Editing Watford F.C. (section)

===Post-war era===
[[File:Watford FC League Performance.svg|thumb|250px|right|Chart of yearly table positions of Watford in the English football league.]]Football resumed in 1946, with Watford still in the Third Division South. A 23rd-placed finish in [[1950–51 in English football|1950–51]] meant that the club had to apply for re-election to the league once more, but again teams in the First and Second Divisions unanimously voted for Watford to stay in the league.<ref>{{cite book|title=Denied F.C.: The Football League Election Struggles|first=Dave|last=Twdell|publisher=Yore Publications|year=2001|isbn=978-1-874427-98-8|page=18}}</ref> McBain returned in 1956,<ref name=managers/> and the team remained in the division until 1958; the league was restructured into four national divisions for the [[1958–59 in English football|1958–59]] season, and Watford were placed in the [[Football League Fourth Division|Fourth Division]]. [[Ron Burgess (footballer)|Ron Burgess]] replaced McBain during that season, and in the following campaign Burgess presided over Watford's first Football League promotion. This team included Fourth Division top scorer [[Cliff Holton]],<ref>Ross, James M. (15 July 2011) [https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/engtops.html "English league leading goalscorers"]. [[Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation]]. Retrieved 19 April 2012.</ref> who scored a club record 42 league goals in the season.<ref name=wfcrecords/> Holton was sold to Northampton the following year after another 34 goals, to the anger of supporters.<ref>Jones 1996, p. 123.</ref> Burgess was succeeded by [[Bill McGarry (footballer)|Bill McGarry]], who bought new players such as [[Charlie Livesey]] and [[Ron Saunders]], and in his only season at the club led the club to what was at the time its highest ever league position: third in the Third Division.<ref name=mcgarry>Jones 1996, pp. 147, 151, 205, 272–273.</ref> Eighteen-year-old Northern Irish goalkeeper [[Pat Jennings]] also featured under McGarry, and made his international debut despite being a Third Division player.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishfa.com/squad-profiles/297/legends-of-the-game/pat-jennings/|title=Pat Jennings|access-date=27 October 2009|publisher=[[Irish Football Association]]|archive-date=12 November 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091112082144/http://www.irishfa.com/squad-profiles/297/legends-of-the-game/pat-jennings|url-status=dead}}</ref>

McGarry joined [[Ipswich Town F.C.|Ipswich]] in 1964, and was replaced by player-manager [[Ken Furphy]], from [[Workington A.F.C.|Workington]]<ref name=mcgarry/> Furphy rebuilt the team around players such as [[Keith Eddy]] and [[Dennis Bond (footballer)|Dennis Bond]], but after holding [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] to a draw in the FA Cup and narrowly failing to win promotion in [[1966–67 in English football|1966–67]], Bond was sold to [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]] for [[Pound sterling|£]]30,000, Watford's record transfer receipt at the time.<ref name="Jones 1996, p. 43">Jones 1996, p. 43.</ref> Furphy's rebuilding came to fruition in 1969 with the signing of [[Barry Endean]], whose arrival marked the start of an unbeaten run after Christmas.<ref>Jones 1996, p. 80.</ref> Watford secured the Third Division title in April, at home to [[Plymouth Argyle F.C.|Plymouth Argyle]]. A year later Watford reached the FA Cup semi-final for the first time, defeating [[Football League First Division|First Division]] teams [[Stoke City F.C.|Stoke City]] and Liverpool along the way.<ref>Brown, Tony. [http://www.statto.com/football/teams/watford/1969-1970/results "Watford 1969–1970: results"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140727120045/http://www.statto.com/football/teams/watford/1969-1970/results |date=27 July 2014 }}. Statto.com. Retrieved 4 May 2012.</ref> Hampered by a lack of funds, however, Furphy eventually joined [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]], to be succeeded by [[George Kirby (footballer)|George Kirby]]. Forced to sell players to survive, Watford fell back into the Third Division in 1972. The team continued to struggle in the third tier, and despite a managerial change, Watford were relegated again in 1975.<ref name=managers/><ref>Brown, Tony. [http://www.statto.com/football/teams/watford/history/post-ww2 "Watford history 1945 to 1975"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091230135342/http://www.statto.com/football/teams/watford/history/post-ww2 |date=30 December 2009 }}. Statto.com. Retrieved 19 April 2012.</ref>

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{{Image label begin|image=Soccer Field Transparant.svg|link=|width=175|caption=Watford's starting lineup for the 1984 FA Cup final.}}
{{Image label small|x=0.20|y=0.05|scale=350|text=[[Steve Sherwood|Sherwood]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.05|y=0.20|scale=350|text=[[David Bardsley|Bardsley]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.14|y=0.15|scale=350|text=[[Lee Sinnott|Sinnott]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.28|y=0.15|scale=350|text=[[Steve Terry|Terry]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.39|y=0.20|scale=350|text=[[Neil Price (footballer)|Price]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.05|y=0.38|scale=350|text=[[Nigel Callaghan|Callaghan]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.15|y=0.32|scale=350|text=[[Les Taylor (footballer)|L Taylor]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.28|y=0.32|scale=350|text=[[Kenny Jackett|Jackett]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.15|y=0.52|scale=350|text=[[George Reilly|Reilly]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.28|y=0.52|scale=350|text=[[Mo Johnston|Johnston]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.38|y=0.38|scale=350|text=[[John Barnes|Barnes]]}}
{{image label end}}
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|Watford's starting line-up for the [[1984 FA Cup Final]]. [[Paul Atkinson (footballer, born 1961)|Paul Atkinson]] came on as a substitute; Graham Taylor managed the team.<ref name="fa1984cupfinal">{{cite web|title=Classic Cup Finals: 1984|url=http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/FACompetitions/TheFACup/History/HistoryOfTheFACup/1984EvertonWatford|access-date=27 October 2009|publisher=[[The Football Association]]}}</ref>
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