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Watford

Watford

---- Watford is a town and district (styled as 'borough' due to the historical charter granted by Henry VIII) just to the north-west of London. Unlike most English districts, its council is led by a directly-elected mayor, currently Dorothy Thornhill of the Liberal Democrats. She is the only directly-elected Liberal Democrat mayor. Watford has 80,000 inhabitants and a professional football club, Watford F.C., who are currently in the Championship. Saracens Rugby Club moved to Watford and shares the same ground, which is in Vicarage Road. Watford has six twin towns. These are:
- Mainz in Germany. Linked since 1956.
- Nanterre in France. Linked since 1960.
- Novgorod in Russia. Linked since 1984.
- Wilmington in the USA. Linked since 1985.
- Pesaro in Italy. Linked since 1988.
- Plymouth in Devon. Linked since 1997. Claire Ward has represented Watford in Parliament since the 1997 general election in the Labour Party interest. Her constituency includes the whole of Watford Borough and in addition five wards from Three Rivers district. The parish of Watford Rural covers an area to the south of the borough of Watford (which is largely urbanised), in the Three Rivers district.

Transport

Watford is within the M25 motorway with Watford Metropolitan Line station at the outer edge of the London Underground system. There are faster trains to central and north London from Watford Junction and Bushey stations. The Metropolitan Line branch is due to be diverted to Watford Junction via the disused Croxley Green branch. Watford also has its own airport, listed as Watford Regional Airport, but known locally and offically as Elstree Aerodrome. Many private charters, and well as occasional holiday charters take off from here, with the request customs service contributing to the popularity of this hub. Many celebrities are known to travel through Watford, due to its location close to the world famous Elstree Film and Television Studios.

Trivia

The phrase 'North of Watford' is widely used to describe areas of the United Kingdom that are north of London. This is possibly because Watford was the first place that horses were changed on the route to the north-west from London, though the phrase possibly refers to the Northamptonshire village of the same name, about 50 miles further north, which traditionally was an important waypoint on the old east-west and north-south coaching routes and the point where the main north-south road, rail and canal routes came together at a gap in the hills known as "Watford Gap". Watford in Hertfordshire is much better known and so frequently mistaken, in the context of this phrase, for the same place. An alternative theory is that many of the original signs at the southern end of the M1 motorway bore the legends "Watford" and "The North", Watford being the first major town on that route.

Nightlife

The High Street running through the town centre is the main place for any activity at night. The part of town is sometimes referred to as the café quarter, and has a high concentration of the town's bars, clubs and restaurants. It was confirmed in the Watford Observer on 30th October 2005 - to the surpise of few residents - that Watford is the 'binge drinking capital' of Hertfordshire.

People

Watford was the birthplace of:
- Michael Bentine, politician and ex-Goon
- Terry Scott, Carry On actor and comedian
- Bradley Walsh, Coronation Street actor and comedian
- Mo Mowlem, politician
- Vinnie Jones, footballer turned actor
- Geri Halliwell, singer and former Spice Girl
- Kelly Smith, England's best-known women's footballer
- Ray Cooper, percussionist (performed in both Elton John's and Eric Clapton's bands)
- Roderick Rees

Other Watfords

- Watford, Ontario, Canada
- Watford, Northamptonshire, of Watford Gap fame.

Sport

- Watford Football Club
- Saracens Football Club (rugby union)

External links

- [http://www.watford.gov.uk/ccm/portal/ Watford Borough Council]
- [http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk Watford Observer Newspaper]
- [http://www.watfordmuseum.org.uk/ Watford Museum]
- [http://www.watford-history.co.uk/ A Watford history site 1]
- [http://www.hertfordshire-genealogy.co.uk/data/places/watford.htm Watford history site 2] Category:Towns in Hertfordshire Category:Local government in Hertfordshire Category:Shire districts nb:Watford

Non-metropolitan district

Non-metropolitan districts (usually known as just districts or sometimes as shire districts) are a type of local government district in England. Some non-metropolitan districts are unitary authorities. This article does not discuss them.

Division of power

Non-metropolitan districts are subdivisions of English shire counties (Non-metropolitan counties) which have a two-tier structure of local government. Shire counties have a county council, and also have several districts, each with a district council. Local government functions are divided between county and district councils, to the level where they can be practiced most efficiently:
- District councils are responsible for local planning and building control, local roads, council housing, environmental health, markets and fairs, refuse collection and recycling, cemeteries and crematoria, leisure services, parks, and tourism.
- County councils are responsible for running the largest and most expensive local services such as education, social services, libraries, main roads, public transport, policing and fire services, consumer protection, waste disposal and strategic planning.

Status

Many districts have borough status, which means the local council is called a 'Borough Council' instead of 'District Council' and gives them the right to appoint a Mayor. Some districts such as Oxford or Exeter have city status, but this does not give the local council any extra powers other than the right to call itself a 'City Council'. However not all city or borough councils are non-metropolitan districts.

History

By 1899 England had been divided at district level into rural districts, urban districts, municipal boroughs, county boroughs and metropolitan boroughs. This system was abolished by the Local Government Act 1972. Non-metropolitan districts were created by this act in 1974 when England outside of Greater London was divided into metropolitan counties and non-metropolitan counties. Metropolitan counties were sub-divided into metropolitan districts and the non-metropolitan counties were sub-divided into non-metropolitan districts. The metropolitan districts had more powers then their non-metropolitan couterparts. Initially there were 296 non-metropolitan districts but further legislation in the 1990s allowed a number of large districts to became unitary authorities which combine county level and district level functions. There are currently (2005) 284 Non-metropolitan districts. Non-metropolitan counties are now commonly called 'shire counties' to make them distinct from unitary authorities.

Scotland and Wales

In Wales an almost identical two-tier system of local government existed between 1974 and 1996 (see Districts of Wales). In 1996 this was abolished and replaced with an entirely unitary system of local government, with one level of local government responsible for all local services. A similar system existed in Scotland which in 1975 was divided into regions and districts, this was also abolished in 1996 and replaced with a fully unitary system.

List of counties and districts

This is a list of non-metopolitan counties and their non-metropolitan districts. Some counties contain unitary authorities which are excluded from this list, as are the counties of Berkshire which has no county council, and the counties of Herefordshire, the Isle of Wight and Rutland which have no districts. For a full list of districts of all types including unitary authorities, metropolitan districts and London boroughs see Districts of England.

Mayors in the United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the office of Mayor or Lord Mayor (Provost and Lord Provost in Scotland) had long been ceremonial posts, with little or no duties attached to it. The most famous example is that of the Lord Mayor of London. Traditionally mayors and provosts have been elected by town, borough (burgh in Scotland) and city councils. Since 2000, several districts now have directly-elected mayors with executive powers.

Election

In England, where a borough or a city is a local government district, the mayor is a councillor. In cases where a town or a city is a civil parish, the mayor is elected from their number by the parish council. Where the mayoralty used to be associated with a local government district but that district has been abolished, Charter Trustees may be set up to provide continuity until a parish council may be set up.

Direct election

In 2000 the Labour government led by Tony Blair passed a local government reform which changed this somewhat. Several districts in England now have directly-elected mayors with real powers and a cabinet to assist them, as opposed to the previous committee-based system, where functions were exercised by committees of the council. The changes were encouraged by the central government but required local request by petition and ratification by referendum. This system had been considered by the previous government, and former Environment Secretary Michael Heseltine had been a proponent of it. [http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/columnist/story/0,9826,1218659,00.html] In addition to this they introduced the Greater London Authority with a directly-elected Mayor of London to head it. The election for this post was won by Ken Livingstone, former leader of the Greater London Council, who was expelled from the Labour Party for standing in this election against official candidate Frank Dobson. There are currently no elected mayors in any cities whose mayor has the right to bear the title Lord Mayor (the title Lord Mayor of London refers only to the City of London within the greater city), but if this were to arise, it may be the elected mayor would inherit that title. Twelve districts now have directly-elected mayors. Some of the mayoral elections were initially won by independents, notably in Hartlepool where the election was won by a man in a monkey suit on a campaign of free bananas for schools, Stuart Drummond; and in Middlesbrough, where it was won by former police officer Ray Mallon who left the local Police Force to stand for election. Having receded somewhat as an issue after 2002 it has now moved up the political agenda, following positive reports of mayors' performance under the new system and recent Labour gains in several mayoralties. In October 2005, Torbay elected their first elected mayor, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/4358616.stm ], who is the only Conservative directly-elected mayor in the country at the moment. Crewe and Nantwich Borough in Cheshire will hold a referendum on whether to set up an Elected Mayor and Cabinet system for their Council on Thursday 4 May 2006, making it the thirteenth UK local authority to adopt a form of Elected Mayoral management structure if the proposal is successful.

List of directly-elected mayors

Ex-mayors are Linda Arkley, Mike Wolfe, and Chris Morgan.

Lord Mayors and Lord Provosts

The right to appoint a Lord Mayor (or in Scotland, a Lord Provost) is a rare honour, even less frequently bestowed than city status; a Lord Provost also acts as Lord Lieutenant of their city. Currently, 30 cities have Lord Mayors or Lord Provosts. In England: Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Canterbury, Chester, Coventry, Exeter, Kingston-upon-Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, the City of London, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Stoke-on-Trent, the City of Westminster and York. In Scotland: Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow. In Wales: Cardiff, and Swansea. In Northern Ireland: Belfast.

Honorifics

The Right Honourable

The Lord Mayors of London, Cardiff, Belfast, York and Bristol and the Lord Provosts of Edinburgh and Glasgow are styled The Right Honourable. No other honorifics are applied to the Provosts and Lord Provosts in Scotland.

The Right Worshipful

All other Lord Mayors, as well as the Mayors of cities and the original Cinque Ports (Sandwich, Hythe, Dover, Romney and Hastings), are styled The Right Worshipful.

The Worshipful

All other Mayors are styled The Worshipful. These honorific styles are used only before the Mayoral title and not before the name, and are not retained after the term of office.

External link

- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1606168.stm BBC article]
- [http://citymayors.com/ CityMayors.com]
- [http://www.nlgn.org.uk New Local Government Network] UK towns and cities Category:Local government of the United Kingdom

Liberal Democrats (UK)

The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal political party based in the United Kingdom. The party was formed in 1988 by the merger of the Liberal Party and the short lived Social Democratic Party (the two parties had already been in an alliance for some years). The party is led by Charles Kennedy. It is currently the third-largest party in the UK Parliament, behind Labour and the Conservatives, with 62 Members of Parliament elected at the general election of 2005. In the Scottish Parliament it forms a coalition in the Scottish Executive with Labour, where it supplies Deputy First Minister, Nicol Stephen. The Liberal Democrats claim they do not easily fit into the "left-right" political spectrum, but most political observers say the party has moved to the left since the war in Iraq, taking up 'Old Labour' issues such as higher taxation on high earners, higher levels of Government spending and extended enfranchisement (to 16-year-olds and, controversially, the imprisoned). Generally promoting politically and socially liberal policies, the Liberal Democrats describe themselves as being concerned with the use of power in British and international society. They are also wary of the powers of the state over individuals, and as a principle seek to minimise state intervention in personal affairs. Because of this the party took a strong stand against the British participation in the war in Iraq, and are considered the most pro-European party in British politics. Economically, it is not a party founded on economic class interest, nor on explicit economic liberal doctrine (unlike some liberal parties in other countries); instead the party has historically combined a strong commitment to social justice, social provision and the welfare state with a strong belief in economic freedom and competitive markets wherever possible. The Liberal Democrats' opponents describe them as being all things to all people, having so many policies that they would find it impossible to implement them consistently were they to find themselves in government; while supporters say that this reflects a misunderstanding of the federalist and decentralised nature of the party. Inside Liberal Democrats there exists also a market liberal wing aligned around the Liberal Future think tank. In 2005, after the general elections, the leader of the party, Charles Kennedy, promised a radical overhaul of Liberal Democrat policy and chose in his Shadow Cabinet several MPs who had contributed to the Orange Book, which offered free market solutions to several social issues. Many commentators interpreted this as a swing towards the market liberal direction.

History of the Liberal Democrats

Founding

The Liberal Democrats are descended from the Liberal Party which dominated British politics for much of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Having declined to third party status after the rise of the Labour Party in 1922, the Liberals found themselves challenged for their place as the centrist party of British politics in the 1980s, when in 1981, with the Labour Party moving to the left, a group of moderate Labour MPs broke away and established the Social Democratic Party (SDP), claiming to preserve previous Labour Party traditions. The SDP and the Liberals soon realised that there was no place for two centrist political parties, and entered into an alliance so that they would not stand against each other in elections. The two parties drew up their own policies and had different emphases, but produced a joint manifesto for the 1983 and 1987 General Elections. Initially the Alliance was led by David Steel (Liberal) and Roy Jenkins (SDP), and later by Steel and David Owen (SDP). In 1987, following disappointing results in that year's general election, Steel proposed a merger of the two parties. Although opposed by David Owen, it was supported by a majority of members of each and the two parties formally merged in 1988, with David Steel and Robert Maclennan (who had become SDP leader in August 1987) as interim joint leaders. At the time of the merger, in 1988, the party took the name Social and Liberal Democrats (SLD). After briefly shortening its name to The Democrats, it changed to the current name of Liberal Democrats in October 1989, which is now frequently shortened to "Lib Dems". The minority of the SDP who rejected the merger remained under David Owen's leadership. Some Liberals disliked the direction the party was going in after Paddy Ashdown's election as leader and created a new party which revived the name "Liberal Party".

Post-1988 history

Liberal Party The former Liberal MP Ashdown became leader of the party in 1988, and under his leadership the party's support grew steadily. Although the Lib Dems did not immediately manage to repeat the 20%+ shares of national vote which had been achieved in the 1980s, they did manage to more than double their representation in Parliament at the 1997 General Election to 46 seats, and become a major force in local government throughout the decade. Following Tony Blair's election as leader of the Labour Party in 1994, Ashdown controversially pursued a policy of cooperation between the two parties (with the two leaders even allegedly agreeing to form a coalition government). However this Lib-Lab Pact failed to materialise when it became apparent to the Liberal Democrats that Labour would not introduce proportional representation and other key Liberal Democrat demands. Labour's massive majority after the 1997 general election also meant that Blair lost interest in pursuing the issue, and some senior Labour politicians (e.g. John Prescott) were strongly opposed to a coalition. Ashdown retired as leader in 1999 and was replaced by Charles Kennedy, originally the only SDP MP fully supporting the merger. The party improved on their 1997 results at the 2001 general election, winning more seats and improving on their vote percentage. In recent times the Liberal Democrats have won support due to their opposition to the war on Iraq, and Charles Kennedy has expressed his intention for his party to replace the Conservatives as the main opposition. The party won seats from Labour in by-elections in Brent East (2003) and Leicester South in 2004, and narrowly missed taking others in Birmingham Hodge Hill and Hartlepool. However the Liberal Democrats are currently engaged in a debate on their future national direction. The party's increased support in recent years has come from both former Labour and former Conservative voters, due to the Lib Dems' positions on issues that unite the Labour left with liberal Conservatives: civil liberties, electoral reform, the War in Iraq and matters of trust and open government. However, whilst these two groups of potential supporters might agree with the party on these 'Lib Dem issues' (and disagree with the perceived authoritarianism of the government and main opposition), matters of economic policy present an obvious gap between the two groups that the party are still debating how and whether to bridge. At the 2005 general election, the Liberal Democrats gained their highest share of the vote since the days of the SDP-Liberal Alliance, and picked up 62 seats (their highest since 1923). However, many had anticipated that this election would prove to be the Lib Dem's great breakthrough at Westminster, with some party activists even hoping to reach 100 MPs. From this perspective, 2005 could be considered a wasted opportunity for the Liberal Democrats, although many commentators point to the unfairness of an electoral system that lets the party pick up around one-quarter of the total votes but only one-tenth of the parliamentary seats. One of the more interesting trends observed at the election was the Lib Dems replacing the Conservatives as Labour's main opponents in many urban areas. Many of the party's gains came in previously Labour-held urban constituencies (e.g. Manchester Withington, Cardiff Central, Birmingham Yardley), and the party also notably achieved over 100 second-place finishes behind Labour candidates. The long-term implications of this trend in British politics could be profound, since the British electoral system makes it nearly impossible for the Conservatives to return a government without winning some city seats (such as the now Lib Dem Bristol West constituency, which the Tories held until 1997, but where they are now coming third). This trend also strengthens the Lib Dems claims to be "the real alternative" to the incumbent Labour government.

Electoral results

In post-war United Kingdom general elections they have emerged as the third most popular party behind Labour and the Conservatives. In most recent elections, the Liberal Democrats (or their precursor Alliance) have gained between 15% and 25% of the national vote. The British first past the post electoral system does not reward parties whose vote is evenly divided across the nation with many seats in Parliament, and the Liberal Democrats and their forerunners have suffered in particular. This was especially true in 1983 and 1987 when their popular electoral support was greatest; their increase in the number of seats in 1997 and 2001 was largely due to the weakness of the Conservative Party in the later elections. The Liberal Democrats have generally performed better in local elections, and are a more significant force in local government, with 27 councils under Liberal Democrat majority control, and Lib Dems in joint control of many others. They have generally performed more poorly in elections to the European Parliament: for example in elections on 10 June 2004, the LibDem national share of the vote was 29% (giving them second place, ahead of Labour) in the local elections that day but only 15% in the simultaneous European elections (putting them in fourth place behind the United Kingdom Independence Party). They have been coalition partners with Labour in the Scottish Parliament since its re-establishment in 1999, and were also in coalition with Labour in the National Assembly for Wales from 1999 to 2003.

Ideology

The Liberal Democrats claim that their ideology is about giving "power to the people" The Liberal Democrats state they are fundamentally against the undemocratic concentration of power in unaccountable bodies. They propose radical decentralisation of power, out of Westminster and into the hands of the people. They would also create a system of tiered government structures to make decisions at what they see as the appropriate level, including regional assemblies, the European Union, and international organisations. In keeping with the principle of decentralisation of power, the Liberal Democrats are keen protectors of civil liberties and oppose intervention of the state in personal affairs. For this reason, the Liberal Democrats are popular amongst gay rights campaigners and campaigners for the decriminalisation of recreational drugs. Their opponents point to their support for the European Convention on Human Rights, even when its theories on separation of powers leads to more power being given to judges and regulatory bodies rather than elected politicians. They point to the Lib Dem desire for local decision making, and their complaints that different decisions in different locations can lead to a "postcode lottery" in the provision of public services. They also express surprise that the Lib Dems are so supportive of the European Union, even when that results in decisions being taken at a higher rather than a lower level. They are also criticised for not calling for reform of the European parliament despite the fact that different countries are not represented equally, which contradicts their ideology of 'giving power to the people'.

Left wing or right wing?

Since the governments of Herbert Henry Asquith and David Lloyd George the Liberal Democrats and their precursor Liberal party have been seen as the centrist party of British politics. However, with Tony Blair's repositioning of Labour towards the right, some now view the Lib Dems as being the most left-wing of Britain's mainstream parties and many classify the Lib Dems as centre left. Lib Dems opposed the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, although they were the strongest advocates of the Kosovo War and before that, intervention in Bosnia. They favour a higher top rate of tax, but have also advocated 'pro-market' policies such as post office privatization and banning strikes in emergency services. Some claim that attempting to place the Liberal Democrats within the 'left wing'-'right wing' model does not accurately represent their ideology. For example, when Lib Dems oppose the power of the trade unions, they are seen as right wing. When they oppose the power of the corporations, they are seen as left wing. Whilst these positions are consistent with an opposition to unaccountable power, it is sometimes argued that they do not fit well inside the left-right axis of 20th century British politics. However, others argue that these positions are consistent with both 20th and 21st century British politics, which is in turn a valid example of the traditional left-right spectrum of political analysis. When the Lib Dems oppose the trade unions, they do so from the centre of the political spectrum with the trade unions being to the left of them. When the Lib Dems oppose the power of the large corporations, they still do this from the centre of the political spectrum with the difference being that the corporations are to the right of them. According to this view, liberalism or political centrism is consistent with a left-right analysis of politics, and denial of this is to claim that we live in a post-modern world where nothing can ever be known and nothing is as it seems. In regard to the claim that the Lib Dems are to the left of New Labour, this is borne of the fact that the New Labour hierarchy have deliberately courted Conservative voters and even Conservative politicians on the basis that if they take the centre ground from the other parties, they gain power. They do this in the knowledge that their own core voters have nowhere realistic to the left of Labour to turn, so the Lib Dems have tried to accommodate these people to a degree (e.g. celebrity "Marxist" Tariq Ali implored Londoners to vote Lib Dem before the 2005 general election over the Iraq war). However, this has led to massive voter disillusionment and the lowest percentage General Election turnouts in the last two elections (2001 and 2005) since universal suffrage in the 1930s. This is mainly caused by previous Labour voters staying at home. This shift in the political direction of Labour was begun in the 1980s but accelerated by the catastrophic fourth election defeat in a row in 1992. There is a current discussion in the Liberal Democrat Party at their conference in September 2005 as to whether the social liberal ideals have taken them as far as they can go, and whether they should now move back to the right in order to court Tory voters. This would involve things like abolishing their policy of a 50% tax rate for those who earn over £100,000. Policies like these make for bad publicity with the Tory press who cater for the middle-class voters of middle England. It is these people who the Lib Dems must appeal to if they are to fulfil their ambition of becoming the new opposition to a Labour government. Unfortunately for the Lib Dems, it is likely they will only ever see power if a proportional representation voting system is brought in, where they would be in a permanent coalition with Labour. This is the arrangement that Paddy Ashdown agreed with Tony Blair before the 1997 election, until Blair discovered he could win huge landslide victories under first-pass-the-post without any need for sharing power with the Lib Dems.

Policies

The Liberal Democrats' constitution speaks of "a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in which no-one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity. We champion the freedom, dignity and well-being of individuals". To this end:
- They support civil liberties, and have opposed the more authoritarian of Labour's anti-terror laws (e.g. detention without trial).
- They support more open government, including substantial reforms to increase parliamentary oversight of the executive.
- They are federalists and support the decentralisation of power to the lowest possible level.
- They support "free education for all" and propose to abolish university tuition fees and set up a system of Government grants for university students.
- They propose a substantial non-means tested increase in pensions.
- They are in favour of a new 50% rate of income tax on incomes over £100,000 per year, the revenue from which would be used to abolish tuition fees, restore student maintenance grants and provide free personal care throughout the UK; the balance would be used to keep the rate of local taxation down.
- They support anti-discrimination laws. So far 24 Lib Dem MPs have signed [http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=29000 EDM710] calling on the government to extend the protections for religious groups, in respect of discrimination in the provisions of goods, facilities and services, to lesbians and gay men.
- They are in favour of introducing a local income tax in place of the current council tax, which is collected based on the value of the taxpayer's house.
- They are in favour of full UK participation in the European Union and an early referendum on joining the Euro, which they support.
- They are in favour of proportional representation for elections to both the House of Commons and a second chamber to replace the House of Lords, preferably by the STV system. The most well-known Liberal Democrat policy for most of the 1990s was to increase the basic rate of income tax by one percentage point to fund key public services (especially education). This proposal was recently abandoned after Tony Blair's Labour government increased national insurance contributions by the same amount, a policy with much the same effect. Their current fiscal policies aim at increasing the top rate of income tax by 10 percentage points to 50% for those earning over £100,000 to fund their increased public spending plans, and to replace Council Tax with local income taxes. In 2003 the Liberal Democrats started to make their long-held pledge to abolish Council Tax a centrepiece of their campaign. In relation to the 2003 Iraq war, the Liberal Democrats opposed UK participation prior to the conflict, but stated that they would support UK forces that had been ordered to fight while it was taking place. After the initial military action was completed, they renewed their political opposition. The period after 2001 saw an internal discussion about the right policies for the party on economics and public spending, with some party members advocating that the party position itself as a defender of the traditional welfare state in order to gain support from those who had previously voted Labour. Others, most notably Mark Oaten, advocated a stance in favour of smaller government and laissez-faire (the "Orange Book" published in 2004 was an example of this wing of the Liberal discussion). The party announced its policy of abolishing the Department for Trade and Industry in 2004. Current party policies can be found on the party website:
- [http://www.libdems.org.uk/party/policy/manifesto.html Most recent manifesto] (external link)
- [http://www.libdems.org.uk/party/policy/paperlist.html Detailed policy papers] (external link) The Liberal Democrats are a member party of the Liberal International and the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party and their 12 MEPs form part of the ALDE group in the European Parliament.

Green liberalism

Green Liberalism is a term used to refer to liberals who have incorporated green concerns into their ideology. Within Liberal Democrats, this streaming is represented by Green Liberal Democrats.

Internal Factions

Broadly speaking, Liberal Democrats can be classified into two main political factions: Social liberals have dominated the party since its formation in 1988. Drawing inspiration from the likes of David Lloyd George, William Beveridge and John Maynard Keynes, individuals from this wing of the party are keen advocates of the welfare state and of government regulation to protect consumers, employees and the environment. As with any form of liberalism, support for civil liberties and human rights are also key to the social liberal outlook. Modern examples of social liberals within the parliamentary party include Menzies Campbell, Paul Holmes and Norman Baker. The libertarian wing of the party share with the social liberals a belief in freedom. However, whereas the social liberals often argue in favour of positive liberty (using the power of the state to enhance the freedoms of its citizens), libertarians take a laissez-faire approach to the economy which emphasises negative liberty. This often manifests itself as support for greater economic freedom, causing some tension between the two wings of the party. The two leading libertarians within the modern party are Mark Oaten and Vincent Cable. Many commentators have argued that the senior positions held by these two MPs has led to a 'rightwards' shift in Lib Dem thinking in recent years, though it should be noted that party leader Charles Kennedy (and the majority of the party membership) are closer to the social liberal position. It is easy to characterise these two wings of the party as consisting of former SDP members and former Liberal Party members respectively. However, many prominent social liberals (including Menzies Campbell and Paddy Ashdown) were actually former Liberal MPs, whereas the two most prominent libertarians (Mark Oaten and Vincent Cable) both came to the Liberal Democrats from the SDP.

Structure

The Liberal Democrats are a federal party comprising the state parties of Wales, Scotland and England. Scotland and England are further split into regional parties. There are a number of Specified Associated Organisations (SAOs), representing particular groupings such as Ethnic Minorities (EMLD), Women (WLD), LGBT people (Delga), Youth & Student (LDYS), Trade Unionists (ALDTU), Parliamentary Candidates (PCA) and Local Councillors (ALDC) which formally review and input to party policy. Other groups can become Associated Organisations (AOs) as pressure groups within the party. The Liberal Democrats, like the Conservatives, organise in Northern Ireland. However, unlike the Conservatives, the Lib Dems have chosen not to contest elections in the province. Instead, they have opted to work with the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, with the de facto agreement that the Liberal Democrats will support the Alliance Party in elections. Indeed, many individuals, including several notable parliamentarians, hold membership of both parties. Alliance members of the House of Lords take the Liberal Democrat whip on non-Northern Ireland issues, and the Alliance Party always maintains a stall set out at the Liberal Democrat Party Conference.

Leaders of the Liberal Democrats, 1988-Present

- David Steel and Robert Maclennan 1988 (interim)
- Paddy Ashdown 1988-1999
- Charles Kennedy 1999-present

Frontbench: "Shadow cabinet"

See Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet.

External links

- [http://www.libdems.org.uk/ Liberal Democrats] official site

Party sub-organisations

- [http://www.scotlibdems.org.uk/ Scottish Liberal Democrats]
- [http://www.demrhydcymru.org.uk/ Welsh Liberal Democrats]
- [http://www.glalibdems.org.uk/ London Assembly Liberal Democrats]
- [http://www.libdempca.org.uk/ Liberal Democrat Paliamentary Candidates Association]
- [http://www.delga.org.uk/ Delga: Liberal Democrats for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Action]
- [http://www.ldys.org.uk/ Liberal Democrat Youth & Students]
- [http://www.libg.org.uk/ Liberal International British Group]
- [http://www.greenlibdems.org.uk/ Green Liberal Democrats]
- [http://www.liberalfuture.com/ Liberal Future]
- [http://www.beveridgegroup.org.uk The Beveridge Group]
- [http://www.dmoz.org/Regional/Europe/United_Kingdom/Society_and_Culture/Politics/Parties/Liberal_Democrats/ Liberal Democrats websites directory]

Historical information

- [http://www.liberalhistory.org.uk/ Liberal Democrat History Group]
- [http://www.libdemmanifesto.com/ An archive of Liberal/SDP/Liberal Democrat electoral manifestos from 1900-present]

Category listings

- [http://search.looksmart.com/p/browse/us1/us317836/us552286/us526499/us526505/us10234373/us703545/us671216/us671224/ LookSmart Liberal Democrats]
- [http://dmoz.org/Regional/Europe/United_Kingdom/Society_and_Culture/Politics/Parties/Liberal_Democrats/ Open Directory Project Liberal Democrats]
- [http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/Countries/United_Kingdom/Government/Politics/Parties/Liberal_Democrat_Party/ Yahoo! Liberal Democrat Party]

Miscellaneous

- [http://www.flocktogether.org.uk/ An overview of upcoming Liberal Democrat meetings around the country]
- [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/libdems/ Guardian Unlimited Politics - Special Report: Liberal Democrats]
- [http://kwiki.ffii.org/ElectUkLib0405En Liberal Democrats and Software patents]
- [http://www.liberator.org.uk Liberator - a British liberal publication]
- [http://www.bonkers.hall.btinternet.co.uk Lord Bonkers' Liberal Satire from Rutland] Category:Political parties in the United Kingdom ja:自由民主党 (イギリス)

Football (soccer)

:Soccer redirects here. For other senses, see soccer (disambiguation). soccer (disambiguation) Association football, soccer, or simply football (see below) is a ball game played between two teams of eleven players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. Football is played predominantly with the feet, but players may use any part of their body except their hands and arms to propel the ball; the exceptions to this are throw-ins (ie: when the ball goes out of bounds, field players throw the ball into play from the sidelines) and the two players acting as goalkeepers, who are the only ones allowed to handle the ball on the field of play, albeit with restrictions. The sport is known by a variety of names in different parts of the English-speaking world, usually association football and its contraction, soccer. These names are often used to distinguish the game from other codes of football, since the word "football" may be used to refer to several quite different games. Football is played at a professional level all over the world, and millions of people regularly go to a football stadium to follow their favourite team, whilst millions more avidly watch the game on television. A very large number of people also play football at an amateur level. According to a survey conducted by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), football's governing body, published in the spring of 2001, over 240 million people regularly play football in more than 200 countries in every part of the world. Its simple rules and minimal equipment requirements have no doubt aided its spread and growth in popularity. In many parts of the world football evokes great passions and plays an important role in the life of individual fans, local communities, and even nations; it is therefore often claimed to be the most popular sport in the world.

Nature of the game

Two teams of eleven players each compete to get a spherical ball (itself known as a football) into the other team's goal, thereby scoring a goal. The team which has scored the most goals at the conclusion of the game is the winner; if both teams have an equal number of goals then the game is a draw. The primary rule for this objective is that players, other than the goalkeepers, may not intentionally touch the ball with their hands or arms during play (though they do use their hands during a throw-in restart). Although players mainly use their feet to move the ball around, they may use any part of their bodies other than their hands or arms. throw-in In typical game play, players attempt to move towards a goal through individual control of the ball, such as by dribbling (running with the ball close to their feet); by passing the ball from team-mate to team-mate; and by taking shots at the goal. Opposition players may try to regain control of the ball by intercepting a pass or through tackling the opponent who controls the ball. Football is generally a free-flowing game with the ball in play at all times except when the ball has left the field of play by wholly crossing over a boundary line (either on the ground or in the air), or play has been stopped by the referee. When play has been stopped, it recommences with a specified restart (see below). The game is played in accordance with a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game, which are summarised below.

The Laws of the Game

History and development

The Laws of the Game are based on efforts made in the mid-19th century to standardise the rules of the widely varying games of football played at the public schools of England. The first set of rules resembling the modern game were produced at Trinity College, Cambridge in 1848, at a meeting attended by representatives from Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Winchester and Shrewsbury, but they were far from universally adopted. During the 1850s, many clubs were formed, thoughout the English-speaking world, independent of schools or universities, to play various forms of football. Some came up with their own distinct codes of rules, most notably the Sheffield Football Club (formed by former pupils from Harrow) in 1857, which led to formation of a Sheffield FA in 1867. In 1862, J.C. Thring of Uppingham School also devised an influential set of rules. These efforts contribute to the formation of The Football Association (The FA) in 1863 which first met on the evening of 26 October 1863 at the Freemason's Tavern in Great Queen Street, London. The only school to be represented on this occasion was Charterhouse. The Freemason's Tavern was the setting for five more meetings between October and December, which eventually produced the first comprehensive set of rules. At the final meeting, the first FA treasurer, who was the representative from Blackheath, withdrew his club from the FA over the removal of two draft rules at the previous meeting, the first which allowed for the running with the ball in hand and the second, obstructing such a run by hacking (kicking an opponent in the shins), tripping and holding. Other English rugby clubs followed this lead and did not join the FA but instead in 1871 formed the Rugby Football Union. The eleven remaining clubs, under the charge of Ebenezer Cobb Morley, went on to ratify the original fourteen rules of the game. Despite this, the Sheffield FA played by its own rules until the 1870s. Today the laws of the game are determined by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). The Board was formed in 1882 after a meeting in Manchester of The Football Association, the Scottish Football Association, the Football Association of Wales, and the Irish Football Association. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association FIFA, the international football body, was formed in Paris in 1904 and declared that they would adhere to the rules laid down by the IFAB. The growing popularity of the international game led to the admittance of FIFA representatives to the IFAB in 1913. Today the board is made up of four representatives from FIFA and one representative from each of the four British associations. 1913

Overview of the Laws

There are seventeen Laws in the official Laws of the Game. The same laws are designed to apply to all levels of football, although the preface to the Laws does grant national associations the ability to authorise certain modifications for juniors, seniors, women, etc. The Laws are often framed in broad terms, which allows flexibility in their application depending on the nature of the game. In addition to the seventeen Laws, numerous IFAB decisions and other directives contribute to the regulation of football. The Laws can be found on the [http://www.fifa.com/en/regulations/regulation/0,3527,3,00.html official FIFA website].

Players and equipment

Each team consists of a maximum of eleven players (excluding substitutes), one of whom must be the goalkeeper. Competition rules may state a minimum of seven players are required to constitute a team. There are a variety of positions in which the outfield players are strategically placed by a manager/coach, though these positions are not defined or required by the Laws. One player on each team must be designated as that team's goalkeeper. The goalkeeper is the only player allowed to handle the ball with his hands or arms, but is restricted to doing so within the penalty area (also known as the "box" or "18 yard box") in front of his own goal. The basic equipment players are required to wear includes a shirt (or jersey), shorts, socks (or stockings), footwear and adequate shin guards. Players are forbidden to wear or use anything that is dangerous to themselves or another player (including jewellery or watches). A number of players may be replaced by substitutes during the course of the game. The maximum substitutions permitted in international games and in national level leagues is three, though substitution numbers may be varied in other leagues. The usual reasons for a player's replacement include injury, tiredness, ineffectiveness, a tactical switch, or to waste a little time at the end of a finely poised game. In standard adult matches, a player who has been substituted may not take further part in the match.

Officials

A game is presided over by a referee, who has "full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed" (Law 5), and whose decisions regarding facts connected with play are final. The referee is assisted by two assistant referees (formerly called linesmen). In many high-level games there is also a fourth official, who assists the referee and may replace another official should the need arise.

Playing field

fourth official)]] The length of the field (pitch) for international adult matches should be in the range 100-130 yards (90-120m) and the width should be in the range 50-100 yards (45-90m).The pitch must be rectangular, with the length of the touch line longer than the width of the goal line. The longer boundary lines are touch lines, while the shorter boundaries (on which the goals are placed) are goal lines. On the goal line at each end of the field is a goal. The inner edges of the goal posts must be 8 yards (7.32m) apart, and the lower edge of the crossbar must be 8 feet (2.44m) above the ground. Nets are usually placed behind the goal, though are not required by the Laws. In front of each goal is an area of the field known as the penalty area (colloquially "penalty box", "18 yard box" or simply "the box"). This area consists of the area formed by the goal-line, two lines starting on the goal-line 18 yards (16.5m) from the goalposts and extending 18 yards into the pitch from the goal-line, and a line joining these. This area has a number of important functions, the most prominent being to denote where the goalkeeper may handle the ball and where a foul by a defender which would usually punished by a direct free kick becomes punishable by a penalty kick. The field has other field markings and defined areas; these are described in the main article above.

Duration

Standard durations

A standard adult football match consists of two periods (known as halves) of 45 minutes each. There is usually a 15-minute break between halves, known as half time. The end of the match is known as full-time. At the end of each half the referee adds time to account for interruptions during play, such as substitutions, treatment of injuries and time wasting. This addition is traditionally known as injury time.

Extra time and shootouts

If tied at the end of regulation time, in some competitions the game may go into extra time, which consists of two further 15-minute periods. If the score is still tied after extra time, some competitions allow the use of penalty shootouts (known officially in the Laws of the Game as "kicks from the penalty mark") to determine which team will progress to the next stage of the tournament. Note that goals scored during extra time periods count towards the final score of the game, unlike kicks from the penalty mark which are only used to decide the team that progresses to the next part of the tournament (with goals scored not making up part of the final score). Competitions utilising two-leg stages (i.e. where each round involves the two teams playing each other twice) may utilise the so-called away goals rule to attempt to determine which team progresses in the event of the teams being equal on wins; however, should results still be equal following this calculation kicks from the penalty mark are usually required. Other competitions may require a tied game to be replayed.

Golden and silver goal experiments

In the late 1990s, the IFAB experimented with ways of making matches more likely to end without requiring kicks from the penalty mark, which were often seen as an undesirable way to end a match. These involved rules ending a game in extra time early, either when the first goal in extra time was scored (golden goal), or at the end of the first period of extra time if one team was by then leading (silver goal). Both these experiments have been discontinued by IFAB.

Referee as official timekeeper

The referee is the official timekeeper for the match, and it is part of his duties to make allowance for time lost through substitutions, injured players requiring attention, cautions and dismissals, sundry time wasting, etc. When making such an allowance for time lost, the referee is often said to be "adding time on". The amount of time is at the sole discretion of the referee, and the referee alone signals when the match has been completed. There are no other timekeepers, although assistant referees carry a watch and may provide a second opinion if requested by the referee. In matches where a fourth official is appointed, towards the end of the half the referee will signal how many minutes remain to be played, and the fourth official then signals this to players and spectators by holding up a board showing this number. Note that there is often semantic debate as to whether the referee is "adding on" time to the end of a half, or rather treating time during stoppages as though it never existed as part of the match time; this distinction has little bearing on the practical conduct of a game, however it may be noted that the pre-1997 wording of the laws stated that the referee "shall ... allow the full or agreed time adding thereto all time lost through injury or accident" (Law V), and later FIFA guidelines regarding the annotation of goal scoring times suggested that time is indeed "added-on" to the end of the agreed half period.

Starts and re-starts

Each playing period in football commences with a kick-off, which is a set kick from the centre-spot by one team. At kick-off all players are required to be in their half of the field, and all players of the non-kicking team must also remain outside the centre-circle, until the ball is kicked and moved. Kick-offs are also used to restart play following a goal. From the initial kick-off of a period until the end of that period, the ball is "in play" at all times until the end of the playing period, except when the ball leaves the field of play or play is stopped by the referee; in these cases play is re-started by one of the following eight methods: kick-off
- Kick-off: following a goal by the opposing team, or to begin each period of play. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws8_01.htm Law 8]).
- Throw-in: when the ball has wholly crossed the touchline; awarded to opposing team to that which last touched the ball. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws15_01.htm Law 15]).
- Goal kick: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a goal having been scored and having last been touched by an attacker; awarded to defending team. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws16_01.htm Law 16]).
- Corner kick: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a goal having been scored and having last been touched by a defender; awarded to attacking team. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws17_01.htm Law 17]).
- Indirect free kick: awarded to the opposing team following "non-penal" fouls, certain technical infringements, or when play is stopped to caution/send-off an opponent without a specific foul having occurred. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws13_01.htm Law 13]).
- Direct free kick: awarded to fouled team following certain listed "penal" fouls. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws13_01.htm Law 13]).
- Penalty kick: awarded to fouled team following "penal" foul having occurred in their opponent's penalty area. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws14_01.htm Law 14]).
- Dropped-ball: occurs when the referee has stopped play for any other reason (e.g. a serious injury to a player, interference by an external party, or a ball becoming defective). ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws8_03.htm Law 8]).

Fouls and misconduct

A foul occurs when a player (not a substitute) commits a specific offence listed in the Laws of the Game, against an opponent, when the ball is in play. The offences that constitute a foul are mainly listed in Law 12. "Penal fouls", for example handling the ball, tripping an opponent, pushing an opponent, etc, are punishable by a direct free kick or penalty kick depending on where the offence occurred. Other fouls are punishable by an indirect free kick. Misconduct may occur at any time, and need not be against an opponent. Substitutes may commit misconduct. Whilst the offences that constitute misconduct are listed, the definitions are broad. In particular, the offence of "unsporting behaviour" may be used to deal with most events that violate the spirit of the game, even if they are not listed as specific offences. Misconduct may be punished by a caution (yellow card) or sending-off (red card).

Offside

The offside law limits the ability of attacking players to remain forward (i.e. closer to the opponent's goal-line) of both the ball and the second last defending player. It is often assumed that the purpose of this law is to prevent "goal scrounging" or "cherry picking", but in fact the offside law has similar roots to the offside law in rugby (see full article). The details and application of this law are complex, and often result in controversy: for more information on offside please refer to the main article above.

Governing bodies

The recognised international governing body of football (and associated games, such as futsal and beach soccer) is the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). Six regional confederations are associated with FIFA; these are:
- Asia: Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
- Africa: Confederation of African Football (CAF)
- Central/North America & Caribbean: Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF; also known as The Football Confederation)
- Europe: Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)
- Oceania: Oceania Football Confederation (OFC)
- South America: Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (South American Football Confederation; CONMEBOL) The recognised various national associations (see football around the world) oversee football within their jurisdictions. These are affiliated both with FIFA directly and also with their respective continental confederations. Note that the Laws of the Game are not maintained by FIFA itself; rather they are maintained by the International Football Association Board, as discussed in the history and development section above.

Major international competitions

Worldwide international competitions

The major international competition in football is the World Cup organised by FIFA. This competition takes place over a four-year period. Over 190 national teams compete in regional qualifying tournaments for a place in the finals. The finals tournament, which is held every four years, now involves 32 national teams (increased from 24 in 1998) competing over a four-week period. There has been a football tournament at the Summer Olympic Games since 1900, except at the 1932 games in Los Angeles. Originally this was for amateurs only, however since the 1984 Summer Olympics professionals have been permitted as well, albeit with certain restrictions which effectively prevent countries from fielding their strongest sides Currently, the Olympic men's tournament is played at Under-23 level with a restricted number of over-age players per team; consequently the competition is not generally considered to carry the same international significance and prestige as the World Cup. A women's tournament was added in 1996; in contrast to the men's event, the women's Olympic tournament is played by full international sides without age restrictions. It thus carries international prestige considered comparable to that of the FIFA Women's World Cup.

Major international competitions

The major international competitions of the world and the continental confederations, followed by their major club events where appropriate, are:
- World: FIFA World Cup; FIFA Club World Championship
- Europe: European Championship; UEFA Champions League
- South America: Copa América; Copa Libertadores
- Africa: African Nations Cup; CAF Champions League
- Asia: Asian Cup; AFC Champions League
- North/Central America & Caribbean: CONCACAF Gold Cup; CONCACAF Champions Cup
- Oceania: Oceania Nations Cup; Oceania Club Championship

Names of the game

Oceania Club Championship] The rules of football were codified in England by the Football Association in 1863, and the name association football was coined to distinguish the game from the other forms of football played at the time, specifically rugby football. The term soccer first appeared in the 1880s as a slang abbreviation of Association football. Today the sport is known by a number of names throughout the English-speaking world, the most common being football and soccer; this has generated debate regarding the "correct" name for the sport. The term used depends largely on the need to differentiate the sport from other codes of football followed in a community. Football is the term used by FIFA, the sport's world governing body, and the International Olympic Committee. For more details of naming throughout the world, please refer to the main articles above.

Watford F.C.

Watford Football Club is an English Football League team located in Watford, Hertfordshire. The team was formerly owned by Elton John, who is now honorary life president. Best known of the club's past managers is former England manager Graham Taylor, under whom the team rose from the Fourth Division to the old First Division (now the Premiership). In 1984 Watford reached the FA Cup final (they have also lost 3 semi-finals, most recently in 2003), and finished second in that Division the year before, but began a slow decline after that. Graham Taylor left the club in 1987, and they were relegated to the Second Division (now the Football League Championship) at the end of the 1987-1988 season. They remained there for eight seasons, during which time the Second Division became the First Division, and in 1996 they were again relegated to the Second Division. After his difficult years away at England and other clubs, fans' favourite Graham Taylor returned in 1997, and in his first season back led the team to an impressive Second Division championship, beating Bristol City into second place after a season-long struggle. Greater things were yet to come: the following season the team made it into the Play-offs, and beat Bolton Wanderers in the final at Wembley Stadium to gain promotion to the Premiership, the first club to get there from the Second Division in two straight seasons, but they were relegated after one season and have remained in the First Division (now the Championship) ever since. The team plays at Vicarage Road, a stadium they share with Saracens Rugby Club. The team is known as the Hornets as a result of its yellow and black strip. The fans of the club maintain a rivalry with those of Luton Town F.C., which is generally good-natured but spilled over into violence in a cup tie between the clubs in 2002 ([http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/2249877.stm]).

The Graham Taylor era (1977-87)

When 32-year-old Graham Taylor was named as Watford's new manager at the start of the 1976-77 season, the club had just been taken over by world famous pop star Elton John and were an ungainly Fourth Division side. But thanks to the efforts of chairman, manager and playing staff, Watford had reached the First Division by the start of the 1982-83 season. Players like John Barnes, Ross Jenkins and Luther Blissett were some of the most respected players in the English game during the 1980's. Watford finished their first top flight season in style, finishing league runners-up behind champions Liverpool. An FA Cup final appearance followed in 1984, although Watford lost to Everton. After guiding Watford to a ninth-place finish in 1986-87, Taylor was lured away to Aston Villa and his successor Dave Bassett was dismissed after eight months in charge after a terrible start to the 1987-88 season.

Life outside the top division (1987-98)

Watford were relegated from the First Division at the end of the 1987-88 season, and lost in the following season's Second Division playoffs. Over the next few seasons, Watford never seriously challenged for promotion - their highest finish was seventh in Division One at the end of the 1994-95 season.

The return of Graham Taylor (1998-2001)

Graham Taylor returned to Watford as Director of Football in February 1996, with former player Kenny Jackett as head coach, but was unable to stop the club from sliding into Division Two. After a mid-table finished in Division Two at the end of 1996-97, Jackett was demoted to the position of assistant manager and Taylor returned his old role as manager. The transition proved a success and Watford secured the Division Two championship in 1997-98. A second successive promotion followed in 1998-99, thanks to a playoff final victory which secured the club's promotion to the Premiership. The Premiership season started brightly with an early surpising victory over Liverpool, but soon faded away, and Watford were relegated after finishing bottom. Graham Taylor retired at the end of the 2000-2001 season (although just months later he returned to football management at Aston Villa), and was replaced in a surprise move by Gianluca Vialli, who had recently been sacked by Chelsea F.C.

Watford under Vialli (2001-02)

Vialli's time at the club was short and unhappy. In an unpopular move he replaced long-time backroom staff such as Kenny Jackett and Luther Blissett, replacing them with ex-Chelsea staff he had brought with him. Vialli made several high-profile signings, and wage bills at the club soared, with Vialli himself earning almost a million pounds a year. However, the season was mediocre, with the club finishing a lowly 14th in the division, and Vialli was sacked after only one season, having refused to resign. He was replaced by Ray Lewington, who had came to the club the previous summer, as Vialli's reserve team manager.

Ray Lewington: Financial Difficulty and Cup Success (2002-2005)

2002/2003

Lewington took charge of Watford for the 2002-03 season. Over the summer many of the Vialli's signings left the club. Lewington had few funds to strengthen the side and was only able to bring in two players, the experienced Neal Ardley and Sean Dyche. The extent of Watford's financial difficulties was exposed in the autumn, along with many League clubs, following the collapse of ITV Digital. Exacerbating the club's difficulties were the large payoffs they had had to make to Vialli and several players on terminating their contracts, and Vialli's decision to sue the club early in 2003. The club's started the season well, however, despite the players having to agree to a pay-cut during October, and finished in mid-table. An unexpected run to the FA Cup semi-final, where Watford lost to Premiership Southampton also generated vital cash.

2003/04

The ongoing financial difficulties saw a large number of players released that summer, including record signing Allan Nielsen and stikers Tommy Smith and Gifton Noel-Williams. There was a degree of hope around the new strike-force. Danny Webber - who had previously impressed on loan - was signed in a deal financied by several directors, along with Manchester United youngster Jimmy Davis, on loan for the season, and former star Bruce Dyer. Tragically, however, Davis was killed in a car-crash on the opening day of the campaign. This had a huge effect on the team's form at the beginning of the season, and notably on Webber, who was one of his closest friends. Hovering above the relegation zone, the team struggled on through the winter. Terrace hero Paul Robinson was sold for the relatively small sum of 250,000, after a bid from West Brom. Non-league signing Scott Fitzgerald scoring many of the team's goals in a make-shift attack, with Gavin Mahon, who had a poor 2002/2003, made a signifcant contribution in the centre of midfield. A strong finish to the season, led by winger Lee Cook, saw the club finish in mid-table.

2004/2005

The 2004-2005 season saw a continuation of the good form of the end of the previous season, with the club well in the upper half of the Championship at the end of September. However, a long run of poor form subsequently saw the club drop steadily towards the relegation zone. Another good cup run further eased the club's financial position, with the team reaching the semi-final of the League Cup, soundly beating Premiership sides Portsmouth and Southampton on the way, before losing narrowly to Liverpool. The club's poor league form, however, came to a head in March, with a run of terrible performances and Lewington was sacked on the 22nd. His sacking was controversial, and many fans were unhappy at the loss of a man who had led the club to two cup semi finals in three seasons, enduring considerable financial hardships.

Adrian Boothroyd (2005-present)

34-year-old Adrian Boothroyd was appointed manager after serving at Leeds United as a coach, and 70-year-old Keith Burkinshaw was recruited as his assistant. His inexperience provoked concerns among fans, who worried that he would not be able to keep the side up. However, Watford secured enough points to ensure survival with two games to go. Fan dissent continued throughout the summer, however. The sacking of the legendary Nigel Gibbs as coach after more than twenty years of loyal service has provoked anger, along with the great number of player Boothroyd allowed to leave. Among those to go were star striker Heiðar Helguson (to Fulham for £1.3m) and Danny Webber (to Sheffield United for £500k) leaving the club with only one recognised striker.

2005/06

In a flurry of late-August activity Boothroyd signed strikers Darius Henderson and Marlon King (on a season-long loan), central defenders Clarke Carlisle and Malky Mackay, midfielder Matthew Spring and goalkeeper Ben Foster (also on a season-long loan), assauging many fans doubts about the thiness of the squad. Although Watford lost its opening match, Boothroyd's first full season at the club has subsequently seen strong performances from the team to take them into the top half of the Championship. Coming into the Christmas period, confidence is high at Vicarage Road, with the never-satisfied Boothroyd guiding the Hornets to a firm 3rd place in the Championship table.

Current First Team squad

Watford squad as of 19 November, 2005:

Watford Heroes

- 1960s: Maurice Cook, Keith Eddy, Barry Endean, Cliff Holton, Stewart Scullion, Tom Walley, Duncan Welbourne
- 1970s: Roger Joslyn
- 1980s: Gerry Armstrong, David Bardsley, John Barnes, Luther Blissett, Ian Bolton, Nigel Callaghan, Tony Coton, Kenny Jackett, John McClelland, Ross Jenkins, Mo Johnston, Nigel Gibbs, Wilf Rostron, Steve Sherwood, Steve Sims, Les Taylor
- 1990s: Alec Chamberlain, Paul Furlong, Micah Hyde, Richard Johnson, Peter Kennedy, Tommy Mooney, Robert Page, Steve Palmer, Kevin Phillips, Ronny Rosenthal, Nicky Wright
- 2000s: Heiðar Helguson, Paul Robinson
- Staff Members: Roy Clare (Kit-Man), Ken Furphy (manager), Graham Taylor (manager)

Famous Players

Famous players who would not neccessarily be deemed Watford heroes include:
- David James
- Pat Jennings

Club captains

Managers

Records

- Most League Appearances: Luther Blissett, 415, 1976-92
- Highest All-Time Goal-Scorer: Luther Blissett, 158 (League) goals, 1976-92
- Most Goals in a Season: Cliff Holton, 42, 1959/60
- Most Capped Player: John Barnes, England, 31 caps
- Best Win: 10-1 vs Lowestoft Town, 27/11/26, FA Cup Round 1
- Best League Win: 8-0 vs Sunderland, 25/09/82, Division 1
- Worst Loss: 0-10 vs Wolverhampton Wanderers, 24 January 1912, FA Cup Round 1 Replay
- Highest Transfer Fee Paid: £2,250,000 for Allan Nielsen to Tottenham Hotspur, August 2000
- Highest Transfer Fee Received: £2,300,000 for Paul Furlong from Chelsea, May 1994
- Highest Attendance: 34,099 vs Manchester United, 3 February 1969, FA Cup Round 4

External links

- [http://www.watfordfc.com/ Watford FC official homepage]
- [http://www.bsad.org/ Blind, Stupid and Desperate - fan site]
- [http://www.gloryhorns.co.uk/ Glory Horns - fan site]
- [http://www.watford.ws/ Watford FC latest news]
- [http://www.soccerbase.com/teams2.sd?teamid=2741 Soccerbase - a large amount of Watford data] Category:English football clubs Category:Sport in Hertfordshire simple:Watford F.C.

Saracens (rugby club)

Saracens Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union team located in Watford, Hertfordshire. The team plays at Vicarage Road, a stadium they share with Watford F.C.

History

Saracens were founded in 1876 by the Old Boys of the Philological School in Marylebone, London (later to become Marylebone Grammar School). In 1892 Saracens moved from Crown Lane, Southgate, to Firs Farm, N.21 then played on nine different grounds before the move to Bramley Rd for the 1939/40 season (although the war actually prevented them from playing there until 1945). Marylebone Grammar School The club has enjoyed fixtures with the leading clubs for many years and enjoyed a particularly successful time in the 1970s when they reached the semi-finals of the National Cup (now the Tetley Bitter Cup). Special games played at Bramley Rd during this period include the 1971 match against a select International XV. It was a fantastic occasion, as a 5,000 strong crowd (the largest ever to watch a game in North London at the time) came to watch a magnificent contest, ending Saracens 34 International XV 34. After some bleak years in the early 1980's, the club responded to the challenge of the Courage Leagues, and with Alex Leay as captain and Tony Russ as coach, they won the second division in 1989 with a 100% record. The next year in the first division they surprised many by finishing fourth in the league behind Wasps, Gloucester and Bath. The 1992/93 season saw the leagues restructured with Saracens, along with three other clubs, being relegated to the second division. In 1993/94 Saracens finished third and narrowly missed out on promotion but the following year they finished as champions and were again back in the top flight. Saracens seesaw existence over the nineties was about to continue in 1995/96 where they again found themselves at the wrong end of the table along with West Hartlepool but they were saved by a reversal of the rules that had seen them lose out a few years earlier. In November of 1995 Saracens gained the financial backing of Nigel Wray and this enabled the club to recruit the likes of Michael Lynagh, Philippe Sella, Francois Pienaar and Kyran Bracken. Saracens moved again to Enfield FC's ground and they started the new season with a victory over title favourites Leicester but only finished seventh just missing out on Heineken Cup qualification. The 1997/98 season, was a landmark year. They began a ground share with Watford F.C. and their 22,000 all seater Vicarage Road Stadium. The appointment of Peter Deakin as Marketing Director saw Saracens splashed all over the broadsheets, tabloids, magazines and T.V. and with the help of a small band of be-fezzed followers that had been following the club for a number of years, the year of the Fez began. Close season signings like Danny Grewcock, Roberto Grau, Gavin Johnson and Ryan Constable now joined forces with the home grown talent of Tony Diprose, Richard Hill and Steve Ravenscroft to form a side that would prove a significant force during the season losing only 3 games during the season to finish second in the Premiership. Now in December Saracens lost to third from bottom London Scottish in a shock defeat at home but a win against Bedford and West Hartlepool and a draw with Wasps still saw them in touch with leaders Leicester. The last half of the season was a roller coaster ride with Saracens going from eighth and out of European contention after a run of four loses, to eventually finishing third as London's top club. The following season saw more stars flock to Vicarage Road with Mark Mapletoft, Thierry Lacroix, Scott Murray and Dan Luger joining the club along with Darragh O'Mahony and the up and coming Julian White. With the squad ravaged by World Cup duty and then injury the club's first attempt at the Heineken Cup was not a happy one. They lost 3 games by a couple of points in the last seconds of the game and didn't make the quarter finals. With a few games left they were looking at a possible failure to qualify for Europe again, but Kyran Bracken returned from a ten month injury to inspire Saracens into fourth place and Heineken Cup qualification. However come October and Saracens had effectively crashed out of the Heineken Cup with back to back defeats to Cardiff and with the team shorn of internationals due to the Autumn Tests the final blow was dealt when Thomas Castaignede suffered an achilles injury. The results went downhill fast and a 5th place finish saw the club miss out on the final Heineken Cup place. Saracens is the only English premiership club so far to have toured Japan, and has a relationship with Fukuoka Sanix Bombs.

Current England elite squad

- Andy Farrell

Other internationals

- Shane Byrne (Ireland)
- Richard Hill (England)
- Alex Sanderson (England)
- Dan Scarbrough (England)
- Hugh Vyvyan (England)

Club honours

- Pilkington Cup 1998

External links

- [http://www.saracens.com Official site]
- [http://www.thesaracens.co.uk Fansite]
- [http://www.itsrugby.com/modules/site/team.php?lang=gb&id_team=54 Data, statistics, squad etc about Saracens (in English and in French)] Category:English rugby union teams Category:Sport in Hertfordshire

Mainz

Mainz (French: Mayence) is a city in Germany and the capital of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Mainz is located on the opposite side of Wiesbaden, in the western part of the Frankfurt Rhine Main Area.

Introduction

Mainz is located on the left bank of the river Rhine, opposite the confluence of the Main river with the Rhine. Population (2002): 183,822 (an additional 18,619 people maintain a primary residence elsewhere but have a second home in Mainz). Mainz is easily reached from Frankfurt International Airport in 25 minutes by commuter railway (S-Bahn). The city consists of 15 districts: Altstadt, Neustadt, Mombach, Gonsenheim, Hartenberg-Münchfeld, Oberstadt, Bretzenheim, Finthen, Drais, Lerchenberg, Marienborn, Hechtsheim, Ebersheim, Weisenau, and Laubenheim. Until 1945, the districts of Bischofsheim (now an independent town), Ginsheim and Gustavsburg (which together are an independent town) belonged to Mainz. The former suburbs Amöneburg, Kastel, and Kostheim—in short AKK—now belong to the city of Wiesbaden (on the north bank of the river). The AKK was separated from Mainz when the Rhine was designated the boundary between the French occupation zone (the later state of Rhineland-Palatinate) and the US occupation zone (Hesse) in 1945.

History

The Roman stronghold of castrum Moguntiacum, the precursor to Mainz, was founded by the Roman general Drusus in 13 BC. Moguntiacum was an important military town throughout Roman times, probably due to its strategic position at the confluence of the Main and the Rhine. The castrum was the base of Legio XIV Gemina and XVI Gallica (9–43 AD), Legion XXII Pia Fidelis Primagenia, IV Macedonica (43–70), I Adiutrix (70-88), XXI Rapax (70-89), and XIV Gemina (70–92), among others. It was also the base of a Roman river fleet (the remains of Roman patrol boats and cargo barges from about 375/6 were discovered in 1982 and may now be viewed in the Museum für Antike Schifffahrt). The city was the provincial capital of Germania Superiore, and had an important funeral monument dedicated to Drusus, to which people made pilgrimages for an annual festival from as far away as Lyon. Alamanni forces under Rando sacked the city in 368. In last days of 406, the Siling and Asding Vandals, the Suebi, the Alans, and other Germanic tribes took advantage of the rare freezing of the Rhine to cross the river at Mainz and overwhelm the Roman defences. Christian chronicles relate that the bishop, Aureus, was put to death by the Alamannian Crocus. The way was open to the sack of Trier and the invasion of Gaul. This event is familiar to many from the historical novel, Eagle in the Snow, by Wallace Breem. After the Fall of the Roman Empire in 476 CE, the Franks under the rule of Clovis I gained control over western Europe by the year 496. Mainz, in its strategic position, became one of the bases of the Frankish kingdom. Mainz had sheltered a Christian community long before the conversion of Clovis. His successor Dagobert reinforced the walls of Mainz and made it one of his seats. In the <

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