the pre-season departures of attacking players Danny Graham, Will Buckley and Don Cowie for a combined total of £4.5million. Following an early run of two wins from the first thirteen league fixtures, Watford's form improved, and the team lost just one of the remaining eleven games in 2011. Watford suffered four defeats in January 2012, and sold Marvin Sordell – then the team's top goalscorer – on the last day of the January transfer window. The team regained its form between February and April, and finished the league season in the top half of the table for the first time in four years. Watford's top scorer was Troy Deeney with 12 goals in all competitions, followed by Sordell with 10. Centre back Adrian Mariappa was voted Watford F.C. Player of the Season, while Sean Murray received the young player award.
Off the field, 2011 and 2012 marked a period of transition. Laurence Bassini purchased the club in March 2011, and after the 2010–11 season several senior members of staff left the club, including chief executive Julian Winter and manager Malky Mackay. Bassini himself attracted criticism from some Watford supporters, as well as chairman Graham Taylor, for his reluctance to speak to supporters or the media. Taylor resigned as chairman at the end of the season, and in June 2012 a company owned by Giampaolo Pozzo and his family took control of the club.

Background

The end of the 2010–11 season signalled the start of a period of change, on and off the pitch. Watford sold the club's top scorer Danny Graham to newly promoted Swansea City for £3.5 million. They also sold Young Player of the season Will Buckley to Brighton & Hove Albion for £1m, and Liam Henderson left on a free transfer to York City. Off the field, Watford's chief executive Julian Winter left the club shortly after the sales of Buckley and Graham, and manager Malky Mackay joined Cardiff City the following week. On 21 June, 20-year-old defender Tom Aldred left on a season-long loan to Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Nathan Ellington went on a free transfer to Ipswich Town. Meanwhile, on the same day, Craig Forsyth came to Watford from Dundee United and Sean Dyche was appointed as new manager.

Pre-Season Friendlies

Championship

League table

Round by round summary

FA Cup

Football League Cup

Players

Statistics

No. = Squad number
Pos = Playing position
P = Number of games played
G = Number of goals scored
= Yellow cards
GK = Goalkeeper
DF = Defender
MF = Midfielder
FW = Forward
= Red cards
Yth = Whether player went through Watford's youth system
Joined club = Year that player became a Watford first team player
Age = Age of player on final day of season
Correct as of 28 April 2012.

Transfers

Unless a country is specified, all clubs play in the English football league system.

In

DatePlayerFromFee
21 June 2011Craig ForsythDundeeUndisclosed
4 July 2011David MirfinScunthorpe UnitedFree
13 July 2011Mark YeatesSheffield UnitedUndisclosed
14 July 2011Prince BuabenDundee UnitedFree
19 July 2011Chris IwelumoBurnleyUndisclosed
29 July 2011Carl DickinsonStoke CityUndisclosed
4 August 2011Tom JamesStratford TownFree
27 August 2011Jonathan HoggAston VillaUndisclosed
31 August 2011Joe GarnerNottingham ForestUndisclosed
10 January 2012Nyron NosworthySunderlandUndisclosed

Out

DatePlayerToFee
26 May 2011Liam HendersonYork CityFree
6 June 2011Will BuckleyBrighton & Hove Albion£1m
7 June 2011Danny GrahamSwansea City£3.5m
21 June 2011Nathan EllingtonIpswich TownFree
27 June 2011Mat SadlerWalsallFree
28 June 2011Rob KiernanWigan AthleticFree
1 July 2011Don CowieCardiff CityFree
31 August 2011Tom AldredColchester UnitedFree
31 August 2011Eddie OshodiForest Green Rovers Free
31 January 2012Marvin SordellBolton WanderersUndisclosed

Loans

StartPlayerFromEnd
26 August 2011Andreas WeimannAston Villa23 September 2011
11 October 2011Michael KightlyWolverhampton Wanderers3 January 2012
24 October 2011Craig BeattieSwansea City8 January 2012
28 October 2011Nyron NosworthySunderland8 January 2012
30 January 2012Alexander KacaniklicFulhamEnd of the season
21 February 2012Tomasz KuszczakManchester United28 April 2012
23 February 2012Marcello TrottaFulham24 March 2012

Out

StartPlayerToLevelEnd
21 June 2011 Tom AldredInverness Caledonian Thistle Scottish Premier League 25 August 2011
11 August 2011Michael BryanBradford City League Two 3 January 2012
13 August 2011 Jonathan BondBrackley Town Southern League Premier Division 13 October 2011
25 August 2011 Adam ThompsonBrentford League One 25 October 2011
30 August 2011 Josh WalkerStevenage League One 17 November 2011
12 September 2011 Gavin MasseyYeovil Town League One 14 January 2012
15 September 2011 Chez IsaacBoreham Wood Conference South 16 December 2011
15 September 2011 Matthew WhichelowExeter City League One 11 October 2011
27 October 2011 Dale BennettBrentford League One 27 November 2011
4 November 2011 Jonathan BondForest Green Rovers Conference 1 December 2011
23 November 2011 Rene GilmartinYeovil Town League One 19 January 2012
25 November 2011 Britt AssombalongaWealdstone Isthmian League Premier Division 3 February 2012
25 November 2011 Connor Smith Wealdstone Isthmian League Premier Division 2 May 2012
1 January 2012 Dale BennettBrentford League One 1 February 2012
1 January 2012 Chez IsaacTamworth Conference 28 March 2012
5 January 2012 Piero MingoiaBrentford League One 23 January 2012
13 January 2012 Josh WalkerScunthorpe United League One 14 April 2012
19 January 2012 Gavin MasseyColchester United League One 16 February 2012
31 January 2012 David MirfinScunthorpe United League One 5 May 2012
31 January 2012 Matthew WhichelowWycombe Wanderers League One 28 February 2012
2 February 2012 Tommie Hoban Wealdstone Isthmian League Premier Division 2 May 2012
9 February 2012 Adam ThompsonBrentford League One 5 May 2012
10 February 2012 Britt AssombalongaBraintree Town Conference 10 March 2012
16 February 2012 Rene GilmartinCrawley Town League Two 18 March 2012
17 February 2012 Jack Bonham Harrow Borough Isthmian League Premier Division 1 April 2012
17 February 2012 Stephan Hamilton-Forbes Harrow Borough Isthmian League Premier Division 14 March 2012
17 February 2012 Aaron Tumwa Harrow Borough Isthmian League Premier Division 28 April 2012
23 February 2012 Jonathan BondDagenham & Redbridge League Two 22 March 2012
17 March 2012 Gavin MasseyColchester United League One 14 April 2012
22 March 2012 Jonathan BondBury League One 5 May 2012
22 March 2012 Piero MingoiaHayes & Yeading Conference 28 April 2012

Reserves and academy

Watford's reserve side played friendlies in 2011–12, following their withdrawal from the Totesport.com Combination East Division. The under-18s played their home games at Watford's training base at the UCL training ground, London Colney. They are members of the FA Premier Academy League. They went out of the FA Youth Cup in the fourth round away at Newcastle United, losing 2–1, having beaten Millwall 2–1 away in the third round. They also played in the Herts Senior Cup, going out to Bishop's Stortford in the first round. The side were coached by technical skills coach Adam Pilling from the end of August until the first week of October, when David Hughes, who had been appointed on 22 September, took up his position as youth team coach.
Watford's academy consists of 20 scholars:
Murray signed a professional contract during the 2010 pre-season, alongside his scholarship forms. Bonham and Hoban signed a professional deals in September 2010 and May 2011 respectively. In July 2011 Mensah signed a contract that saw him turn professional on his 17th birthday. Ferrier joined Watford on 20 September after a trial period, having previously been in Arsenal's youth system. Connolly joined on 1 December at second year scholar age, following a trial period. In April Watford announced the fates of the remaining second-year scholars; Hamilton Forbes, Smith and Tumwa were given professional contracts, Akubine, Horner, Kalu and Gardner were released, while Bevans had his scholarship extended due an injury which kept him sidelined from October.
Hoban and Murray both made first-team appearances during 2010–11, while Smith was an unused substitute. Murray has played for the first-team in 2011–12, while Bonham has been an unused substitute. Bonham, Hamilton-Forbes, Hoban, Smith and Tumwa have all been loaned to non-league sides in 2011–12.