I was in Norwich a few years ago, and saw some Sea Cadets wearing HMS Petchey hats. I discovered that this was one of Jack's many philanthropic initiatives. Unfortunately he didn't see Watford FC as a suitable case for philanthropy
Back in the Petchey era, how we would have wished for a Stanmore businessman to turn up as a white knight to save us. But we had to wait a bit longer.....
True. He didn't appear much interested in the football side of things; he was a businessman and wanted value for money and that included apparently being tight-fisted. It did mean, however, that he did not leave the club damn nearly bankrupt, like one or two others have. He built up the capital value of the business, I suppose, and then sold it at a profit, if I remember rightly. I suppose that makes him almost unique. Perhaps it's worth pointing out that more or less half the ground as it now is was built by him. Surely not the worst owner, nor even close. The football wasn't worth anything, though, and what's the point of a football club without football?
And when they sold their ground to a supermarket he negotiated with Wealdstone FC a up front payment of some £million and a 20 year ground share with them covering half the running costs (including ours) which lasted i think one year. IIRC we netted c£3m for this-daylight robbery
Jim Bonser secured the long term lease of the ground and also extended the East Stand. However the main thing football fans care about is what happens on the pitch and he late in his reign let himself down in this area until SEJ managed to boot him out.
Jack and his wife of two years, sculptress Frances Segelman, have been helping out people who have suffered strokes.. http://www.artlyst.com/news/royal-sculptor-frances-segelman-heads-for-retrospective-at-the-tower/ There's a joke there somewhere but i'm too kind to say it!
Until they rename themselves as Jacqui Petchi and Gareth Simpsong, then I think we all know the answer to this question....
Some of my earliest memories of watching Watford are of “Bonser Out!” booming from the terraces at quiet moments in games. There were a lot of quiet moments in those days...
....and at Brentford in 1975 one fan shouting this (plus obscenities) was the subject of a "citizen's arrest by Brentford Chairman Dan Tana" which made the BBC National News. Actually a steward threw him out. He was then handed a "lifetime ban" from Vicarage Road by Bonser - which actually lasted a game and a half until he and his dad went down to see JB at half time of the game against Lincoln City for him to apologise and get his ban somewhat reduced. They watched the second half in the Director's box! We lost 3-1 - somebody called Taylor was managing Lincoln. The "Bonser out" chant resumed.
