Revealed: Red Shorts Return For 2024/25

Watford FC is excited to announce the much-anticipated return of our iconic red shorts with the 2024/25 home kit, which is now on pre-sale.

Red shorts were first introduced by our greatest-ever manager, Graham Taylor, ahead of the 1979/80 campaign. Taylor believed the colour would look bolder on the pitch while also bringing out the yellow in the shirt.

Ever since, this colour of shorts has seemingly held an association with successful periods on the pitch. The introduction of red coincided with the club’s rise from the Fourth Division to finishing second in the top-flight in 1983.

Our first-ever European tour followed, as well as a first-ever FA Cup final in 1984.

The colour returned ahead of the 1997/98 season, with red worn as Taylor came home to guide the Hornets to back-to-back promotions.

It ended with that famous day at Wembley in 1999, when Nick Wright and Allan Smart sent 38,000 people of red and yellow into dreamland as a 2-0 win over Bolton Wanderers secured promotion to the Premier League.

Red was worn in our first two Premier League campaigns, 1999/00 and 2006/07 respectively, the latter season following on from an against-all-odds promotion under Aidy Boothroyd in 2005/06.

The Hornets changed from their usual black shorts to red for the play-off semi-final and final encounters with Crystal Palace and Leeds United, and it had the desired effect.

Although it was not the primary shorts colour for the 2014/15 season either, red managed to once again become entrenched in another classic Watford moment, this time on the south coast.

As Matěj Vydra burst through on goal and sealed our place at the top table for 2015/16, Watford fans in the away end at Brighton were sent into delirium, fuelled by the power of red.

So, as a new season begins, we turn to the iconic colour for the first time since 2011/12 while looking to ignite a spark - embracing tradition as we take on new challenges.

The red shorts with a trim of yellow, powered by Kelme, complement the elegant look of the pinstriped home shirt, with red socks rounding out the strip.

Click HERE to pre-order your 2024/25 kit now. Pre-orders made by Tuesday July 2 will be delivered in time for Thursday July 4, when the home kit will be available in-store at The Hornets Shop.