Watford live updates

Black Cats in for Vydra

It is correct that Sunderland are interested, but they are interested in a loan at the moment. They don't want to spend that money at the moment.

Of course it is very interesting. I know Di Canio from when he was a player because I was the agent of Tomas Repka.

So it is an interesting club - but then Sunderland is always an interesting club in England.

To work with Di Canio would be a good thing. I think he will probably end up coaching with one of the very top teams in England.

The final decision is with Udinese and the owner Giampaolo Pozzo and there are a lot of clubs interested in this player.

– Matej Vydra's agent Ondrej Chovanec

2:56 pm, Thu 06 Jun 2013

Loan loophole set to be closed

Football League clubs are tomorrow set to impose tough new restrictions on overseas loan players following Watford's exploitation of the system last season.

The number of loan players at Watford stretched to 14 last season, and 10 of them came from just one club: Italian side Udinese.

The Pozzo family who own the Hornets also own the Serie A club, while other players have come from another club owned by the family, Granada in Spain.

The use of foreign loan players circumvented Football League rules which restrict match-day squads to five loan players, with a maximum of four from any one club.

Ex-Watford owner gloats after Playoff failure

Former Watford owner Laurence Bassini has reportedly delighted in the team's failure to make the Premier League in a series of bitter texts to local paper the Watford Observer.

Bassini, who left the club following the Pozzo family's takeover, apparently sent three gloating messages in the aftermath of Crystal Palace's Playoff final victory and called for them to be published on the newspaper's website.

They appeared as follows:

How is the feeling in the town now? Ask Anthony (Matthews, the group sports editor) because for me the feeling is amazing.

What goes around comes around. This is my happiest memory of Watford. Print this in the paper, Laurence Bassini. I have to go now and open the champagne. All my love to Watford.

Can’t see any Watford fans on telly. They must be in Watford town enjoying the feeling with Anthony.

Put me on your website tonight; every word I have quoted.

5:49 pm, Mon 27 May 2013

Report: Palace 1-0 Watford

Kevin Phillips grabbed the golden goal to fire Crystal Palace into the Barclays Premier League and end his play-off final hoodoo

Read the full story

2:10 pm, Mon 27 May 2013

Teams: Crystal Palace v Watford

Palace XI: Speroni, Ward, Gabbidon, Delaney, Moxey, Jedinak, Dikgacoi, Garvan, Williams, Zaha, Wilbraham. #playofffinal

From @Official_CPFC on Twitter: ( 1:06 pm, Mon 27 May 2013)

Here's the #WatfordFC side this afternoon: Almunia; Doyley, Ekstrand, Cassetti; Anya, Chalobag, Hogg, Abdi, Pudil; Deeney, Vydra.

From @Observer_Owl on Twitter: ( 1:07 pm, Mon 27 May 2013)

1:55 pm, Mon 27 May 2013

Championship Play-off Final preview

They call it the most lucrative game in football, and the winners of today's Championship play-off final will get won't just get premier league glory, they'll get a whole lot of cash as well.

One southern team will be hitting the jackpot when Watford takes on Crystal Palace. Ruth Banks looks at what victory means for our teams.