Sir Elton John wants to get more involved with Watford FC again

Sir Elton John, who played two homecoming shows at Watford Football Club, told fans he wanted to "get his hands dirty again" with the club.

The 75-year-old singer spoke to fans about his wishes at the Championship club's Vicarage Road stadium where he finishing the European leg of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour.

He became chairman of the club in 1976 and is now honorary life president.

He said he had spoken to the current chairman about getting more involved.

The superstar, who grew up in nearby Pinner, played shows on 3 and 4 July at the Hertfordshire football stadium.

Speaking to fans at his show on Monday night he referenced being a local boy.

"It really hit home last night how much I love this place," he said.

"I said to Scott Duxbury [chairman] today, 'Next year when I finish, I'm going to take a much more active role in the club because I won't have any gigs to do'."

Sir Elton also praised the ground and said when he first joined "it was in an awful state, look what it is now, it's amazing.

"When I look at my name up there I can't believe that as a boy I would one day have my name on this stand."

The global star also paid tribute to the club's former manager, Graham Taylor "my dear friend who I miss so much".

The Candle In The Wind singer oversaw a period of great success for Watford FC after appointing Graham Taylor as manager of his boyhood team in 1977.

The pair, helped by the pop star's finance and Taylor's management skills, took the club from the Fourth Division to the top flight in the years up to 1987.

Last week, mural designers MurWalls painted 30ft (9.1m) image of Sir Elton John on the side of Watford Library, just weeks after the same artists created one of the singer at the stadium.

Sir Elton said the Farewell Yellow Brick Road world tour would be his last back in 2018 but it was halted during the pandemic.

After Watford, the tour continues in the US and Canada.

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