A former Watford Observer journalist wants Hornets fans to add a personal touch to his new book covering the most famous era in the club’s history.

"Enjoy The Game" has been written by Lionel Birnie and tells the story of Watford in the 1980s when current chairman Graham Taylor and Elton John steered the club into the top flight of English football for the first time, finished runners-up behind Liverpool, qualified for Europe and helped secure the Hornets’ sole appearance in an FA Cup Final.

The 304-page hardback, limited edition publication will go on sale for £18.99 this summer, but Lionel is offering supporters prepared to commit to buying the book in advance the chance to become a patron and have their own individual message published in a dedicated chapter.
Lionel explained: “This can be a dedication or message personal to you (up to 150 characters) and can be of any nature, as long as it’s clean and decent. You could make a dedication to a friend or loved one, or thank Graham and the boys for all the memories, it’s up to you, but it’ll be your own little piece of history for no extra cost.”

The book is based on the recollections and anecdotes from those who were involved – from Taylor and John Barnes to Luther Blissett and Nigel Callaghan – although there is one key exception. “The only notable person missing is the man who financed it all, the person without whom it would not have been possible, Sir Elton John,” said Lionel. “I hammered away at his representatives, and Graham Taylor did all he could to try to make it happen for me, but unfortunately I got the feeling that Sir Elton is very well protected by his agents and that I didn’t get further than the front desk. If Sir Elton happens to read this, there’s still time to get his take on events – just.”

Although it would have been logical for a book covering a period in the club’s history to be presented in chronological fashion, this is not the case. “I couldn't present each interview as a stand-alone chapter because people’s memories overlap,” the author said. “It would have become repetitive very quickly, so I have attempted to weave together the outstanding source material to tell the story of the key events from the 1980s. Of course, we have to wind back to the summer of 1977 when Graham Taylor was appointed, to give the subsequent tale some context, rather than land in January 1980 and take it from there.

“I’ve tried to let the players and management tell the story from their perspective, allowing their anecdotes and recollections to carry the reader along. It’s been on my list of things to do since completing Four Seasons [the story of Watford from 1997 to 2001] with Alan Cozzi in 2001,” Lionel said of his motivation for writing Enjoy The Game. I first went to watch Watford in the early 1980s and I think that those first impressions leave an indelible mark on you. I feel very fortunate, spoilt even, that my introduction to the sport and the club came during such a rich period.

“I was a child when Watford enjoyed all that success and although I’m familiar with the stories, I felt there was a book in it. My criteria is always ‘would I want to read that?’ “I’ve loved writing it, so hopefully people will enjoy reading it.”

For further details on how to become a patron of "Enjoy The Game," visit www.lionelbirnie.com, but space is limited and messages will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

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