page_title: 2009–10 Watford F.C. season
section_title: Reserves and academy
hierarchical_section_title: 2009–10 Watford F.C. season / Reserves and academy
caption_attribution_description: Lee Hodson playing for Watford.
context_page_description: Watford Football Club are an association football club from Watford, Hertfordshire, England. Home matches were played at the club's stadium, Vicarage Road, which had a capacity of 17,504 for the 2009–10 season. Watford's season officially began on 1 July 2009 and concluded on 30 June 2010, although competitive matches were only played between August and May. They competed in the Football League Championship, the second highest division in English football, following their relegation from the Premier League in 2007.
  After guiding the club to a 13th-placed finish in 2008–09, Brendan Rodgers resigned as manager of Watford in June 2009 to take up the same role at Reading, with three members of his coaching staff doing likewise. He was replaced as manager by ex-Watford player and coach Malky Mackay. Early in the season, first-team players including Player of the Season Tommy Smith and Hungary international striker Tamás Priskin left the club. New arrivals included striker Danny Graham and former Scotland international midfielder Scott Severin.
context_section_description: Watford's reserves competed in the Football Combination East Division, and played their home matches at Boreham Wood's stadium, Meadow Park. Other teams in the league included Watford's historic rivals Luton Town and fellow Hertfordshire side Stevenage Borough. Watford finished the season as champions with 41 points, 8 ahead of nearest challengers Ipswich Town. In the Herts Senior Cup, the reserves were defeated 4–1 in the first round by nearby Hemel Hempstead Town's first team. Piero Mingoia scored Watford's only goal of the competition, which was eventually won by Bishop's Stortford. At the end of the season, Liam Henderson was the team's top scorer with 11 goals, which included 4 in a 9–3 home win against Stevenage. A total of 14 players appeared for both the senior and reserve teams in 2009–10, including Henderson, Lee Hodson, Dale Bennett and Michael Bryan.
  Watford's youth system operates in partnership with the Harefield Academy in Hillingdon. First and second year scholars (aged 16–18) are officially attached to Watford, but also undergo a programme of academic and vocational study at the academy. Players aged 16 and below compete for the school team in their respective age groups under the name Harefield Academy, but wear Watford shirts. On occasion, Harefield schoolboys competed for Watford's under-18 side.
  The club's under-18 side competed in Group B of the Premier Academy League, where they finished in 6th position out of ten teams. They played home matches at Watford's training ground, University College London Athletic Ground in Shenley. Three players featured for both the under-18 and senior teams in 2009–10: defender Eddie Oshodi, midfielder Kurtney Brooks, and striker Gavin Massey. Professional footballer Rob Kiernan also played for the academy; he spent part of the season playing first team football on loan at Scottish Premier League club Kilmarnock. Harefield Academy's under-15 and under-16 sides both won the Schools' Cup; the first time in the history of the competition that a school won the trophy in multiple age groups.
caption: Former academy player Lee Hodson
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