Watford v Luton Town: Graham Taylor statue to be boarded up

Graham Taylor's widow Rita (left) and daughter Karen (right) attended the official unveiling of his statue in 2018

The statue of former Watford manager Graham Taylor outside the club's ground is being boarded up ahead of the Hornets derby game against Luton Town.

Sunday's match, which kicks off at Vicarage Road at midday, is the first time the Championship sides have met in front of fans for 16 years.

Hertfordshire Police said the statue's protection was a "normal precaution".

The force added there would be a "significant police presence" in the town on matchday.

The last time the rivals played each other in front of a crowd was for a 1-1 draw in a Championship match at Vicarage Road in April 2006 - with Watford getting promoted via the play-offs the following month.

Since then the clubs played in different divisions, until the Championship games in Sep 2020 and April 2021, when Covid restrictions meant there were no supporters.

The statue was also boarded up for that season's Vicarage Road fixture - a move some Luton fans described as an "overreaction".

Matches between the rivals during Covid pandemic restrictions were played behind closed doors

Some pubs are due to open before the kick-off on Sunday and police have asked the "small proportion" of people seeking "disorder" to "behave in a law-abiding fashion".

Ch Supt Nick Caveney said: "The public should expect to see a lot more officers than they normally would and of course that is designed to ensure that everyone can enjoy the day.

"We're going to police all of our licensed premises across Hertfordshire in a proportionate manner.

"We'll have decent numbers of resources out to ensure that people are safe and we can manage a number of eventualities."

He added they had worked with the football club about the boarding up of the Taylor statue "to prevent any inadvertent damage with that high footfall".

"We are taking a normal precaution as is sensible with a significant match of this nature," he said.

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In addition, home and away supporters would be asked to leave the area around the stadium via different routes.

"These routes are slightly longer and will be signposted," he said.

"They will add a little time to people's journeys home, but we hope fans understand the necessity and that we're trying to safely manage those exit procedures."

Graham Taylor at Watford

Graham Taylor managed teams including Watford, Aston Villa and Wolves

• After retiring as a player, his management skills drew Watford's attention after winning the old Fourth Division title with Lincoln City in 1975-76

• In his first spell as Hornets boss, 1977-1987, Taylor took the club from the old Fourth Division to the top flight and they finished second to Liverpool in 1983

• He also got them to the 1984 FA Cup final, where they lost to Everton

• He then went on to manage Aston Villa before becoming England manager in 1990, and his tenure ended in 1993 after failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup in the USA

• His second spell as Watford manager, 1996-2001, saw him take the club from the third flight to the Premier League, where they were relegated after one season

• Also managed Wolves (1994-95), and had a second spell at Villa (2002-03)

• He died at the age of 72 in January 2017, and the bronze statue, created by award-winning sculptor Douglas Jennings was unveiled by Taylor's wife and daughter the following year

• Read Phil McNulty's BBC Sport obituary