"THE Pozzo family is del ighted to be here at Watford Football Club. We understand there will be a number of questions from supporter s about the future of our club. Our vision of how we should be involved in professional football is to provide financial and technical suppor t, so that success can be achieved over the long-term. Every project will be individual and local in its development, and we will add to that the advantages we can t ake from syner gies of operation across the group. We are here for the long-term. This is not a case of a for eign owner with an injection of money looking for a quick return. Our aim is clear : we wish to establish Watford as a Premier League club, which has r evenue to help it become self-sufficient over time. There are no promises of timescal e; only that is our stated ambition to be in the Premier League so that ever yone connected with W atford, all of us, can enjoy a successful and sustainable future. Longevity to us is key to success. I t is only over many years that success can be judged. We have owned Udinese, in Italy, for 25 years. And we have a second project, par t of the Pozzo group, in Granada, Spain. Both clubs have enjoyed success and ar e sustainable businesses. The oppor tunity, presented to us by Scott Duxbur y and Gianluca Nani in relation t o Watford, contained ideals within a vision that was very much close to our own thinking. This is why we are here at Watford. The club will be run al ong the tried and tested model of Udinese and Gr anada but it will remain special t o its supporters because ther e is no way the local values will be in any way compromised. We know England is a very different country to others, and football has its own culture.We respect that enor mously, and we are aware how much the club means to its fans and the local community. Nothing will change in this respect. The Academy is close to the heartbeat of the club and this will continue to be very important to Watford's future progr ess. But of course we want to make the most of our world-class scouting network, which has many years of football exper ience behind it. That is the advantage of being part of a wider group, a wider family of clubs. Maintaining Watfor d's identity is key to having long -term success. This is not just another club; this is Watford and we r ecognize just how important the individual natur e of a football club is to its supporters. No more so than in England, in fact. We're very passionate about football, and the English style reflects the tr ue spirit of the game. Success will also be measur ed off the field, as well as on it. We are aware of supporter s' hopes for the stadium. Development of the stadium and the E ast Stand remai ns an essential part of our project. Any club must have the right facilities if it is to expect revenues which help suppor t it reach its ambitions. Wat ford is no different in this regard. We don't see football as a business. It's a passion for us. We have been pr oposed a project so exciting that it moved us to suppor t this through funding. We are not expecting a financial r eturn, rather we see it as pr ivilege to be invol ved with Watford. But we must be professional in all that we do, to get the right results on behalf of the club. We believe Watford will benef it greatly from the experience of the Pozzo family over many years. We are hoping all fans wil l join us as our vision for Watford takes shape."
