After the unveiling of GTs statue on Saturday, I thought that it is a shame that 2 men who gave so many years to the club do not seem to be recognised in any way - I'm referring to Les Simmons and Dennis Gibbs. I think an appropriate recognition for Les, would be "The Les Simmons pitch" near the touchline in front of the GT stand. On the couple of times I met Les, it seemed that he thought that it was his pitch, rather than the clubs. Dennis Gibbs is harder as the Vic has undergone many changes since he retired. I'm sure that they may be others, but to my knowledge, those are the longest-serving.
Yes well considered. Tom Walley comes to mind too.... but he did his stints in different spells. Who else can we think of?
Im lucky before we was as good as we are now ,i picked up a signed team squad for 69/70 or 68/69 ( Ray Lugg had just joined as he is there as a insert) from ebay for i think 26 pound .The wife payed over $200 to have it framed and treated so it cant fade as it hangs on my wall .It was from the old Daily Espress and he is there must have been mid to lat 60s
A good friend of mine was Ron Rollitt who ran the office, most of the time on his own for 26 years. He had to deal with everything, blocked drains under the pitch, a player in a club house with a leaky bath tap, duplicating reserve team programs, fielding calls from the papers, wages, just about everything off the pitch. When he applied for and got the job he was over the moon, as he had been a Watford fan from a boy. Sadly when things changed and he was replaced with a more up to date team of office staff he took it badly, and severed his links with the club.
He had a car crash and then and never come back to work sad .i can remember getting cup tickets from him in the office as they was not in with season tickts
Nice tribute from Oli Phillips when Ron died in the WO. http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/ne...s_of_former_Watford_FC_secretary_Ron_Rollitt/ In the era of international management and high brow media/PR relationships you forget for many years clubs were simply run by local people in the office with a passion for the club probably for very little return in terms of wages etc ! Just think of how fans now would have coped without social media and intstant website access or Sky?! Actually I have often wondered how fans did get on for example when we were in the old 4th or 3rd division - was it simply a case of either going to the game or just having to wait for radio or TV reports at 5pm to hear the scores!?
