History Even so, the Watford way is not to be tampered with. There are modern efforts to improve scouting through the use of data analytics. In his award-winning 2013 bookThe Nowhere Men, football writer Michael Calvin followed the lives of English talent spotters. (He rarely gives interviews and declined to speak to the FT.) Pozzo, 52, is the mastermind behind Watfords trading strategies. The government has made that clear and the culture secretary Oliver Dowden enforced that . Scott Duxbury, Chairman & CEO. Duxbury responded Sir Elton texts most days and always gets a reply but politely declined the advice. For now, then, on the back of several weeks without a home fixture, lets all come together and create something special this afternoon; something everyone can use as a catalyst for a very positive end to the season as we bid to retain Premier League status. Instead, the Pozzo model is akin to venture capital investing. The asking price for their preferred target went to a level we werent comfortable with. Joined the club as an intern in October 2015. Tom Sizemore dead: Hollywood star dies aged 61 after brain aneurysm, Messages show Hancocks reaction after Gina Coladangelo CCTV leak, Lifeboats dispatched after fire breaks out on ferry in English Channel, Ambulance strikes called off in London as ministers agree to pay talks, Mother and daughter found dead in flat months after last being seen, US lawyer Alex Murdaugh jailed for life for murdering wife and son, Deulofeu winning fitness battle ahead of FA Cup Final, Gomes yet to make retirement decision ahead of FA Cup Final, Belgian mother who killed 5 children euthanised 16 years after deaths, Estate agent wins legal fight with interior designer over 10m sale, Constance Marten: Dead baby found wrapped in plastic bag, court hears, 300 new Ulez cameras rolled out but none in rebel boroughs. If you look at the world in front of you, there is somewhere a better player than [the one] you are chasing., The same approach applies to managers. Newsquest Media Group Ltd, Loudwater Mill, Station Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. The clubs scouts had been tracking the player for months but believed he was beyond reach. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. (He rarely gives interviews and. Highly experienced, having held senior recruitment roles with Fulham, Wolves and Brentford. Scouts deploy no fixed tests. In 1986, his father Giampaolo bought Italian club Udinese with money from the familys toolmaking company. This year, Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported that tax officials in Italy and Spain were investigating the familys clubs, alleging a complex ownership structure including offshore companies helped to funnel revenues from Udinese and Granada away from local tax authorities, all to provide more funding to Watford. For his 2018 bookThe Away Game, author Sebastian Abbot followed Spaniard Josep Colomer who, as a coach at Barcelona, nurtured a youthfulLionel Messi before the Argentine developed into the worlds best player. A larger scouting network is able to cover more ground. Watford FC Chairman & CEO Scott Duxbury shares his thoughts ahead of this afternoons Premier League clash with Leeds United Late last week, I thoroughly enjoyed meeting a small group of fans to begin a longer-term and wide-ranging process of discussions under the banner of a newly-constituted Fans Committee. Duxbury declines to speak about the details, saying that the owner has no reason to sell. 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! Somewhere, there is a better player than [the one] you are chasing. in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay, you can still find very, very good players who have the right attitude to play in Europe. 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The Watford Observer caught up with the Hornets new chief executive this week to discuss how he arrived at Vicarage Road. Instead, Watford appear to deploy a series of trading strategies that mean their recruitment choices are smarter and more bankable than their rivals: At 4.50pm on August9 2018, 10 minutes before the closure of the summer transfer window, a period in which players can be traded between clubs, Duxbury received a call. We close the deal and weve signed a player that in the Carabao Cup [one of Englands two main cup competitions] scored a wonder goal, then in midweek for Portugal [under-19s], scored another wonder goal. Please report any comments that break our rules. As was the case with Richarlison, clubs are eyeing Pereyra, Deulofeu and Abdoulaye Doucoure but if they are sold this summer, you can be sure Watford are ready to replace them. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please We are very proud of this football club. Scott Duxbury, Watford FC Chairman, said: "We are thrilled to welcome Stake as our principal shirt sponsor ahead of the 2021/2022 season. To create a team to take on local giants such as AC Milan and Juventus, they deployed scouts far and wide. He ended up moving to West Ham and worked his way from legal advisor to chief executive, when he worked closely with Nani and Gianfranco Zola. Went full time with the U21s in July 2016 and promoted to the first team in July 2018. contact the editor here. To Watford Fans: From Gino Pozzo & Scott Duxbury. "He has done it before. In Pozzos six years of ownership, the club have hired nine head coaches. Comments have been closed on this article. "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. A subsequent EFL inquiry found that the owner was unaware of the document and the club had not gained a competitive advantage. Duxbury explained: The Pozzos were quite clear that they wanted a London club because they saw that as a real attraction in terms of signing players and growing. 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. "Watford have never built with a manger, you would not put a family photo on your desk or buy a house in the area. Here he explains why - along with Ajax's Head of Sport Science and Data Vosse de Boode. Thats the emotion, laughs Duxbury as he recounts the story to me. The Watford Observer caught up with the Hornets' new chief executive this week to discuss how he arrived at Vicarage Road . Watford have been criticised for their propensity to fire managers. . There, I meet two of Watfords key leaders Duxbury, 46, a square-shouldered Englishman in a pinstripe suit, and technical director Filippo Giraldi, a 43-year-old Italian with an unkempt air. He had been bought just a season earlier for 11.5m from Brazils Fluminense but Duxbury says he was actually the clubs second choice for a new attacking player. Come to Watford, play regularly and make your name, then secure a big move. He had been signed for 11m the year before and was sold with his replacement, Roberto Pereyra, already in place. He is the managing director of Vitol, a Geneva-based oil trading company. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. Only then can they benefit from a share of the Premier Leagues broadcasting contracts, worth a combined 8bn. Being a small club has advantages. 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. They leave the management to myself, Gian Luca and Gianfranco, but we know they are always there if we need help and support.. He worked with former Manchester United director Maurice Watkins at James Chapman and Co and was seconded to the Red Devils. Editors' Code of Practice. Saturday May 09 2020, 12.01am, The Times. Well send you a myFT Daily Digest email rounding up the latest Life & Arts news every morning. Sociology graduate student at the Ohio State University. It never stops, says Duxbury. 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. The financial constraints of dropping down a division, coupled with the added pressure of the global pandemic meant that the odds were stacked against the Hornets, but their win against Millwall on Saturday confirmed they would be returning to the top flight at the first time of asking. It must be on Watford's terms, too, as they showed when they held out until Everton paid . I want them to achieve the best that they could possibly do in their career. Although supporter engagement of this kind has been a while in the making during this season, we feel last weeks meeting constituted a really positive first step in better opening up structured and long-lasting lines of two-way communication. Our Supporter Liaison team contacted a number of different supporter groups, and they were joined by a mix of those that broadcast and write about club goings-on; including podcasters, bloggers, fanzine editors and YouTubers. This is your chance to discuss club matters with senior club officials, as host Michael Kurn is joined by Scott Duxbury, CEO \u0026 Chairman, and Head Coach Vladimir Ivi.You can submit your questions by using #wfcatourplace on any of our social media channels or by emailing [email protected] to the club's official YouTube channel bit.ly/1jaYzL9Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/WatfordFCLike us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/watfordfcofficial/Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/watfordfc/Welcome to the official home of Watford Football Club on YouTube. Moving on? "That's been our biggest strength that, as a fan base, asan ownership, as a management, we're all together. At clubs such as Liverpool and Manchester City, the idea is that recruitment is carried out by an executive team that remain in place even if the manager who picks the team changes. 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Data profile of Scott Duxbury who is contracted to Watford. Role Active Director Appointed on 12 July 2012 . As we chat, ravenous players filter in following a training session. Comments have been closed on this article. Watford are one of the Premier Leaguespoorest clubs. 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. The close relationships with the local community in all its forms and the investment in club infrastructure will continue with purpose and enthusiasm. Some traits, such as speed and strength, are measurable. Those regimes are motivated, at least in part, by marketing the brands of the owners. Though they employ an outside firm to provide some data analysis on players, the club rely on the subjective judgments of their scouts. We dont want to hide behind anything. 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. The Watford way is to buy cheaper, little-known players, then sell them at a profit. "Everything was against us. Udinese, a small-town club in the north-east of the country, play in Serie A, Italys top division. HP10 9TY. 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. If we need their support with scouting networks, players and commercial know-how, then they are very much there for us in a supporting function, rather than interfering in the day-to-day running of the club. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to Creative midfielder for Hajduk Split, Hapoel Tel Aviv and Austria Salzburg during an 18-year playing career. Watford FC Chairman & CEO Scott Duxbury shares his thoughts ahead of Saturdays Premier League clash with Burnley We are very proud of this football club. The rapid turnover appears to cause little disruption. However, the way they were developed after that was completely different, as former Brighton Academy Manager John Morling tells TGG. HP10 9TY. And while our full focus is of course on the current season, if you are thinking about things beyond the end of this campaign then I do hope Season Ticket holders reading in have already seen fit to renew for next year courtesy of the reduced prices offered within our Early Renewal period. In 2012, they arrived in England to buy Watford, where Gino is sole owner. In the three seasons since promotion, Watford have secured 12 victories on one occasion and 11 wins in the other two. Premier League champions Manchester City have created a database of 300,000 players, with the club identifying just three targets in each position they consider the best in the world. Watford's chairman and chief executive Scott Duxbury sits in The Gate pub in Chorleywood, five miles away from Vicarage Road. . A manager is incentivised to pick the best possible team, so if new signings are good, they will play frequently. Enter your password to log in. Watford look set for another season in Englands top tier following an outstanding start to this term. To keep up with their peers, Watford are increasing their spending on acquisitions. Foreign imports, says Giraldi, offer better value for money: If you want to be economically efficient, [buy players in] South America. 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. In 2009, Pozzo led the familys acquisition of Spanish club Granada (subsequently sold in 2016 to Chinese group Link International Sports for a reported 37m). For primary use with Football Manager 2021. A fair assessment is they get one in three signings right, which in the current transfer market is a pretty high success rate. Theyll either be very successful and maybe go on to another bigger club or they wont work out and theyll move on. Scott Duxbury sat down with the Watford Observer's Frank Smith this week. A lot of the bigger clubs, they will look at a player and they need a little more convincing, a little more proof. If we just simply replicate what the bigger clubs are doing, were going to fail, because we dont have their resources. A greater windfall is possible. The plan now is to establish the Hornets in the top flight once again and grow from there. The Pozzos are focused solely on football. 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. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. Everybody wins. 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. . If you look at the balance sheet of Watford, what people would see as a negative in terms of certain incomes being low Gino sees as a positive, because he believes with the clubs fan base, Watford can grow. Increasingly, however, emerging English prospects, who can potentially earn higher salaries elsewhere, are also seeing the benefit. Our players and coaching staff have gone into the team hotel earlier than scheduled to take away all other distractions and ensure the sole focus hones in on delivering a performance that our supporters can be proud of this afternoon. The Pozzos are the clubs owners and son Gino will be the one who is more involved than his father Gianpaolo. Two-thirds of those awarded a professional contract at the age of 18 abandon the sport by 21. He decided to do something about it and the result is the Routes App - a digital record of a scholar's journey. The likelihood is that any team that are consistently among the lowest spending in the division will eventually have a bad season. It was a bold claim but one that sums up the confidence Watford have in the scouting network they have developed since the Pozzo family bought the club in 2012. "And there weremoments where the family was a little bit against us. Having sold Granada two years ago, the Pozzos are considering the purchase of a lower-league Spanish club to build their network once again. Elton John Splurges On Luxury Toronto Apartment, The 8 Biggest Deals On Shark Tank Ever, Ranked, John Wick's Garage: 10 Crazy Expensive Motorcycles In Keanu Reeves' Collection, Inside Red Sea Project: The $5 Billion Saudi Desert Megaresort, Larsa Pippens New $3.3 Million Miami Penthouse, A Peek Inside Tom Hardy's Insane Car Collection. The small room, packed with circular tables, fills with noise. Since their most recent promotion to the Premier League in 2015, they have, on average, acquired and sold more players than any other side in Englands top division. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to Assessing the quality of developed players is every bit as difficult. Watford chief executive Scott Duxbury reveals that the Hornets will sign more new players during the January transfer window. Clubs such as Liverpool and Arsenal have invested millions of pounds building in-house teams. On the pitch, this season has been unacceptably poor especially in front of yourselves, our own supporters, who deserve much, much better than what youve had to endure. The Pozzos have faced more serious allegations. Watford FC Chairman & CEO Scott Duxbury shares his thoughts ahead of this afternoon's Premier League clash with Leeds United. This club means everything to me. For latest updates, follow us on Twitter at @ground_guru. Its the situation here, and when you [join] Watford, you know what you are going to find, says current head coach Javi Gracia, 48, who took over in January. Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. PROFESSOR David Sumpter says Ajax are like a 'University of football' and are building an understanding of the game from the foundations up. WHEN Ansoumane Konde's dreams of becoming a pro ended, he found he had nothing to showcase his unique experiences in the game. But with less money to spend, Watford seek a different calculation: buying undervalued players. We dont have an owner taking money out [or] as a vehicle for him to make money.. Suggested targets are whittled down to two or three and presented to Duxbury, Giraldi and Pozzo, who are based at the clubs training ground. Coaches, they have a limited shelf life, says Duxbury. Given the clubs faith in their scouting network, they are not fearful of players leaving and as such they can be upfront to them when they join. Its why weve begun frank and open discussions with supporters and will continue to meet once the season is finished and beyond. Watford get a good fee, the player gets his move and the system kicks into life again. Abu Dhabi-controlled City Football Group, which ownsManchester City, also has sides in the US and Australia, while energy drinks manufacturerRed Bull owns teams in Austria and Germany. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. Its values, its sense As well as various roles in the Spanish leagues, including three spells at Mlaga CF, has worked for FC Dnipro in the Ukranian Premier League and for the Panama national team. Manchester United, the richest club in the world, employ 50 full-time scouts globally. well take a risk. Football is a machine that grinds the dreams of thousands of boys. Data profile of Scott Duxbury who is contracted to Watford. A brief summary of attendees and headline areas discussed will be publicised after each meeting, with more detailed notes from any such conversations circulated confidentially among Fans Committee participants. Too often, if the football isnt successful, then the whole club is written off as being on the wrong path. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. Yet, Watford are the most active at searching for and trading talent. Scouts have been used to identify players for decades. Over the course of a decade, he held trials for five million children across Africa, Latin America and south-east Asia. Other organisations maintain a similar constellation of clubs. The multi-platinum selling singer is Watford's honorary life president and was chairman during their rise from the old Fourth Division to the top flight during the 1970s and early 80s. If you didnt have that speed of decision-making, he wouldnt be here now.. Worked for Newcastle for five years before a four-month stint at Everton in 2021/22. Love, Elton.. The club have 100 potential contracts already drawn up should the opportunity to sign a targeted player arise. Editor's . They feel it in their bones, he says in a recent YouTube video series on the art of scouting. Compared with their rivals, the club do not tend to buy locally. But for a club with Watfords limited resources survival is the primary objective (the bottom three teams each season are relegated). If you sign a good English player, you will start easily from ten [thousand pounds] per week. Its been discussed, its been accepted. One example is Richarlison de Andrade, the Brazilian forward sold to Everton this summer for a reported 35.2m. Watford get a good fee, the player gets his move and the system kicks into life again. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. We cant match them pound for pound.. His time at Upton Park was controversial though, with the club fined 30m because of the Carlos Tevez affair, and he left in 2010 when David Gold and David Sullivan took over. That is why he chose Watford. Won 44 caps for Croatia and played for clubs including Everton and West Ham. If a diamond is found in the dust, scouts take credit for the discovery. While the club has sought to extend invites to a broad church of the supporter base, everyone can have a voice whether representing a group or individually by contacting the Supporter Liaison Team via [email protected]. Vicarage Roads 21,000 capacity is little more than a quarter ofManchester Uniteds Old Trafford. IMPORTANT NOTICEFINALLY, we have the new official winter patch! We want everyone to understand we accept that whats happened on the field of play, particularly at home, is unacceptable. The Pozzos were ridiculed when they came to power, with plenty questioning how a head coach could be in place when he did not have the complete say on transfers. 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. Watfords scouts are instructed to get to know a players agents, even his parents, to better understand their desires in advance of any transfer. After spending more than $100m but failing to find the next Messi, Football Dreams was disbanded in 2016.