Until now, Watford FC has always been regarded as a club that has never won a major trophy.
But surprising evidence has recently come to light that, in actual fact, Watford won a very significant title in 1888.
Watford Football Club was founded as Watford Rovers in 1881 by Henry Grover and a group of his friends. Within five years the club was taking part in the FA Cup and, in the summer of 1888, Henry and his team went on a summer tour to Scotland — to Dunbartonshire.
In the early days of football, Dunbartonshire was home to three of the leading Scottish clubs. By 1888, Dumbarton, Vale of Leven and Renton had already won the Scottish Cup — and Renton (a small village in West Dunbartonshire) were the current holders.
At that time, a tradition had begun for staging a game between the Scottish Cup winners and the English Cup winners, and in May 1888 Renton played West Bromwich Albion. The newspapers billed it as a contest for the title ‘Champions of the UK and the World’. Renton won 4-1 and were awarded the ‘World Cup’ which, these days, is on display in the Scottish Football Museum.
This is all well-documented and verifiable.
What has not been well-known, until recently, is what happened on the Watford Rovers tour that summer. An extraordinary story has come to light via the diary of one of Renton’s players, John McNee — who scored two goals in the World Cup final against West Bromwich.
In his diary, McNee records that, in late June, he was approached by Henry Grover, by letter, to put a team together to play the touring Watford Rovers side. McNee agreed to a date of Saturday July 21st but forgot about it.
On the 21st, the Watford Rovers team arrived in Renton to find they had no game. McNee was mortified that he’d forgotten the fixture and invited Henry for a drink in the village. With Henry being a convivial sort, one drink became several and — according to McNee — it was agreed that the fixture should be rearranged for the next day at Renton’s home ground of Tontine Park. And not only that. McNee records in his diary that, in his inebriation, he was persuaded by Henry that the game should be a contest for the title currently held by Renton — World Champions.
The following day, Sunday July 22nd 1888, McNee managed to round up enough players to field a side. One of Renton’s best players (James Kelly) had left Renton to join Celtic, and three other star players (John Lindsay, Bob Kelso and James McCall) were at church. McNee reports in his diary that he recruited a couple of farmhands from the edge of the village, and a pair of twelve-year-old twin brothers.
The match proved a robust encounter. The following week, the local newspaper (The Dumbarton Herald and County Advertiser) reported: “On Sunday morning, at Tontine Park, there was a small assemblage to watch Renton, the holders of the World Cup, play a touring side from Hertfordshire called Watford Rovers. Play at the kick-off was of a give and take nature but gradually Watford Rovers assumed the aggressive, and after neat passing by the forwards, [Henry] Grover gave the leather the parting shot with his heel and goal number one for the Rovers was registered.”
By half-time, Watford Rovers were leading 2-0. At full-time, as the Dumbarton Herald put it, “the match stood in favour of the Hertfordshire club by four goals to one.”
In his diary, McNee records that both teams played well and the match ended in good spirits with firm handshakes and warm expressions of friendship. He also records that Henry Grover seemed to have no memory from the night before of the stakes that had been agreed in advance. Henry didn’t mention it.
McNee confesses that he decided to keep quiet so that Renton could retain their title. And, shortly afterwards, a sign proclaiming ‘Champions of the World’ was erected on the pavilion at Tontine Park and stayed there until the club folded in 1922.
And so, thanks to McNee’s diary, we now know that, as of Sunday July 22nd 1888, Renton’s title passed to Watford Rovers. After that, there is no record in the archives of the Watford Observer that Watford ever placed the title at stake in any future contest.
Consequently it is a now an established fact that today — April 1st 2025 — Watford Football Club are still World Champions.
Comments
This is amazing, finally someone else who knows about this match. My grandfather would always tell me that his grandad claimed to have played in this match but no one, it seemed, believed him.
I am glad the truth is finally out….
April 1st ,thats interesting .