Rock stars in football boots

Elton John and Rod Stewart are renowned for playing in giant arenas – not, though, in the above form! This 1973 picture shows the two Englishmen, dressing in Watford clothing, taking part in a training session for the club at its stadium, Vicarage Road. John had become chairman and director of The Hornets the previous year, and under his guidance they rose from English football’s fourth flight to its first, where John Barnes and Luther Blissett helped them finish second behind Liverpool. Although John later relinquished those roles, he remains Watford’s lifetime president and a huge fan. Stewart is also a passionate football follower. He was on the books of Brentford as a teenager before opting to pursue a career in music, but he continued to support Celtic, Manchester United and Scotland. The former Faces frontman also plays in a senior soccer league in California and is renowned for kicking a football into the crowd during his concerts. FIFA