Sir Elton John has resigned as life president of Watford, the struggling Coca-Cola Championship club.

He has grown disillusioned with the running of the club - or at least his perception of its running - by Graham Simpson, the chairman, and issued a terse statement to that effect last month.

In it, John said: "As a lifelong fan and former chairman, I feel I must express my deep dismay about what is happening at the club. There is a danger of it plummeting into freefall - I fear we could be facing that catastrophe."

John’s dismay deepened as Watford’s plight near the foot of the Championship worsened after a run of only two wins in 11 league matches.

That sequence culminated in the departure of Adrian Boothroyd, the manager and a close friend of John, by mutual consent on Monday, and the issuing of a statement on the singer’s personal website.

"Elton affirmed that he would always be a fan of Watford," it said.

"He wishes the team every success for the future. However, in the light of developments over the past few months, he feels he cannot remain in any formal position within the club."