Retro Watford Shirt – The Hornets' Most Iconic Kits

Watford Football Club was founded in 1881 as Watford Rovers, making them one of the older clubs in English football. After years developing through amateur and semi-professional ranks, the club settled at Vicarage Road in 1922 – a ground that remains their home over a century later – and gradually climbed through the Football League divisions.

The truly transformative chapter began in 1977 when a young Graham Taylor took charge. What followed was nothing short of miraculous. Taylor led Watford from the Fourth Division to the First Division in just five seasons – an astonishing rise fuelled by direct, high-tempo football and a fierce team spirit. By 1982–83, Watford were competing with the very best in English football, finishing as First Division runners-up behind Liverpool. They were genuinely one of the top sides in the country.

The following season brought the crowning glory of a first-ever FA Cup Final appearance in 1984. Facing Everton at Wembley, the Hornets fell 2–0, but the occasion itself marked the pinnacle of what Taylor and chairman Elton John – who had bankrolled and championed the club's rise – had built together. Elton John's involvement transformed Watford from a sleeping provincial club into a genuine footballing force and a beloved institution.

Taylor left for Aston Villa in 1987, and the club slowly slipped back down the divisions over the following decade. However, the late 1990s brought another revival. Under the management of Graham Taylor – returned for a second spell – and then Graham Simpson, Watford climbed back to the Premier League, reaching the top flight via a dramatic 1998–99 play-off campaign.

The 2000s and 2010s were defined by yo-yo relegation and promotion battles between the Championship and Premier League. Each stay in the top flight was hard-fought and fleeting, yet always memorable. Watford returned to the Premier League in 2015 and enjoyed a relatively stable run under a revolving door of managers – a consequence of the ownership philosophy of the Pozzo family, who took control in 2012 and transformed Watford's recruitment model with a global network of partner clubs.

Perhaps the most dramatic recent chapter was Watford's stunning 2019 FA Cup semi-final victory over Wolves, setting up a Wembley final against Manchester City. They lost 6–0 in one of the most one-sided finals in modern memory, but the journey there captured the nation's imagination. Relegation followed in 2020, then promotion and instant relegation again – perfectly encapsulating what it means to support the Hornets.

No player is more synonymous with Watford than Luther Blissett. The striker was the heartbeat of Graham Taylor's golden era side, scoring prolifically and earning England caps at a time when the club was competing with Liverpool and Manchester United at the top of the First Division. Blissett's direct, powerful style perfectly embodied Taylor's philosophy, and he remains an icon at Vicarage Road to this day.

John Barnes emerged from Watford's youth academy to become one of England's most gifted wingers of the 1980s. His electric pace, skill, and directness caught the attention of Liverpool, who signed him in 1987. Barnes would go on to achieve greatness at Anfield, but Watford fans remember fondly the raw, exhilarating talent that dazzled in yellow and black.

Elton John's most significant managerial appointment after Taylor was Kenny Jackett, but the Pozzo era brought a new wave of exciting talent through the door. Troy Deeney became the club's modern-day symbol – a rugged, combative captain whose penalty against Leicester City in a 2013 play-off semi-final is one of the most celebrated moments in Championship history. Deeney's sheer force of character made him beloved.

Ismaïla Sarr announced himself to the world with a devastating display against Liverpool in February 2020, scoring twice to help Watford end the champions' unbeaten run. That game remains one of the great Premier League upsets. Abdoulaye Doucouré, Roberto Pereyra, and Étienne Capoue all shone during Watford's Premier League years under the Pozzo regime, while winger Gerard Deulofeu brought genuine top-level quality to Vicarage Road.

Graham Taylor himself deserves a mention as the defining figure of the club – a manager who fundamentally changed what Watford believed was possible.

The Watford retro shirt is one of the most visually striking in English football. The club's traditional yellow and black colours – inspired by the wasps and hornets of nature – have produced some genuinely bold, memorable designs across the decades.

The 1980s home shirts from the First Division golden era are the holy grail for collectors. Simple, bold yellow with black trim and classic short-collar designs, these shirts radiate the era perfectly. The kit worn during the 1984 FA Cup Final run – sponsored by Iveco – is particularly sought-after, representing the pinnacle of that magnificent Taylor-era side.

Through the late 1980s and 1990s, Watford kits reflected the era's love of adventurous design. Manufacturers like Admiral and later Le Coq Sportif produced shirts with bold geometric patterns and varying stripe configurations on the yellow base. The away kits of this period – often in red or white – are underappreciated collector pieces.

The Puma-era kits of the late 1990s promotion seasons carry enormous sentimental value for fans who lived through those dramatic play-off campaigns. Into the 2000s, the yellow remained dominant but designs became cleaner and more modern.

The Adidas partnership in the 2010s produced some crisp, well-regarded shirts, while the Nike kits of the later Premier League years brought a premium feel to the classic yellow and black. Any retro Watford shirt from a Premier League season is a worthy addition to a serious collection.