Editors' Code of Practice. It is the breadth of Watfords scouts and contacts that allows them to utilise the market so well and find value where others cannot. Scott Duxbury, Watford FC chairman and chief executive, wrote an opinion piece in The Times of London whose headline lamented the "devastating effects" of a plan to play the season's final . Has one Premier League football club cracked the system for trading talent? Two-thirds of those awarded a professional contract at the age of 18 abandon the sport by 21. In 2012, they arrived in England to buy Watford, where Gino is sole owner. As Calvin suggests, fewer than one per cent of the 10,000 boys at English club academies go on to make a living from the game. "There were moments where it was touch and go whether we thought we could actually continue, but we managed to find a way through, we managed to adapt, and we've got back to the Premier League, which iseverything for this football club. Captain Troy Deeney said he does not know if he has played his last game for the club. Football is a machine that grinds the dreams of thousands of boys. The initial cohort of fans was drawn from a wide representation. They are footballs last romantics. Scott Duxbury sets out #watfordfc's position on Project Restart. Instead, the Pozzo model is akin to venture capital investing. Duxbury has spent most of his adult life involved in football after qualifying as a lawyer. The family can develop the club, they can increase revenues and can help Watford grow.. Was a goalkeeper in his homeland, playing more than 300 senior games, before moving into coaching with Como and then Udinese, Watford's sister club. We stopped for a year and we were relegated. They cannot afford to purchase established stars as fans prefer. Scott Duxbury, Chairman & CEO. . Data profile of Scott Duxbury who is contracted to Watford. Goalkeeper Ben Foster cost 3.5m and Jose Holebas 2.5m. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to Subscribe toFT Life on YouTube for the latest FT Weekend videos. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused. Everyone has been aware of that this week. There is an assumption the head coach just sits there as players come and go like diners at a buffet. Their opponents in Saturdays FA Cup Final, Manchester City, may be viewed as leaders in the transfer market, given their power to sign marquee names, but Watfords ability to build a squad on a fraction of the budget of their Wembley rivals arguably makes them one of the best operators. We have to accept a different challenge.". So it's grea thatwe've had a fantastic season in the Championship, it's great that we've won so manyconsecutive games and were fantastic, but we're a Premier League football club. Newsquest Media Group Ltd, Loudwater Mill, Station Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. We dont have an owner taking money out [or] as a vehicle for him to make money.. Id still buy him. personalising content and ads, providing social media features and to This account already exists. One example is Richarlison de Andrade, the Brazilian forward sold to Everton this summer for a reported 35.2m. Pen pics of Watford's coaching, science, medicine and analytics staff. The programme produced a youth team that beat a Brazilian under-17 side featuring Neymar and Philippe Coutinho, who would go on to become two of the most expensive players ever. Between Udinese and Watford, the family own about 80 senior players, each representing a potential blockbuster transfer. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can Scott Duxbury, Watford chief executive. This year, Watford rejected an offer from an American media company to buy a 35.7 per cent stake in the club for 125m, valuing it at a whopping 350m. Watford: Gino Pozzo & Scott Duxbury say their efforts 'not good enough One strategy is to use the loan market to their advantage. Distorted nine-game mini-league bound to have devastating effects To Watford Fans: From Gino Pozzo & Scott Duxbury. Truth be told there is a myth about Watfords transfer set-up. This is not merely an English phenomenon. Joined Watford in August 2022. "The Pozzos are here for the long term and they just don't fail. Data profile of Scott Duxbury who is contracted to Watford. Academic research suggests the best predictor of a teams league placing is its wage bill. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. Everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment. well take a risk.. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to Watford chairman Scott Duxbury slams Premier League Project Restart in A handful were selected for training at Aspires state-of-the-art facilities. Watford employ 12 senior scouts who travel the world, as well as a wider network of junior scouts, consultants and coaches, who live in different countries and provide recommendations. On Monday, Pozzo and Duxbury added: "Every club wants to be playing at the highest possible level. Its a big operation for a club of their size, but those with more money can afford more spotters. Watford chief executive Scott Duxbury (left) with technical director Filippo Giraldi In an office locked away from the hubbub is Gino Pozzo, Watford's owner. The secret is that we will move quicker, says Duxbury. . To have great resources and for them not to bear fruit is bitterly disappointing. (He rarely gives interviews and declined to speak to the FT.) Pozzo, 52, is the mastermind behind Watfords trading strategies. But they also know most players found by scouts will not succeed. Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) May 9, 2020 Watford, who are 17th in the league and only above the relegation zone on goal difference, beat runway leaders Liverpool in a shock victory at their Vicarage Road ground in February -- a result Duxbury says was influenced by . Instead, Watford have successfully gamed footballs multibillion-pound transfer market: buying low, selling high, while maintaining a team of 11 players capable of scoring 11 wins against richer rivals. A lot of the bigger clubs, they will look at a player and they need a little more convincing, a little more proof. In acknowledging the continuing uncertainties around households financial commitments, we believe to provide a discount of at least seven per cent shows our recognition of loyal support across this and many previous seasons. He has a history of doing this. HP10 9TY. According to their recent accounts, the clubs net spend the difference between outlays on transfers minus fees received from selling players has been about 30m a season since re-entering the Premier League. One heavy defeat was all it took to suggest replacing Ben Foster, Watfords vastly experienced new goalkeeper, with Heaton, a highly rated recent England international. A fresh take on sports: the biggest news and most entertaining lists. Watford's five-year top-flight stay ended after a 3-2 loss at Arsenal and Aston Villa's draw against West Ham. Yet a better way to understand how the club play the transfer market is to look at their wage bill the fifth lowest in the division. Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. It's surreal. Relegation-Threatened Watford Says EPL Restart Plan Unfair Over the course of a decade, he held trials for five million children across Africa, Latin America and south-east Asia. Its values, its sense of belonging, and its wish to inspire those in the local community. Why Watford chief Scott Duxbury isn't worried if trio depart in summer Its why weve begun frank and open discussions with supporters and will continue to meet once the season is finished and beyond. Until a remarkable climb up the league in the late 1970s, they had spent most of their history in English footballs lower divisions. He worked with former Manchester United director Maurice Watkins at James Chapman and Co and was seconded to the Red Devils. The only place youll be able to find fresh content from throughout the club, including behind-the-scenes access at training, interviews with stars past and present and all the best action from each and every Watford FC Premier League game. British businessman and board member of Watford FC, David Fransen has a net worth of$104.26 million. Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. Watford says at least six EPL teams oppose restart Scouts deploy no fixed tests. Suggested targets are whittled down to two or three and presented to Duxbury, Giraldi and Pozzo, who are based at the clubs training ground. Scott Duxbury has been with Watford since 2012, having previously worked at West Ham Watford's strategy has been to build a structure behind the scenes that they hope will help the. They brought a similarly savvy approach to Watford. This is a risky strategy. That is what we are all working towards.. That's where we've moved Watford. Last updated on 27 July 202027 July 2020.From the section Watford. cookies Highly experienced, having held senior recruitment roles with Fulham, Wolves and Brentford. For a young player, being at a big club, if youre just sat there and not playing, not getting the opportunity, youre not showcasing your talent, says Nathaniel Chalobah, a 23-year-old midfielder who joined the club last year from Chelsea, one of Englands richest and most successful clubs. Only a couple of months into a long season, Watford are already more than halfway to reaching an internal target. Training Ground Guru Watford can now afford the price tags attached to better-known players. The suggestion that Watford is a London club is something of a touchy subject with a lot of supporters, considering the side are based in Hertfordshire, but the link with the capital was a huge positive for the Pozzos. Love, Elton.. He had been signed for 11m the year before and was sold with his replacement, Roberto Pereyra, already in place. Played professionally in Germany before moving into coaching and scouting. Of course, no one is perfect and Watford have made mistakes. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. Spent six-and-a-half seasons at Eintracht Frankfurt, as Scout, Chief Scout and then Director of Professional Football. How the biggest companies plan mass lay-offs, The benefits of revealing neurodiversity in the workplace, Tim Peake: I do not see us having a problem getting to Mars, Michelle Yeoh: Finally we are being seen, Our ski trip made me question my life choices, Apocalypse then: lessons from history in tackling climate shocks, How data analysis helps football clubs make better signings. EVAN FERGUSON and Andy Moran both joined Brighton's Academy at the age of 16 from clubs in the League of Ireland. "Watford don't have managers, the owner totally runs the club.". That's where we should be. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please Yet now, today, its not about a bid to retain status, or where we will finish in the league at the end of the season, its far more important than that. Thats the emotion, laughs Duxbury as he recounts the story to me. For me personally, its more trying to improve as a player by getting the experience that I need to get and hopefully go on to bigger things. Chalobah was recently called up by the England national team. Duxbury recalls: I said to Filippo, Is he any good? [Giraldi] went, Yes, hes phenomenal, Scott, but its got to be a joke, how on earth can we do this?, I phone West Ham. Theydidn't see quite what we were doing, but I like to think that, as we proved what we were trying to do, the family stayed with us and then they saw that we were trying to build a football club that was going to achievesuccess. "There was moments where we weren't perhaps achieving what we thought we would do and people were turning against us, and the fans were turning against us, but we believed in what we were doing. Duxbury has spent most of his adult life involved in football after qualifying as a lawyer. The CEO said that will only be achieved if all at Watford, fans, players and staff,aretogether. Get involved in exciting, inspiring conversations with other readers. The head coach will say, for example, he wants a winger with pace who can play on both flanks and the scouting team will look for someone who meets those needs. Watford vs Rotherham United Live Stream, Predictions NORWICH CITY Sporting Director Stuart Webber admits his long-term future may not be in football after revealing the abuse he has experienced from some sections of the clubs fanbase in the last year. Hopefully it won't be delayed & we can come back to business soon!Thank you so far for the trust & preference, especially those who became premium members! Its not a joke. To receive exclusive content every month and other great benefits sign up to our monthly eNewsletter. We cannot suggest for one moment you havent tried to play your part. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. Though they employ an outside firm to provide some data analysis on players, the club rely on the subjective judgments of their scouts. About David Bernard Fransen British businessman and board member of Watford FC, David Fransen has a net worth of $104.26 million. All 20 Premier League teams deploy global scouting networks to unearth hidden gems, sifting through thousands of footballers eager to play in thewealthiest club competition in world football. Each email has a link to unsubscribe. Now Arsenal and Manchester United are looking to copy the model. But with less money to spend, Watford seek a different calculation: buying undervalued players. "We have always said we are here for the long-term and we will not allow this one moment of great disappointment to stop the continued development of this club over the next eight years and beyond. No matter that the team had recently made a great start to the season, winning their first four games. Has been at Watford since 2012, when the Pozzo family took over, and is a key figure on both the football and business sides of the club. Knows Watford owners the Pozzos from his three-year spell as Sporting Director of their other club, Udinese. Watford have been criticised for their propensity to fire managers. Duxbury declines to speak about the details, saying that the owner has no reason to sell. The Pozzos are focused solely on football. Worked for Newcastle for five years before a four-month stint at Everton in 2021/22. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. Watford executive's whining about Premier League return shows some in This club means everything to me. Duxbury claimed that financial pressure was not the only thing the clubfound it difficult to contend with during the season, saying that the Watford "family" not being entirely on the same page at moments during the campaign caused added stress. A Gannett Company. We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The move to acquire clubs has given the Pozzos operation greater scale. Omar Chaudhuri, an executive at 21st Club, a football consultancy, says the best way to judge whether a transfer is a success is the amount of time a new signing actually appears on the pitch. Of the 28 teams to have played in the Premier League in the past three years, only four have bought a lower percentage of players from the British Isles, according to 21st Club. If a diamond is found in the dust, scouts take credit for the discovery. Its been discussed, its been accepted. Compared with their rivals, the club do not tend to buy locally.