Editing Watford F.C. (section)

==Club identity==
{{Commons|Watford F.C. kits}}
{{Football kit box
 | align      = left
 | pattern_la = 
 | pattern_b  = _vneckwhite
 | pattern_ra = 
 | pattern_sh = 
 | pattern_so = 
 | leftarm    = 3333EE
 | body       = 3333EE
 | rightarm   = 3333EE
 | shorts     = FFFFFF
 | socks      = 3333EE
 | title      = Watford's colours were blue and white from 1927 until 1959.
}}
Watford's kit has changed considerably over the course of the club's history. The club's kit featured various combinations of red, green and yellow stripes, before a new colour scheme of black and white was adopted for the 1909–10 season. These colours were retained until the 1920s, when the club introduced an all-blue shirt. After a change of colours to gold shirts and black shorts for 1959–60, the team's nickname was changed to The Hornets, after a popular vote via the supporters club. These colours remained until 1976, when Watford's kits started featuring red, and the gold was changed to yellow. That colour scheme has continued into the 21st century.<ref name=historicalkits>{{cite web|url=http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Watford/Watford.htm|access-date=17 October 2009|title=Watford – Historical football kits}}</ref>
{{Football kit box
 | align      = right
 | pattern_la =
 | pattern_b  = _vneckblack
 | pattern_ra =
 | pattern_sh = 
 | pattern_so = 
 | leftarm    = FFCC33
 | body       = FFCC33
 | rightarm   = FFCC33
 | shorts     = 000000
 | socks      = FFCC33
 | title      = The club changed to a gold and black colour scheme in 1959–60.
}}
Watford's initial nickname was ''The Brewers'', in reference to the [[Benskins Brewery]], which owned the freehold of Vicarage Road.<ref name=benskins>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/david-conn-new-owners-of-vicarage-road-revealed-as-watford-wither-643356.html|title=New owners of Vicarage Road revealed as Watford wither|work=The Independent|access-date=20 October 2009|date=21 September 2002|author=Conn, David|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130125050433/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1712032.html|archive-date=25 January 2013|url-access=subscription}}</ref> This nickname did not prove particularly popular, and upon the adoption of a blue-and-white colour scheme in the 1920s, the club became predominantly known as ''The Blues''. When Watford changed kit colours in 1959, supporters chose ''The Hornets'' as the team's new nickname, and the club later introduced a crest depicting a hornet.<ref name=historicalkits/> In 1974 the design was changed to depict Harry the Hornet, the club's mascot.<ref name=historicalkits/><ref>Moore, Glenn (19 April 2008). [https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/anyones-race-top-of-the-league-811847.html "Anyone's race: Top of the league"]. ''The Independent''. Retrieved 9 May 2012.</ref> The club's nickname remains, but in 1978 the hornet crest was replaced by a depiction of a [[Hart (deer)|hart]] – a male red fallow deer– on a yellow and black background. A hart represents the town's location in the county of [[Hertfordshire]]. It has now been confirmed by the club that it was in fact a Moose on the crest and not a Hart as previously thought by Watford fans.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.watfordfc.com/news/2024/july/03/introducing-watfordfc-moose-your-new-supporter-services-x-account/ | title=Introducing Watford FC Moose: Your New Supporter Services X Account | date=2024-07-03 | website=www.watfordfc.com}}</ref> Until [[Barnet F.C.|Barnet]]{{refn|Although now located in Greater London, Barnet continue to participate in the [[Herts Senior Cup]], organised by the [[Hertfordshire Football Association]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The history of Barnet FC – 1939 to the 1950s |publisher=Barnet Football Club |date=15 June 2007 |access-date=2 May 2012 |url=http://www.barnetfc.com/page/History/0,,10431~1053449,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311013631/http://www.barnetfc.com/page/History/0,,10431~1053449,00.html |archive-date=11 March 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Ronayne |first=James |date=13 April 2011 |url=http://www.thecomet.net/stevenage-fc/bees_sting_boro_in_senior_cup_final_1_863610 |title=Bees sting Boro in Senior Cup Final |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130606125758/http://www.thecomet.net/stevenage-fc/bees_sting_boro_in_senior_cup_final_1_863610 |archive-date=6 June 2013 |work=The Comet |access-date=12 August 2012}}</ref>|group=lower-alpha}} and, later, Stevenage joined the Football League, Watford were Hertfordshire's only league club.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2001/feb/21/theknowledge.sport | work=The Guardian | title=Whatever happened to Third Lanark? | first=Scott | last=Murray | date=21 February 2001 | access-date=27 May 2010}}</ref> Other nicknames have since been adopted, including ''Yellow Army''<ref>{{cite web |last=Wilson |first=Paul |date=15 April 2007 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/apr/15/watford |title=Feisty Watford a credit to 'best league in the world' |work=The Guardian |access-date=20 April 2012}}</ref> and ''The 'Orns''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Bagchi |first=Rob |date=4 December 2010 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2010/dec/04/premier-league-clockwatch-live |title=Premier League clockwatch |work=The Guardian |access-date=21 April 2012}}</ref>

Until April 2019, when Watford played at [[Vicarage Road]] their players traditionally entered the pitch at the start of the game to the ''[[Z-Cars]]'' [[Theme from Z-Cars|theme tune]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/7886856.stm |title=FA Cup fifth round as it happened |work=BBC Sport |date=14 February 2009 |access-date=12 August 2012}}</ref> However, in mid-April 2019 the team changed their entrance song to Elton John's "[[I'm Still Standing]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/17578011.watford-change-z-cars-for-elton-johns-im-still-standing-as-vicarage-road-match-day-song/ |title=Watford change Z-Cars for Elton John's I'm Still Standing as Vicarage Road match day song |work=Watford Observer |last=Gray |first=Ryan |date=16 April 2019 |access-date=9 August 2021 }}</ref> The club returned to Z Cars as the theme to welcome players to the pitch in August 2019 at the start of the [[2019–20 Premier League]] season, following fan pressure and petitions.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/17604261.watford-fans-start-petition-bring-back-z-cars-match-day-music/ |title=Watford fans start petition to bring back Z-Cars as match day music |work=Watford Observer |last=Gray |first=Ryan |date=29 April 2019 |access-date=9 August 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://theathletic.co.uk/1125885/2019/08/09/z-cars-is-more-than-music-but-will-watfords-walk-on-song-return/ |title=Z-Cars is more than music – but will Watford's walk-on song return? |work=The Athletic |last=Leventhal |first=Adam |date=9 August 2019 |access-date=9 August 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPCV9zt_foU |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/NPCV9zt_foU| archive-date=2021-12-11|title=Welcome back Z Cars, Watford FC, 10/08/19 |website=youtube.com |date=11 August 2019 |access-date=9 August 2021 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center; font-size: 100%;"
|-
!Period
!Kit manufacturer
!Shirt sponsor
|-
|1974–1982
|rowspan=5|[[Umbro]]
| —
|-
|1982–1985
|[[Iveco]]
|-
|1985–1988
|Solvite
|-
|1988–1989
|Eagle Express
|-
|1989–1991
|[[Northumberland Herald and Post|Herald & Post]]
|-
|1991–1993
|[[Bukta]]
|[[RCI (company)|RCI]]
|-
|1993–1995
|[[Hummel International|Hummel]]
|rowspan=2|[[Blaupunkt]]
|-
|1995–1996
|rowspan=2|[[Mizuno Corporation|Mizuno]]
|-
|1996–1998
|rowspan=2|CTX
|-
|1998–1999
|rowspan=2|[[Le Coq Sportif]]
|-
|1999–2001
|[[Phones 4u]]
|-
|2001–2003
|rowspan=2|Kit@
|[[Toshiba]]
|-
|2003–2005
|[[TotalEnergies]]
|-
|2005–2007
|rowspan=2|[[Diadora]]
|[[Loans.co.uk]]
|-
|2007–2009
|[[Beko]]
|-
|2009–2010
|[[Joma]]
|Evolution HDTV
|-
|2010–2012
|[[Burrda Sport|Burrda]]
|[[Burrda Sport|Burrda]]
|-
|2012–2013
|rowspan=2|[[Puma AG|Puma]]
|[[Football Manager]]
|-
|2013–2016
|rowspan=2|[[138.com]]
|-
|2016–2017
|[[Dryworld]]
|-
|2017–2019
| rowspan="2" |[[Adidas]]
|[[FxPro]]
|-
|2019–2020
|rowspan=2|[[Sportsbet.io]]
|-
|2020–2021
|rowspan=3|[[Kelme (company)|Kelme]]
|-
|2021–2023
|[[Stake.com]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hunt |first=Holly |date=2021-07-22 |title=Watford inks 'club-record' principal partnership with Stake.com |url=https://insidersport.com/2021/07/22/watford-inks-club-record-principal-partnership-with-stake-com/ |access-date=2022-04-27 |website=Insider Sport |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
|2023-
|[[MrQ]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Official: Watford FC & MrQ Announce New Partnership |url=https://www.watfordfc.com/news/club/official-watford-fc-mrq-announce-new-partnership |website=www.watfordfc.com |access-date=15 June 2023 |language=en}}</ref>
|}