Watford Football Club (also known simply as Watford, or as The Hornets) is an English association football club from the town of Watford, in Hertfordshire. The 2010–11 English football season officially began on 1 July 2010, and ended on 30 June 2011, although Watford only played competitive fixtures between August and May. The team competed in the Football League Championship for the fourth consecutive season, following relegation from the Premier League in 2006–07. The club chairman was Graham Taylor, who as a manager took Watford from the Fourth Division to the top division of English football. Their manager was Malky Mackay, and their captain was central midfielder John Eustace.

Watford sold several key players at the start of 2009–10, including 2008–09 Watford F.C. Player of the Season Tommy Smith, highest earner Jobi McAnuff and Hungary international striker Tamás Priskin. The team did well in their opening game, and were briefly in contention for a playoff position early in the season, but a series of postponements, poor away form and a run of one win in twelve games took Watford to within a point of relegation by April. A 3–0 home win in the penultimate game against Reading secured survival, and a 4–0 win at Coventry City on the last day of the season elevated Watford to a final position of 16th, as well as ending the team's six-month wait for an away win.

As part of financial restructuring at the club, a number of players on higher wages whose contracts expired in June 2010 were allowed to leave the club on free transfers. These included captain and USA international Jay DeMerit, former Chelsea player Jon Harley and ex-Rotherham United striker Will Hoskins. Young goalkeeper Jonathan North and winger Billy Gibson were both also released. Manager Malky Mackay did, however, decide to retain the services of Liam Henderson and Dale Bennett after the duo triggered one-year extension options in their contracts.

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