History
It has been the home of Watford since 1922, when the club moved from a ground on Watford's Cassio Road. The ground was officially opened by Col. Charles Healey of Benskins Brewery for the visit of Millwall on 30 August 1922. In addition to being Watford's home since opening, the stadium was also home to Wealdstone F.C. between 1991 and 1993, and to rugby union side Saracens since 1997. After purchasing the freehold of the stadium from Benskins in January 2002, Watford's financial situation forced them to sell and lease back the stadium later that year. However, after a campaign entitled 'Let's Buy Back The Vic' with donations coming from fans, as well as celebrity former owner Elton John donating the entire proceeds of a concert held at the venue, the club was able to repurchase the stadium in September 2004. The stadium's capacity has been steadily reduced from over 20,000 due to safety issues and terracing area, which is forbidden by the Taylor Report, though there have been attempts to modernise the ground.
Read more about this topic: Vicarage Road
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“Indeed, the Englishman’s history of New England commences only when it ceases to be New France.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.”
—Karl Marx (1818–1883)
“The history of every country begins in the heart of a man or a woman.”
—Willa Cather (1876–1947)