<p>A group of investors in the US is in discussions over a deal to acquire <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/watford-tv-schedule-view-hornets-games-on-tv/">Watford</a>. U.S. Marine and Goldman Sachs executive Peter Grieve leads the group, The Football Co. (TFC). TFC only just launched in early 2023, but is <a href="https://offthepitch.com/a/exclusive-goldman-sachs-veteran-verge-launching-1-billion-multi-club-business">supposedly</a> financially backed with a $1 billion portfolio.</p>



<p>According to the company’s <a href="https://thefootballco.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">website</a>, TFC describes itself as “a global group of club owner-operators and business executives with a shared vision, culture of teamwork, and lifelong respect and passion for the game of football.”</p>



<p>The group also aims to form a successful multi-club ownership model. “TFC’s driving purpose is to bring together the right mix of clubs, maximize player potential, and create the best experiences for fans,” the group posted on its website.</p>



<h2>US investors see potential full takeover at Watford</h2>



<p>Current Watford owner, Gino Pozzo, previously asserted back in 2022 and early 2023 that he did not want to sell the club. The Italian businessman declared at the time that he wanted to “<a href="https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/20586824.watford-owner-trying-grow-club-not-sell/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">grow the club</a>” instead. Nevertheless, reports began to surface in late 2023 that Pozzo was already in negotiations to sell at least part of the English club. Ongoing talks between TFC and Pozzo include the possibility of a full takeover.</p>



<p><em><a href="https://theathletic.com/5167883/2024/01/16/watford-investors-us-the-football-co/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Athletic</a></em> is reporting that Grieve and TFC are currently discussing Watford’s valuation with Pozzo. It is believed that the club is worth somewhere between $190 million and $250 million. This is a fairly significant increase in the team’s reported value just over a year ago. As of Halloween 2022, Watford was <a href="https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/watford-udinese-spac-investment-pozzo-family/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reportedly</a> worth just over $160 million.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="670" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20240116_WST_483712_Watford-Exterior-1200x670_e597d83a.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=670" alt="" class="wp-image-483738" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/01/Watford-Exterior-1200x670.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/01/Watford-Exterior-300x168.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/01/Watford-Exterior-768x429.jpg 768w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/01/Watford-Exterior.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></figure>



<p>The increase in valuation comes as the club continues to remain safe in the EFL <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/championship-tv-schedule/">Championship</a>. Watford finished 11th of the 24 teams following the 2022/23 season. The Hornets currently sit eighth in the table, just over halfway through the current campaign.</p>



<h2>TFC currently invested in Zimbabwean club</h2>



<p>While discussions are ongoing, several members of the American group, although not Grieve, were recently seen at a Watford match. The potential investors sat in Pozzo’s directors’ box for an <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/fa-cup-tv-schedule/">FA Cup</a> matchup with Chesterfield at Vicarage Road on January 6th. Watford won the game 2-1 on the day thanks to a dramatic late goal by Tom Dele-Bashiru.</p>



<p>Grieve, and other investors in TFC, do have experience in the soccer world. The former Marine is currently a co-owner of Zimbabwean side Bantu Rovers. The African club launched in 2008 and currently plays in the nation’s top-flight division.</p>



<p>Along with becoming an investor in Bantu Rovers, Grieve also <a href="https://offthepitch.com/a/exclusive-goldman-sachs-veteran-verge-launching-1-billion-multi-club-business" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced</a> earlier that TFC made similar purchases in other global areas. This includes clubs here in the CONCACAF region, South America, and Central Europe. The latter scenario is likely to be in Slovenia, as group members have ties to a club in the country.</p>



<p>Grieve previously attempted to buy fellow Championship side <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/hull-city-tv-schedule/">Hull City</a> back in 2016 from Assem Allam. The deal, however, fell through and Turkish media businessman Acun Ilıcalı eventually bought Hull six years later. Grieve was also in investment talks with Brazilian team Atletico Mineiro in 2023 as well.</p>



<p><em>PHOTOS: IMAGO</em></p>

Stars &amp; stripes over Vicarage Road: US investors target Watford

A United States-based investment group is reportedly currently in discussions over a possible takeover of EFL Championship side Watford.

Stars & stripes over Vicarage Road: US investors target Watford

<p>Love the <em>Hornets</em>? Don’t miss a single game that airs in the USA with our Watford TV schedule.</p>



<p></p>



<h2>Watford TV Schedule</h2>



<p><em>Watford on TV and streaming: U.S. only:</em></p>


<div class="stvs-grid" id="team-316868-50-America/New_York"></div><div class="wst-home-matches"></div>



<p><strong>Founded:</strong> 1881<br><strong>Stadium:</strong> Vicarage Road<br><strong>Manager:</strong> Valérien Ismaël<br><strong>Best English top-flight finish:</strong> Runners-up (1983)<br><strong>FA Cup:</strong> Runners-up (1984, 2019)<br><strong>Lower titles:</strong> Third Division (1969, 1998), Fourth Division (1978), Southern League (1915)</p>



<h2>Where Can I Watch the Watford Match?</h2>



<p>You can watch EFL Championship games each week live on ESPN+, however not every game is available. The FA Cup and League Cup, including every game in the later rounds, are also on ESPN+.</p>



<p>Hive Live has games streaming live that are not part of international broadcast agreements (ESPN+ games in the US). Single-game, monthly, and season passes are offered by the club.</p>



<h4>Watch Watford on ESPN+:</h4>


<p>
</p><table class="table5" style="border: 5px solid red;">
<tbody>
<tr class="table5" style="width:100%">
<td style="width:70%">
<center><h4>Our Pick:</h4>
Includes: Bundesliga, LaLiga, FA Cup, &amp; More</center>
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<center><a href="https://go.web.plus.espn.com/mWebq" target="blank" rel="noreferrer noopener sponsored nofollow"><figure class="image"><img src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20240102_WST_480141_EplusRVO_b2771b40.webp&amp;width=200&amp;height=100" alt="ESPN+" width="200" height="100"></figure></a></center></td>
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<tr><td><center><a class="button" style="background-color:red" href="https://go.web.plus.espn.com/mWebq" target="blank" rel="noreferrer noopener sponsored nofollow"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Sign Up</strong></span></a></center></td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p></p>
&nbsp;



<p>If Watford makes it back to the EPL, you can see games on USA Network, NBC, Telemundo, and Universo through 2028. Peacock streams non-TV games each week.</p>



<h4>Watford History</h4>



<p>Watford dates all the way back to 1881, as “Watford Rovers”. Assorted permutations of the club competed under different names for the next two decades. Eventually, a merger between West Herts and Watford St. Mary’s in 1989 resulted in the Watford FC we know today.</p>



<p>In 1920, Watford joined the new Football League Third Division. They’d remarkably play every season but two, 1958-1960, in the third tier until 1969 when they made it to the Second Division for the first time. </p>



<p>The 1970s and 80s were a wild time for the club. They dropped twice, down to the fourth tier in 1976, before shooting up to the First Division by 1982. In that first top-flight season, they finished in second place, their best league finish ever. In 1984 they were runners-up in the FA Cup, a feat also matched in 2019.</p>



<p>After relegation in 1988, there were only brief cameos in the Premier League in 1999/00 and 2006/07. The 2010s were kinder, seeing Watford in the EPL from 2015-2020, and again in 2021/22. </p>



<p>Despite their badge featuring a hart (that’s a male red fallow deer) since 1978, the nickname of the club is the Hornets. This was first adopted in 1960 when the club changed to black shorts and gold shirts. The name has stuck ever since. The hart on the badge references the location of the town in Hertfordshire, whose coat of arms features the animal.</p>



<p>Watford is located on the far outskirts of the London area, with the club’s Vicarage Road ground a little over 8 miles as the crow flies from Wembley Stadium.</p>



<h5>Don’t miss a Watford Game</h5>



<p>Courtesy of World Soccer Talk,&nbsp;<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/ultimate-soccer-tv-streaming-guide/">download a complimentary copy of The Ultimate Soccer TV And Streaming Guide</a>, which features details on where to watch all of the leagues from around the world on US TV and streaming.</p>



<table style="border-collapse: collapse">
<tbody>
<tr style="width:100%">
<td style="width:50%">
<figure class="image"><img src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20240102_WST_480141_AppBannerLeft-1_37932cc7.webp&amp;width=590&amp;height=175" alt="Soccer TV Schedules App" height="175" width="590"></figure></td>
<td style="width:25%"><a href="https://ctrk.klclick.com/l/01HD2CNDGE5YDT5JNJR46BGNJK_34" target="blank" rel="noopener"><figure class="image"><img src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20240102_WST_480141_AppBanner_Apple-1_cb868f41.webp&amp;width=290&amp;height=175" alt="App Store" height="175" width="290"></figure></a></td>
<td style="width:25%"><a href="https://ctrk.klclick.com/l/01HD2CNDGE5YDT5JNJR46BGNJK_35" target="blank" rel="noopener"><figure class="image"><img src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20240102_WST_480141_AppBanner_Google-1_14f22ec0.webp&amp;width=290&amp;height=175" alt="Google Play" height="175" width="290"></figure></a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>



<p>To find out when soccer games are on, download the free&nbsp;<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/2020/12/26/soccer-tv-schedules-app-making-it-easier-to-watch-soccer-games-on-tv/">Soccer TV Schedules App</a>&nbsp;which includes listings of all of the live soccer matches available in the United States (available on&nbsp;<a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/soccer-tv-schedules/id1543713555" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple iOS devices</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.worldsoccertalk.SoccerTV" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Android devices</a>).</p>



<p><em>Photo: Imago</em></p>

Watford TV Schedule: View Hornets games on TV

Love the Hornets? Don't miss a single game that airs in the United States of America with our Watford TV schedule.

Watford TV Schedule: View Hornets games on TV - World Soccer Talk

<p>Love the <em>Hornets</em>? Don’t miss a single game that airs in the USA with our Watford TV schedule.</p>



<p></p>



<h2>Watford TV Schedule</h2>



<p><em>Watford on TV and streaming: U.S. only:</em></p>


<div class="stvs-grid" id="team-316868-50-America/New_York"></div><div class="wst-home-matches"></div>



<p><strong>Founded:</strong> 1881<br><strong>Stadium:</strong> Vicarage Road<br><strong>Manager:</strong> Valérien Ismaël<br><strong>Best English top-flight finish:</strong> Runners-up (1983)<br><strong>FA Cup:</strong> Runners-up (1984, 2019)<br><strong>Lower titles:</strong> Third Division (1969, 1998), Fourth Division (1978), Southern League (1915)</p>



<h2>Where Can I Watch the Watford Match?</h2>



<p>You can watch EFL Championship games each week live on ESPN+, however not every game is available. The FA Cup and League Cup, including every game in the later rounds, are also on ESPN+.</p>



<p>Hive Live has games streaming live that are not part of international broadcast agreements (ESPN+ games in the US). Single-game, monthly, and season passes are offered by the club.</p>



<h4>Watch Watford on ESPN+:</h4>


<p>
</p><table class="table5" style="border: 5px solid red;">
<tbody>
<tr class="table5" style="width:100%">
<td style="width:70%">
<center><h4>Our Pick:</h4>
Includes: Bundesliga, LaLiga, FA Cup, &amp; More</center>
</td>
<td rowspan="2" style="background-color:black; vertical-align: middle;">
<center><a href="https://go.web.plus.espn.com/mWebq" target="blank" rel="noreferrer noopener sponsored nofollow"><figure class="image"><img src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20240102_WST_480141_EplusRVO_c54b6cb5.webp&amp;width=200&amp;height=100" alt="ESPN+" width="200" height="100"></figure></a></center></td>
</tr>
<tr><td><center><a class="button" style="background-color:red" href="https://go.web.plus.espn.com/mWebq" target="blank" rel="noreferrer noopener sponsored nofollow"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Sign Up</strong></span></a></center></td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p></p>
&nbsp;



<p>If Watford makes it back to the EPL, you can see games on USA Network, NBC, Telemundo, and Universo through 2028. Peacock streams non-TV games each week.</p>



<h4>Watford History</h4>



<p>Watford dates all the way back to 1881, as “Watford Rovers”. Assorted permutations of the club competed under different names for the next two decades. Eventually, a merger between West Herts and Watford St. Mary’s in 1989 resulted in the Watford FC we know today.</p>



<p>In 1920, Watford joined the new Football League Third Division. They’d remarkably play every season but two, 1958-1960, in the third tier until 1969 when they made it to the Second Division for the first time. </p>



<p>The 1970s and 80s were a wild time for the club. They dropped twice, down to the fourth tier in 1976, before shooting up to the First Division by 1982. In that first top-flight season, they finished in second place, their best league finish ever. In 1984 they were runners-up in the FA Cup, a feat also matched in 2019.</p>



<p>After relegation in 1988, there were only brief cameos in the Premier League in 1999/00 and 2006/07. The 2010s were kinder, seeing Watford in the EPL from 2015-2020, and again in 2021/22. </p>



<p>Despite their badge featuring a hart (that’s a male red fallow deer) since 1978, the nickname of the club is the Hornets. This was first adopted in 1960 when the club changed to black shorts and gold shirts. The name has stuck ever since. The hart on the badge references the location of the town in Hertfordshire, whose coat of arms features the animal.</p>



<p>Watford is located on the far outskirts of the London area, with the club’s Vicarage Road ground a little over 8 miles as the crow flies from Wembley Stadium.</p>



<h5>Don’t miss a Watford Game</h5>



<p>Courtesy of World Soccer Talk,&nbsp;<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/ultimate-soccer-tv-streaming-guide/">download a complimentary copy of The Ultimate Soccer TV And Streaming Guide</a>, which features details on where to watch all of the leagues from around the world on US TV and streaming.</p>



<table style="border-collapse: collapse">
<tbody>
<tr style="width:100%">
<td style="width:50%">
<figure class="image"><img src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20240102_WST_480141_AppBannerLeft-1_a7cf499b.webp&amp;width=590&amp;height=175" alt="Soccer TV Schedules App" height="175" width="590"></figure></td>
<td style="width:25%"><a href="https://ctrk.klclick.com/l/01HD2CNDGE5YDT5JNJR46BGNJK_34" target="blank" rel="noopener"><figure class="image"><img src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20240102_WST_480141_AppBanner_Apple-1_79aa4b83.webp&amp;width=290&amp;height=175" alt="App Store" height="175" width="290"></figure></a></td>
<td style="width:25%"><a href="https://ctrk.klclick.com/l/01HD2CNDGE5YDT5JNJR46BGNJK_35" target="blank" rel="noopener"><figure class="image"><img src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20240102_WST_480141_AppBanner_Google-1_b80a686f.webp&amp;width=290&amp;height=175" alt="Google Play" height="175" width="290"></figure></a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>



<p>To find out when soccer games are on, download the free&nbsp;<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/2020/12/26/soccer-tv-schedules-app-making-it-easier-to-watch-soccer-games-on-tv/">Soccer TV Schedules App</a>&nbsp;which includes listings of all of the live soccer matches available in the United States (available on&nbsp;<a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/soccer-tv-schedules/id1543713555" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple iOS devices</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.worldsoccertalk.SoccerTV" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Android devices</a>).</p>



<p><em>Photo: Imago</em></p>

<p>Former Watford star Troy Deeney has officially been named head coach of Forest Green Rovers. The decision was made after club brass fired their previous manager, David Horseman. The striker previously joined the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/english-league-two-tv-schedule/">League Two</a> side back in August as a player/coach. </p>



<p>Although he has featured on the pitch for most of the team’s matches since arriving, Deeney also regularly leads training on Mondays. The now 35-year-old forward has scored four goals in 18 total appearances for Rovers during the current campaign. Three of these strikes came in a fixture against Notts County in September.</p>



<h2>Deeney ready to take over at Forest Green Rovers</h2>



<p>Deeney will now lead a club for the first time in his career. The striker proclaimed that he is ready for the challenge upon receiving the job. “I am very pleased and honored to be appointed as the new head coach,” <a href="https://www.fgr.co.uk/news/rovers-part-company-with-horseman-and-carey" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stated</a> Deeney. “I know the fans will have many questions, which will be answered as soon as possible. We will not hide from the task at hand and will be open and honest along the way.”</p>



<p>“One thing I can assure everyone is that we will work our very hardest to bring this wonderful club back to success. This is an exciting new role with many challenges that I’ll embrace. and there’s a lot of work for us to do, which has already started. I look forward to welcoming fans to our home game this Friday against Gillingham.”</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20231220_WST_478545_Troy-Deeney-Forest-Green-1200x675_25b01e23.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="" class="wp-image-478573" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/12/Troy-Deeney-Forest-Green-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/12/Troy-Deeney-Forest-Green-300x169.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/12/Troy-Deeney-Forest-Green-768x432.jpg 768w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/12/Troy-Deeney-Forest-Green.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></figure>



<p>Rovers previously earned promotion to <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/english-league-one-tv-schedule/">League One</a> ahead of the 2022/23 campaign. It was their first-ever season in the third-tiered division. Nevertheless, things did not go as planned. The club quickly suffered relegation back to League Two.</p>



<h2>Rovers have been widely praised for accomplishments off the pitch</h2>



<p>While many assumed that Rovers would be fighting for promotion once again this season, the club has continued to struggle. Rovers currently sits 23rd in the 24-team league at the moment. Deeney’s group has managed to win just four of their 20 league matches in the 2023/24 campaign.</p>



<p>The Southwestern English club was originally founded in 1889. Although the team has never reached as high as the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/championship-tv-schedule/">EFL Championship</a>, Rovers have made waves in recent years for accomplishments off of the pitch. They became the first team in the world to be certified carbon neutral in 2018. As a result, FIFA <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-45677536" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">named</a> Rovers the “greenest soccer club in the world.”</p>



<p>Three years later, the club <a href="https://www.fgr.co.uk/partners/fully-charged#:~:text=Forest%20Green%20Rovers%20will%20be,vehicle%20YouTube%20channel%2C%20Fully%20Charged." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced</a> a unique partnership with a YouTube channel called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzz4CoEgSgWNs9ZAvRMhW2A" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fully Charged</a>. The channel currently has over 1 million subscribers and typically highlights electric vehicles. The collaboration resulted in the Rovers naming their stadium after the channel.</p>



<p>While the club’s work off of the pitch is certainly commendable, they will surely want to do everything they can on the pitch to avoid relegation at season’s end. Deeney will have the tough task of lifting Rovers out of the drop zone in the coming months. The club is currently five points from safety, but they do have two games in hand compared to the team above them. Rovers will next host Gillingham on Friday, Dec. 22.</p>



<p><em>PHOTOS: IMAGO</em></p>

Troy Deeney earns first managerial job at Forest Green Rovers

Former Watford star striker Troy Deeney has officially been named the new head coach of League Two side Forest Green Rovers.

Stars & stripes over Vicarage Road: US investors target Watford

Business of Soccer