One of the highlights of Tales from the Vicarage Live are those characters from Watford past who have stolen the show by the nature of their personality. Dennis Booth's name has been added to that list.

Younger members of the audience at Watford Palace Theatre on Sunday night may not have known who the former midfielder was beforehand, but by the end of another trip down Hornets memory lane they were likely among those laughing as Booth threatened to turn the end of the event into a one-man stand-up and continue it long into the night.

Indeed, the 69-year-old may well have done so had another joke not been cut short by host Adam Leventhal when he sensed it would overstep the mark. Many in the audience booed, Leventhal gestured back as the show came to an end on a fitting light-hearted note.

Established as a regular fixture in many Watford fans’ calendars, the latest Tales from the Vicarage Live was staged to launch the seventh edition in the series of books of the same name.

Written by journalist and Watford fan Mike Walters, Captains features 11 men who have led the Hornets out over half a century. From Keith Eddy to Troy Deeney, Booth to John Eustace, Walters interviewed 11 skippers who “in prosperity or austerity, each served Watford with distinction”.

On stage with Booth, the midfield anchor man of Graham Taylor’s Division Four title-winning side in the 1977/78 season who captained Watford to a second successive promotion the following campaign, were the club’s two play-off winning skippers, Robert Page and Gavin Mahon.

Eustace had been due to join the trio, but had to pull out for family reasons and sent a video message to apologise for his absence.

His non-attendance also prompted an appearance from the 'Ghost Goal' - a 'tribute' to referee Stuart Attwell's infamous howler against Reading in 2008.

Sky Sports presenter Leventhal stuck to the tried and tested format for the show, talking to each guest individually in part one before they all returned after the interval for a collective conversation and question and answer session.

Each guest looked back fondly on their time at Vicarage Road; Page reflected affectionately on the significant part Tom Walley and Kenny Jackett played in not only his development as a player, but also as a man, along with his never-to-be-forgotten memories of lifting the play-off trophy at Wembley following the 1999 triumph against Bolton Wanderers as Taylor’s five-year plan after taking over the Hornets hot seat again was achieved in two thanks to consecutive promotions.

Mahon has also captained the Hornets to play-off glory, in 2006 when they defeated Leeds United at Cardiff.

It is often said the final was won in the tunnel beforehand, a view with which the former midfielder agreed as he revealed he had ushered boss Aidy Boothroyd to join the players on the podium for the trophy presentation afterwards.

Page and Mahon’s recollections made for interesting listening, but it was the third member of the panel who provided most of the lighter moments, seeming to wrong-foot Leventhal more than once with his off-the-cuff quips and one liners.

A natural storyteller, Booth reminisced about walking to home games from his home near Tolpits Lane in the company of fans while smoking a cigarette, to memories of Baileys nightclub in Watford and the obvious esteem with which he holds Taylor to this day, a manager ahead of his time who was destined to get the England job in the eyes of the player he brought to Vicarage Road in 1977.

The laughs intensified after the interval but as the audience headed for the exit one member asked Booth’s wife: “Is he always like this?”

“No, he’s worse,” she laughed.

It was an affectionate response that would not have surprised anyone who heard it.

Captains is available to buy here