01st Feb 2007 Official Watford FC Announcement. C/O Tony Francis, Daily Telegraph. Did'nt occur at the time but if you read the Tony Francis Article again... 'After dispiriting spells at Nottingham Forest and Leeds United, he knows he's in Boothroyd's last chance saloon along with Clarke Carlisle, who is battling with his private demons, and Moses Ashikodi, who's living down the stigma of a knife incident at Millwall.' So conclusive proof that if you want to know anything about Watford FC, the last place to start is Watford FC. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ma...WAVCBQUIV0?xml=/sport/2007/02/02/sfnwat02.xml
Utter rubbish, the whole article. And his final paragraph shows just how bad a judge of the situation he is. The man shouldn't be let near a keyboard.
It's written tongue-in-cheek, every last word. I don't think he's the funniest or most witty writer of articles I've ever read but quite a lot of it makes me chuckle. Can't you see it's just a parody of everybody elses impressions? He's taking the mick out of those who rip into Watford.
He irritates the hell out of me. It's bad enough that non-supporters can't get the smirks off their faces when they talk about Watford but for a fan to do it is cheap. And it leads people like Oliver Phillips to post that puerile nonsense as 'fact'.
Agreed. Every week this man manages to irritate me more and more with his "tongue in cheek" comments. None of it is EVER funny or particularly clever and i'm suprised he gets paid for writing that drivel. That was farking years ago, nobody cares and even less people talk about it. This man is a pillock.
But that's exactly why he writes it! You read any serious press article that mentions Moses Ashkodi and it will have a byline relating to the knife incident at Millwall 3 years ago. The same thing goes for Clarke Carlisle's "inner demons". He writes it to take the mick out of those journos who always think within the box. It's very subtle I'll grant you but you've got him wrong if you think he's taking the mick out of Watford.
I don't believe he is taking the mick but there's been plenty of occassions when he's had a genuine dig at the club when it's completely unneccesary. Yeah it's subtle, still doesn't stop it from being unamusing. He's supposed to write about Watford yet he gets paid for having a pop at other journos which undoubtedly go unnoticed by the other journos. I bet this man has no friends.
Having spent some time with him on the train after the game at Bolton I can assure you he is a first class bloke with a dry sense of humour
What's he had a dig about? Not allowing much access to the press? Not showing much ambition? Conflicting club statements? You've gotta admit those complaints and concerns pop up on here on a reasonably regular basis. If anything at least he's conveying the majority opinion. As for writing about Watford: says who? He's supported the club for years so my guess is he went to his editor with the idea and it was rubber stamped. It's not like he's supposed to be writing serious articles (which would interest very few nationally on a weekly basis) but actually not. I guess it just comes down to what kind of comedy you're into: some people prefer dark subtle cynical humour.
Subtle and dry is the way to take it! At which I may have failed! However I just wondered if it was bluff and double bluff. In amongst the humour and dry wit, as a fan with an inside line is he trying to do his bit to keep the supporters informed where the club does'nt seem to want to.....
It's obviously ripping into lazy journalism, by it's very style! The whole tone is off the cuff. Guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.
I know what you mean but I think it's the intended audience that matters. If it was intended for a WFC publication or for those ITK it would be taken as satire but readers of the Telegraph are not going to get it and they will take it as gospel and he knows that.
I can't see why Francis attracts such criticism here. He strikes me as a genuine fan who happens be a sports writer. Occasionally as i've said before he goes for the easy joke, which could be called lazy journalism but for the most part we get a different take on whats happening at the vic. I never listen to 3 counties but i understand Oakley's not very popular which made TF's comments more interesting. Don't you think the comments about Marlon suggest a bit of commitment from him past the summer?
I listen to 3cr sometimes and I think Simon Oxhley is very good,I think Mr price is the problem but simon on his own has been very good when reporting and interviewing,and commentating. He isnt a watford fan,he is a leeds fan but give the man his due I dont think anyone can touch him at 3cr,not since Crofty was there. His commentry also on our play off game and final summaries was brilliant and even though he is a leeds fan,he had passion in his voice for us.I heard it on youtube but its been taken off.
oh isnt he clever. wether he means it or not doesnt matter, none of our fans are interested, it just makes other people think its true
