Watford

Ann Swanson: “Thank You Everybody”

By: Watford FC Staff

Ann Swanson was delighted to be awarded the unique privilege of having a part of Vicarage Road named in her honour, following the announcement on Saturday (February 12) that the Family Stand would be renamed as the Ann Swanson Family Stand.

A driving force behind the Hornets’ community efforts in the late 1970s and 1980s, Ann worked as the leader of the Junior Hornets and founded the innovative Family Enclosure at Vicarage Road during a time when families and children often felt unsafe or uncomfortable watching football in stadiums.

Her efforts, along with those of Graham Taylor and Sir Elton John – who already have stands named in their honour at The Vic – culminated in Watford earning a proud reputation as ‘The Original Family Club’.

The news of the Family Stand's renaming was revealed to Ann as a surprise at half-time when the Golden Boys hosted Brighton & Hove Albion. The game was fittingly the annual Trust Awareness Matchday and Ann received a rapturous reception from her fellow Watford supporters when she spoke with stadium announcer Tim Coombs at the interval.

In a poignant moment, an emotional Ann was surprised and grateful after learning the news. She said: “Thank you, I can’t take any more of this! Thank you everybody and thank you to the directors.”

Reminiscing on her influential time at the club back in the 1970s and 1980s, Ann said: “Those days were wonderful. [Sir Elton John & Graham Taylor] just trusted me and I had lots of good people to help me, and it was so rewarding when we went round other clubs to think that we were The Original Family Club and they had followed us.”

Ann has also agreed to be a new patron of the club's Junior Hornets programme, following a refreshed offering of the programme and its offerings for young Watford supporters.

A joyous Ann said: “It means everything [to be a patron]. I’m so proud. It’s a privilege to be asked, at my age my especially. I would like to think that all these children that are here today will be Junior Hornets, because they are the future of our football club.”

For more information on Ann and her indefatigable work in the Watford community over the years, click HERE.