Jack The Lad: Music man

With Sir Elton John's Watford visiting the Liberty on Saturday, supporter-turned-blogger Jack The Lad creates a football-related supergroup.

Back in the 1970s and 80s Watford were as well known for their association with rock star club chairman Elton John as they were for their exploits on the pitch.

To mark this weekend’s visit by the Hornets, I thought it would be fun to put together a rock supergroup with football links in Elton’s honour.

There are plenty of football fanatic frontmen to choose from . . . there’s Elton himself; Noel Gallagher, who was pictured along with the former Hornets chairman at last weekend’s Watford v Man City match; or his brother Liam, also a “Citeh” fan who used to share the singing duties with his sibling for Britpop giants Oasis.

On reflection, I think I’ll probably give the brothers Gallagher a miss thanks to their famously disharmonious relationship on and off stage, and I’ll probably give Elton the elbow too as I have another position for him to fill on keyboards in my group.

So, I’m going to plump for Robert Plant, lead singer of rock legends Led Zepellin as my big man up-front.

I'm not a particular Led Zep fan, but what swung his selection was a quote I read from him which summed up his rock and roll lifestyle and his love for Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Commenting on his dedication to the Molineux club, Plant said: "It played havoc with my marriage for a while. When we won the League Cup in 1974, it took me three days to get home from Wembley to Worcestershire. I haven't got a clue where I was!"

Now that's the way to celebrate a cup win and just the kind of guy who you want to lead a footballing supergroup!

Added to that, his son Logan Plant has some Welsh footballing connections as a player with Inter Cardiff and Aberystwyth Town.

But what about the rest of the line up? And what formation should I choose? Do I go for a Thin Lizzy-type twin lead guitar formation, or something a little more traditional like a big man up front supported by a lead guitar, bassist and drummer?

Talking of drums I’m going to go for Spurs fan and Genesis skinsman Phil Collins. I know he became more famous as the band’s lead singer and as a solo artist in the 80s, but Phil first made his name behind the drum kit and is widely respected as one of Britain’s best drummers.

And as a football supergroup it’s good to know you've got someone who's good In The Air Tonight! Sorry, I couldn’t resist that one.

There can be little doubt who would be the band's lead guitarist. It surely has to be old Slowhand himself Eric Clapton.

The former axeman with Cream, The Yardbirds, Derek and the Dominos, and others, is a West Brom fan.

A nod to his love of the Baggies can be seen on the cover of his 1970s "Backless" album which sees an Albion scarf draped over a sofa on the back and another around his neck on the front.

Clapton also sponsored an Albion Uefa cup tie against Galatasaray during the 1978-79 season.

The bass guitar spot goes to Iron Maiden rocker Steve Harris, a lifelong West Ham fan, who had a trial with the club when he was 14.

Harris isn't shy about his love for the Hammers. On stage he wears West Ham wristbands and his Fender guitar is decked out in claret, blue and white and bears the club's crest.

To round off the line-up, there’s a posthumous place in the band for Llanelli’s own Roger Evans, who was the singer and co-writer of the Swansea City Song, which fittingly had its first live airing in front of 20,000 Vetch Field fans prior to the Swans’ match against Watford back in 1979.

And if you're looking for an omen for this Saturday's match, the Swans won that Third Division top of the table clash 3-2. Now that's music to my ears!

C'mon you Swans!