Watford Short News Items

Also from today's Watty as a reminder :

Early Bird deadline for Watford season ticket holders this Saturday
2:11pm Wednesday 18th May 2011

PrintEmailShareComments(2) By Frank Smith »
Watford season ticket holders have until Saturday to renew for the 2011/12 campaign at the ‘Early Bird’ rate before the prices are increased.

The ticket office in the Rookery is open between 9am and 5.30pm until Friday and from 10am and 4pm on Saturday for those wanting to renew in person.

At present it is unclear how much the ticket prices will increase by but the Early Bird rate does provides fans with a discount.

Season ticket holders are still able to apply online here and by post.

New applicants will be processed once the renewals are completed and those hoping to move are told to renew in this season’s seats, with the club announcing when movements will take place in due course

 

All sounds very complicated these days !

 

just another example of why our club is special!
and Credit to Mr B as well! for allowing this to happen!


http://www.watfordfc.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,10400~2362311,00.html?

 

Yep - credit where it is due

 

Hurts to say but I did say I would be fair to the man!

 

True

 

Maybe Mr B isnt going to screw the club over ,or if he is he is going to it nicely Time will tell , Still doesnt say much does he! Is this because he is a fronrt man and he doesnt yet know what his masters want!
I did like what Harrow posted earlier somewhere, that was nice and positive! we will see a lot of clues in the next few weeks!

 

Baz probably does not care wwhat we think now - as the company is de-listing on May 31 and h=is compulsorily purchasing the rest of the shares he / they can do as they like within the framework agreed

 

I meant basically we see whether he is honorable or a scumbag ! I feel we will know the answer fairly quickly!

 

Looks like we truned down £500k for Bucko. A good sign we're just not after the cash;

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_6941377,00.html

 

Also in Watty Obs Kev:

Watford reject bids from Brighton and Hove Albion for Will Buckley
7:50am Friday 20th May 2011

PrintEmailShareComments(12) Exclusive By Frank Smith »
The Hornets have rejected a couple of bids from newly-promoted Brighton and Hove Albion for winger Will Buckley, the Watford Observer understands.

Neither club were willing to comment on the issue but we understand at least two bids, which were comfortably in excess of £500,000, were made and rejected in the last week.

Buckley joined the Hornets from Rochdale in January 2010 in a deal which was agreed by John Stephenson, who was Watford’s head of football business and development before joining the League One champions this year.

It is unknown exactly how much Rochdale received for Buckley as the fee was undisclosed but reports at the time claiming it was a £300,000 move were strongly denied by both clubs. The Hornets stated “that kind of figure will only be reached should both Will himself and the club be successful in the future in terms of appearances made and the club being promoted”.

Buckley has two years remaining on his contract and it is unclear how much it would take for Watford to part with the pacey winger after an indifferent season.

The 22-year-old made 37 appearances during the 2010/11 campaign and was exceptional during Watford’s seven-match winning run over the Christmas period, which played a big part in him being named the club’s Young Player of the Year.

However, his form dropped off in the second half of the season following injury and he only started two of Watford’s last six games.

 

A bit about budgets in the Watty too:

In the past Watford have made no secret of the fact they need to sell players to balance the books moving forward.

But new owner Laurence Bassini has yet to indicate to what extent the club will need to sell or release players.

The Hornets have removed big spenders from their wage bill in the last three summers and it is currently unclear whether the departures of Nathan Ellington and Mat Sadler are going to be enough.

When asked last week, Watford manager Malky Mackay confirmed he had yet to discuss budgets and transfer funds with Bassini.

“I haven’t been told if I will have any money to spend or not yet,” Mackay said.

“The chats I have had with him have been informal but certainly in the next couple of weeks I will be talking to the board to get a clearer indication of where we are for next year.”

Mackay refused to comment on whether the club would struggle to hold on to the likes of Danny Graham should offers come in.

However, he did say: “There is always speculation that follows players that do well, I am not naive enough to not expect that.

“But what happens from there will be dictated by the bids coming in for players. When they do come in, the bid is considered by the board and they will make the relevant decision about that.

“It can only really be done as and when something happens and at the moment that hasn’t happened.”

Ellington and Sadler are two of the highest earners so their departures this summer are sure to reduce the wage bill once again.

Mackay has often made reference to Watford having the second lowest budget in the Championship, behind relegated Scunthorpe United, and the Hornets boss warned the club’s board would be “gambling” if the wage bill was cut by even more.

“There is probably only one more place we can go to in terms of budgets and that is 24 of 24, and at that point then they are gambling,” Mackay said last week.

“We were gambling this year in terms of we knew it would be a challenge this season and it would be even more of a challenge if there was another reduction in the budget.”

 

Lastly tthis Mmorning:

Queens Park Rangers make £2.5m bid for Watford striker Danny Graham
9:22pm Thursday 19th May 2011

By Frank Smith »
Queens Park Rangers have made a £2.5m bid for Watford striker Danny Graham, Sky Sports are reporting.

Graham was the Championship’s leading scorer this season with 24 goals in the league and 27 in all competitions.

And it is reported QPR boss Neil Warnock has made Graham his first target of the summer following Rangers’ promotion to the Premier League.

Graham joined Watford from Carlisle United in the summer of 2009 in a deal which has so far cost the Hornets £350,000 and could rise to £550,000 if Malky Mackay’s are promoted next season.

 

I actually think this is promising ! If Mr B was in it to purely reduce debt! Then DG would be a ranger and Bucko would be a seagull by now! Lets hope he keeps holding out until some proper value bids come in!
If we were desperate to sell because of servicing debts ,again these guys would now have left!
Interesting times ahead !
Just as an aside MM is not going to tell the world what his budget is and show his hand! Some comments in the wobby alluding to the budget being halved is way off the mark as well (I hope) if true, MM would be applying for every vacancy and relegation would be ensured! Would you really do that with your new investment?

 

Is this bidding war step one?
Has it been put out that these are possibly available and we can expect more?
Or are these cold bids so to say?

I think we will be hearing more. Funny i didnt expect Buckley to be a possible departure though.

 

Yes - I was surprised by Buckley - perhaps they had admired him from scouting before our cup match earlier this season

 

I had an inkling Bucko would be targeted ! I think if the bid gets to about1.25m then that is fair money!
Is there any sell on clause on him ? Hoping there will be significant sell on clauses for all hornets that leave us in this window!

 

All our players have their price - good luck to whoever wants to suggest what they are

 

Yep agreed Leo , we all knew that this window would be very indicative of what is going to happen at WFC for the next season.
It will tell us what Mr B`s intentions are! So far so good , Long way to go!

 

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_6941377,00.html?

might be upping the ante soon then!