Entries for the Hertfordshire Museum Object of the Year 2025 are now in. Twenty two museums from across the county have entered this year’s competition and representing Watford Museum, is a 1980s Watford FC tracksuit that belonged to the club’s legendary manager Graham Taylor.
Graham Taylor’s iconic black Umbro tracksuit is a tangible reminder of Watford’s “Golden Years,” a period of unprecedented success under the stewardship of Graham Taylor and the visionary influence of club chairman Elton John. Taylor masterminded the club’s remarkable rise from the Fourth to the First Division in just five years, from 1977 to 1982, before finishing as League runners-up in 1983 and reaching the FA Cup Final in 1984.
This culminated in Watford FC’s European debut in the UEFA Cup on September 14, 1983, against FC Kaiserslautern from West Germany. The match was held at Vicarage Road, with Watford winning 3-0, through goals from George Reilly, John Barnes and Wilf Rostron.
The tracksuit was a gift from Taylor himself, presented to a devoted supporter in 1983, to mark the club’s historic qualification for the UEFA Cup. Attached to the tracksuit, with a Watford tricolour pin was a heartfelt handwritten note, reading: “For having complete faith in our ability to get into Europe, all my love, Graham.”
Throughout his managerial career, Graham Taylor was often seen sporting a tracksuit – a choice emblematic of his hands-on, down-to-earth approach to the game. Taylor was not the type of manager to sit back and delegate; instead, he was actively present on the training ground, demonstrating drills and offering real-time feedback, a testament to his commitment to the sport and his players.
The tracksuit will be a centrepiece of the new Museum of Watford’s “Legends of the Club” display, a timeless testament to a truly golden era in the club’s history.
Voting closes at midnight on Monday 17th February 2025. The winner will be announced on Thursday 27th February at the annual Hertfordshire Museums Awards.
https://hertfordshiremuseums.org.uk/object-of-the-year-voting-2025.aspx
https://hertfordshiremuseums.org.uk/object-of-the-year-2025.aspx
