As part of this on-going commitment, the club would like to remind all supporters that racial, homophobic or discriminatory abuse, chanting or harassment is strictly forbidden and will result in arrest and ejection from Vicarage Road.

A true commitment to EDI (Equality, Diversity & Inclusion) is borne of actions much more than words. And the driving of those actions by dedicated and committed personnel who are passionate about achieving successful outcomes for everybody involved.

Here at Watford, we regard ourselves as ‘The Original Family Club’. While it’s a pleasant tag to use, it’s a statement deliberately made to invite scrutiny and measure of our work to be as inclusive a club as Graham Taylor and Elton John showed football could be when they refused to erect hooligan fences in the 1970s and 80s and instead made Vicarage Road a place where football was enjoyed by all whilst retaining its competitive heartbeat.

Everyone, regardless of their background or beliefs, should feel truly welcome to be part of or be associated with our wonderful football club.

Our senior leadership team regularly draws on the club’s history for putting people first so that we can commit to being at the forefront for greater equality within our sport, holding ourselves accountable for our progress at all times.

Our ‘Watford Welcomes’ initiative has allowed us not only to establish but to cement relationships with local groups representative of a wide range of beliefs, faiths and purposes. Our pledge is that we continue to better represent our local community’s demographic among our club’s workforce and supporter base.

Awareness and education are vital tools for positive change, and we use those as part of our ‘We’ campaign which encourages the calling out of all forms of discrimination – wherever they may occur in relation to the club’s activities within the community.

There is no finishing line here. We have committed to an ongoing journey of inclusive development and we’re proud to have set out ambitious milestones.

This is a club for everyone, with our EDI activities representing and engaging with the heart and soul of the community which surrounds it.

Watford FC is proud to have launched the We campaign in 2019, working with the hate crime unit at Herts Police to encourage inclusivity and tackle discrimination and abuse directly.

We wish to remind all users and followers of our social media accounts that any comments that are deemed as racist, abusive, homophobic, disablist, transphobic and against any religion will not be tolerated and will be investigated accordingly.

Actions speak louder than words and the issue of discrimination and abuse in football is something that should and will remain in sharp focus. The We campaign has provided a clearer route for supporters to report incidents, which has led to over 100 reports being received since the campaign launched. See HERE for more information.

We want everyone to know they’re welcome at Watford.
We respect everyone’s right to be different. We trust others to feel the same as we do about being inclusive.
We means everyone; players, ex-players, staff, supporters, the local community.
We continue to encourage all incidents to be reported to us, preferably in real-time by using #buzzoff online or please text We, followed by seat numbers and details, to 66777 straight away. The team will investigate and take action accordingly.
We prefer to receive reports in real time, but if you prefer to send details after the match please email wecampaign@watfordfc.com.
We will treat your message in the strictest confidence and take the necessary action against offending parties.

We will continue to find ways to help the players, staff and people associated with the club in vocalising and representing their views and beliefs. Watford FC fully support players who wish to highlight the ongoing fight against racism ahead of our matches.

To quote from the statement made by the players: “We, the players, stand together with the singular objective of eradicating racial prejudice wherever it exists, to bring about a global society of inclusion, respect, and equal opportunities for All, regardless of their colour or creed.”