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WATFORD are likely to stay and develop Vicarage Road. The club's board is likely to come to that conclusion because of the lack of available alternative sites and the prices being quoted.

The club's new chief executive, Tim Shaw, who takes up the appointment in August, sees a decision on the ground as something of a priority.

A director on the club's board since last December, and a former member of the Hornets' vice-presidents, Shaw said this week: 'I see the likelihood as remaining at Vicarage Road. Once we have firmly made that decision, from then the resultant decisions become reasonably obvious. This includes working with all interested parties, not just the council, but the people around this area to see what can be developed.'

The new chief executive, who has been filling the post on a temporary basis for the past few months, explained that finance is likely to be the determining factor.

'It comes down to finance. The cost of land is manifestly different to the north where most of the new stadiums are being built,' he said.

'Unless someone makes a gift of some land or puts in a vast amount of money to make it commercially viable, I cannot see us moving from Vicarage Road.'

There is concern that such a substantial financial outlay would jeopardise not just the first team, but the move to improve the youth academy and the training facilities.

Asked when a decision will be made on this, Shaw stressed: 'It is one of the very first things I would recommend the board to make the decision on. If that is made then we can start the process about the development of the east stand.'

GRAHAM TAYLOR welcomed the appointment of the new chief executive.

'It is a little bit unusual for someone to be a lifelong Watford supporter, to come in with a financial commitment and end up as chief executive. No one can say there isn't commitment within the club,' he said, well aware of the large contingent of established Watford supporters now in the boardroom.

'In the short time I have worked with Tim, I am sure I can work with him. No one can say he doesn't know what it is like to support and follow the club around.'

Working with Taylor, particularly with regard to players' contracts and negotiations, is part of 'the learning curve' Shaw now faces.

'I am learning from Graham's experience. From a general commercial background and with the commercial advice I have given, I have a lot of experience, but there is also much to learn,' said the 36-year-old chartered accountant, who has been a Watford season-ticket holder for 22 years.

He takes up the post on August 12, continuing in his present part-time capacity, while settling his other business interests.

'I shall be a very hands-on chief executive, with what I see as two main aspects to my job - the functionality of the club and the control of the flow of funds to maintain the good health of Watford Football Club,' he explained.

'I must ensure that the role of all off-the-field staff is clearly defined, both individually, and as part of each department.

'We need clear policies as to how we can meet the needs, and provide the best possible service to our supporters, commercial partners and all people dealing with the football club.

'The job is then to ensure these policies are implemented and sustained.'

He will have overall responsibility, with Ed Coan, as the next senior club official, working alongside him.

'Everyone must know who they are reporting to,' he said this week.

'From my own experience here, there is some work to do on that side and equally important is to help to develop the skills of those who work here.

'I advised a lot of small business in my time. You don't just take a person, put them in a pigeon hole and tell them to get on with it. I think you need to help them develop to be better at that job or to improve their skills.'

But, he stressed, he is not coming into Watford saying he is inheriting 'a load of rubbish'.

'A lot of good work has been done here already. I am now looking to moving that on and taking it on to another level.'

A LONG-SERVING fan, he started watching the Hornets from the Main Stand in 1978. He has since watched from all parts of the ground, before returning to the initial vantage-point, albeit in the directors' box, in what is now referred to in some quarters as the East Stand.

Yet he intends to retain his two seats in the Rous Stand.

'I think being a Watford fan is very important. If you have a passion for the job, you do it better. I think that is the main reason I have taken this job.

'I think fans will appreciate that no one gets every decision right, but any decisions I make will be made with the best interests and the love of the club at heart,' he said.

With Watford appointing more and more Hornet enthusiasts, is this now the club policy?

'I have a saying - hire attitude and teach functionality. If two people at interviews had equal skills, I would be more likely to chose the person who has Watford as a passion.

'They won't just be looking at it just from a career progression viewpoint. It is great to have people who really love the club they are working for.

'But out there is the big, wide world and if someone is manifestly better qualified, I would chose them rather than the Watford supporter.'

Shaw is aware that a club of Watford's size must be innovative in its approach to attracting investment.

'To be frank, I think we need to be more imaginative, so we can create sustained forms of investment, mainly to ensure developing our playing staff and facilities is always a reality,' he says.

The Hornets spent most of last season's Premiership debut without an off-the-field head, but Shaw contends that progress was made despite this apparent lack of guidance.

'We didn't have a chief executive as such for eight or nine months, but the senior management team that took over following Howard Wells' departure did an extremely good job in ensuring stability, continuity and, more importantly, progress in all off-the-field areas during last season.'

Nevertheless, as a director, he thought it was imperative the club had a chief executive.

'What I did see, when I became a director, was a need for a chief executive. I couldn't see how an organisation of this size could function without one. I did not think it would be me. I had an on-going business.

'The opportunity came out of circumstances. It just happened my partner and I decided to split the accountancy practice and then Watford decided they were looking to appoint a chief executive. I had the time to help out on a part-time basis but, after four weeks, I decided to put my name forward as I am enjoying it.'

THE chief executive will be in charge of the day-to-day running of the club, reporting to his boardroom colleagues.

'Looking to the future, and more immediately next season, the problem that any flat-level management team experiences is that issues get delegated and, sometimes, no one person takes overall responsibility for them.

'I will be that person taking responsibility from August on day-to-day operating decisions and I will report to the board on the material matters they need to know about. I will have my own targets, objective and criteria to see if I am doing the job well.

'I will also be making strategic presentations as to what I feel is the way to go forward.

'Watford Football Club is a small business but we want it to grow - we therefore need off-field leadership, someone to drive things on.

'As supporters will know, Ed Coan came back to the club last December.

'He has marked his return to the Vicarage Road offices by getting the club back on the family and community track - for which it had become renowned.'

On this point, Shaw added: 'I see Ed and I working alongside each other to ensure all aspects of the club match the statements and commitments we made in the From Us To You document produced earlier this year.

'Watford are a community club. The definition of community can be wider than 20 years ago when we were the first family club. We are no longer taking a reactive role, but a proactive role.

'Ultimately, Ed is responsible for that area and has done a lot of good work in that area already. It is the board's policy to support it fully,' he says.

The Hornets' new chief executive is quick to scotch thoughts that moving from the terraces to the boardroom will in any way dampen his passion for the club.

'I've been a supporter for 22 years and to have a real feeling for your work must be good.

'Mine is not a blind love for the club, more a passion - which makes this a great opportunity for me. That, more than anything, has made me want to take up this position.'

The board of directors now has enough personnel to comfortably staff a football team, so Shaw sees his 'link-man' role as all the more important in the light of the increasing number of boardroom members.

'The chief executive role will carry greater emphasis than ever before given the number of people to which I'll report.

'All the directors have invested material sums of money and so quite rightly want to know what's happening at the club.

'There is an understanding amongst the board that now I've taken this role, it will be me alone that makes the final decision over off-the-field matters.'

The 36-year-old will be selling his accountancy partnership but he retains a non-executive role within a specialist container-lifting company.

One of the considerations he had to face when thinking of taking up the role was that match-days at Vicarage Road will no longer be a case of taking his seat, reading the programme and then watching the match.

'I have kept two season tickets in the Rous stand, where the view is the best in the ground, so I can go over there and shout.

'I have had to think quite hard about that aspect. I have been a supporter and I want to be able to support and watch the team. Now, Saturday's will be a working reality,' he says, admitting, as a supporter, he is 'very vociferous, most of the time constructively'.

He lives in Northwood with wife Andrea and three children - Marc (seven), already a passionate Watford fan, Scott (four) and Sam (two).

Although his first love is football, his other interests include running (completing the Great North Run last year), karate, which he hopes not to have to use at the ground or boardroom, and fund-raising for a local children's charity.

'I think one of the things that surprised me during the period I have worked part-time at the club, is the number of different people who are in daily contact with the football club. We are like a honeypot to bees in some ways.

'You quickly realise that there is a lot more to the system than you would imagine.'

WATFORD have added an extra first team game to the itinerary with a match at Walsall on Tuesday, August 1, at Bescott Stadium (7.45pm).

The Hornets are also still awaiting the identity of their first opponents during the trip to Holland.

Xavier Gravelaine is reported to have joined French champions Monaco in a one-year deal. Gravelaine, who played for Watford and Le Havre last season - both relegated - has signed on a free transfer as understudy to Monaco's Argentine international Marcelo Gallardo.

The Hornets, along with Manchester City and Charlton, have been linked with Saint-Etienne goalkeeper Jeremie Jarot. The 22-year-old lost his place to American international Roman Berezovski, but whether this snippet is the result of an agent's enterprise or has any substance, is unclear.

Another rumoured transfer is that of Mark Williams, who is said to be on holiday with former Watford player, Chesterfield's Harry Willis, is set to join Walsall. The Saddlers' general manager Paul Taylor was quoted as saying: 'I met his agent in Spain recently and we are still talking about Mark joining us. He is a leader who we would like to sign, but we are facing competition.'

A kilted Charlie Miller is understood to have married his partner Caroline, 28, and were joined by their children Demi and Jordan on honeymoon in the USA.

He was quoted in one Scottish newspaper as saying: 'I will be making a move to another club this summer. I cannot say too much about it except both parties have agreed.'

Belgium coach Robert Waseige sold Jan Lohman to Watford from Lockeren during his time there, when the club moved up through the divisions.

And finally, a little game to wile away ten seconds or so.

Imagine the Martians came down and challenged the world to A and B international matches. How many England players would get in either or both of the two world squads?

And if you want to stretch it another ten seconds, imagine they then challenged Europe to A and B internationals, how many England players would be selected?

WATFORD'S programme has been ranked third in the Premiership and seventh nationally in the Wirral Programme Club's 29th annual football programme of the year survey.

Leeds and Liverpool took the honours in the Premier, while Crystal Palace's programme was first in the nationwide survey.

The club is able to offer a very limited number of full sets of last season's home match programmes for fans to buy at a greatly-discounted price.

A full set of 21 match programmes (this includes both cup-ties played at Vicarage Road last term) is available for £40.

Fans wishing to take up this offer can call down in person to the club offices, asking for Richard Walker, or send a cheque, made payable to Watford Football Club for £45 (to include a contribution towards postage and packing costs), marking envelopes: Richard Walker, Programme Offer, Vicarage Road Stadium, Watford WD1 8ER.