Watford F.C. - Club Identity

Club Identity

Watford's kit has changed considerably over the course of the club's history. The club's kit featured various combinations of red, green and yellow stripes, before a new colour scheme of black and white was adopted for the 1909–10 season. These colours were retained until the 1920s, when the club introduced an all-blue shirt. After a change of colours to gold shirts and black shorts, the team's nickname was changed to The Hornets, after a popular vote via the supporters club. These colours remained until 1976, when Watford's kits started featuring red, and the gold was changed to yellow. That colour scheme that has continued into the 21st century.

Watford's initial nickname was The Brewers, in reference to the Benskins Brewery, which owned the freehold of Vicarage Road. This nickname did not prove particularly popular, and upon the adoption of a blue-and-white colour scheme in the 1920s, the club became predominantly known as The Blues. When Watford changed kit colours in 1959, supporters chose The Hornets as the team's new nickname, and the club later introduced a crest depicting a hornet. In 1974 the design was changed to depict Harry the Hornet, the club's mascot. The club's nickname remains, but in 1978 the hornet crest was replaced by a depiction of a hart – a male red deer – on a yellow and black background. A hart represents the town's location in the county of Hertfordshire. Until Barnet joined the Football League, Watford were Hertfordshire's only league club. Other nicknames have since been adopted, including The Golden Boys, Yellow Army and The 'Orns.

On home matchdays, Watford's players traditionally enter the pitch to the Z-Cars theme tune before the start of a game. Chants include Yellow Army and Come on you 'Orns, whilst songs for current players include That boy Sean Murray, he's one of our own.