Watford Football Club are an English football club, from Watford, Hertfordshire. Founded in 1881 as Watford Rovers, the club has competed in the Football League since 1920 and since the 2015–16 season have competed in the Premier League. First introduced by the Watford Observer in the 1972–73 season, the Watford F.C. Player of the Season award is voted for annually by supporters of the club.^[2] It recognises the best overall performance by an individual player through the season. Winners were originally presented with the Watford Observer Trophy, but since 2016–17 the award has been named the Graham Taylor Player of the Season Award, after the club's former manager.^[3][4]

Goalkeeper Andy Rankin won the initial award in the 1972–73 season, ahead of Colin Franks and Duncan Welbourne. In the 1974–75 season, Rankin won the award for the second time, becoming the first of ten players to do so as of 2016.^[2][5] Another goalkeeper, Tony Coton, is the only player to have received the title for a third time. Coton is one of four players to have won the award in consecutive seasons, the others being Wilf Rostron in 1982–83 and 1983–84, Tommy Smith in 2007–08 and 2008–09, and most recently, Troy Deeney in 2013–14 and 2014–15. Eight winners of the award have represented their country at full international level, of whom only John McClelland went on to become Watford's Player of the Season for a second time.^[5]

Towards the end of each season, fans vote directly for the Player of the Season. Historically this has been conducted by post, but in recent years it has taken place on the Watford Observer's website. This system was earmarked for change to a match-by-match rating system in 2009,^[6][7] but in March 2010, the Observer decided to revert to the traditional method of voting.^[8]

  † Inducted into the Watford Hall of Fame

Statistics correct at end of 2018–19 season.

Tommy Mooney, winner in 1995–96 and 2000–01.

Ben Foster, winner in 2006–07.

Watford F.C. Player of the Season winners

Season	Level[a]	Name	Position[b]	Apps[c]	Goals[c]	National team[d]	Notes
1972–73	3	Andy Rankin	Goalkeeper	329	0	England under-23
1973–74	3	Billy Jennings	Forward	100	37	England youth	[10]
1974–75	3	Andy Rankin	Goalkeeper	329	0	England under-23
1975–76	4	Ross Jenkins	Forward	398	142	None	† [e]
1976–77	4	Keith Mercer	Forward	154	53	None
1977–78	4	Alan Garner	Defender	232	16	None
1978–79	3	Ross Jenkins	Forward	398	142	None	† [e]
1979–80	2	Ian Bolton	Defender	287	36	None	† [12]
1980–81	2	Steve Sims	Defender	219	8	England B
1981–82	2	Les Taylor	Midfielder	211	20	None	† [13]
1982–83	1	Wilf Rostron	Defender	404	30	England schoolboys
1983–84	1	Wilf Rostron	Defender	404	30	England schoolboys
1984–85	1	John McClelland	Defender	234	3	Northern Ireland	† [14][15]
1985–86	1	Tony Coton	Goalkeeper	291	0	England B	† [16][17]
1986–87	1	Tony Coton	Goalkeeper	291	0	England B	† [16][17]
1987–88	1	John McClelland	Defender	234	3	Northern Ireland	† [14][15]
1988–89	2	Glyn Hodges	Midfielder	102	19	Wales	[18]
1989–90	2	Tony Coton	Goalkeeper	291	0	England B	† [16][17]
1990–91	2	David James	Goalkeeper	98	0	England	† [19][20][21]
1991–92	2	Nigel Gibbs	Defender	491	7	England under-21	† [f]
1992–93	2	Paul Furlong	Forward	91	41	England C	[23][24]
1993–94	2	Gary Porter	Midfielder	472	57	England under-21	† [25]
1994–95	2	Kevin Miller	Goalkeeper	151	0	None
1995–96	2	Tommy Mooney	Forward	287	64	None	† [26]
1996–97	3	Kevin Miller	Goalkeeper	151	0	None
1997–98	3	Alec Chamberlain	Goalkeeper	288	0	None
1998–99	2	Steve Palmer	Defender	272	9	None	[g]
1999–2000	1	Rob Page	Defender	252	3	Wales	† [28][29]
2000–01	2	Tommy Mooney	Forward	287	64	None	† [26]
2001–02	2	Alec Chamberlain	Goalkeeper	288	0	None
2002–03	2	Marcus Gayle	Defender	115	9	Jamaica	[30]
2003–04	2	Gavin Mahon	Midfielder	215	7	None	[17][31]
2004–05	2	Heiðar Helguson	Forward	228	75	Iceland	† [15][32][33]
2005–06	2	Marlon King	Forward	87	37	Jamaica	[26][34][35]
2006–07	1	Ben Foster	Goalkeeper	119	0	England	[13][36][37]
2007–08	2	Tommy Smith	Midfielder	306	64	England under-21	[20][38][39]
2008–09	2	Tommy Smith	Midfielder	306	64	England under-21	[38][39][40]
2009–10	2	Tom Cleverley	Midfielder	94	13	England under-21	[41][42]
2010–11	2	Danny Graham	Forward	98	41	England under-20	[43][44]
2011–12	2	Adrian Mariappa	Defender	317	5	Jamaica	[1][45][46]
2012–13	2	Almen Abdi	Midfielder	92	23	Switzerland	[47]
2013–14	2	Troy Deeney	Forward	371	123	None	[48]
2014–15	2	Troy Deeney	Forward	371	123	None	[49]
2015–16	1	Heurelho Gomes	Goalkeeper	156	0	Brazil	[50]
2016–17	1	Sebastian Prödl	Defender	82	3	Austria	[51]
2017–18	1	Abdoulaye Doucouré	Midfielder	102	13	France under-21	[52]
2018–19	1	Etienne Capoue	Midfielder	140	14	France	[53]

Wins by international representation

Country	Number of winners[h]
England	18
Jamaica	3
France	2
Northern Ireland	2
Wales	2
Austria	1
Brazil	1
Iceland	1
Switzerland	1

General

• Players of the Season sourced to: "Former Watford Players of the Season". Watford Football Club. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
• Pre-1998 player information sourced to: Jones, Trefor (1996). The Watford Football Club Illustrated Who's Who. ISBN 0-9527458-0-1.
• Post-1998 player information sourced to: "Watford: Squad stats". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
• Further information sourced in an individual player's notes section as necessary.

Further reading

• Phillips, Oliver (2001). The Golden Boys: A Study of Watford's Cult Heroes. Alpine Press Ltd. p. 230. ISBN 0-9528631-6-2.
• Phillips, Oliver (1991). The Official Centenary History of Watford FC 1881–1991. Watford Football Club. pp. 181–182, 271–272. ISBN 0-9509601-6-0.

Specific