Synopses & Reviews
The unforgettable story, decades before Ted Lasso, of the real-life Watford Football Team, transformed into a powerhouse by coach Graham Taylor and owner Elton John.
Nothing has brought English soccer more immediately into the American mainstream than Ted Lasso, which captivated the nation in thirty-four episodes over three seasons. But before there was Jason Sudeikis’s lovable and, at first, hapless AFC Richmond, there was Watford Football Club, a team from the outskirts of London with barely enough fans to fill its stands—and which, in the mid-1970s, was languishing in 92nd place at the bottom of the last division of the English Football League. That is, until rock superstar Elton John—who, with his dad, had followed the team as a boy—bought the lowly franchise and, with legendary manager Graham Taylor, transformed the luckless football club into a top-seeded Premier League team. Inspiring, funny, and ultimately heartbreaking, Watford Forever recalls the improbably tender relationship between Elton John and Taylor, a straight-talking former fullback, who together beat the odds and their personal demons to save a club and a struggling community.
Review
"If John Preston hasn’t already sold the film rights to this book, he surely will soon. Watford Forever is the heartwarming story of the collaboration and friendship between English football’s oddest couple, Elton John and Graham Taylor" -Robert Crampton - The Times
"Affectionately rough-and-tumble portrait of a small-town British soccer team. A real-life Ted Lasso tale of a perennial underdog sparked to life—and fans of Sir Elton will enjoy it, too." -Kirkus Reviews
"Preston skillfully spins Watford’s ascent into a rousing underdog story, and his access to John reveals a more intimate side of the pop star... This will have readers cheering." -Publishers Weekly
About the Author
John Preston was the Sunday Telegraph's television critic and one of its chief feature writers for ten years. He lives in London.
Elton John’s honors include two Oscars and six Grammys. The honorary lifetime president of Watford FC, he was chairman of the club from 1976 to 1987 and 1997 to 2002. He lives in England.