RIP Graham Taylor

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NikkoNikko Frets: 1803

72 years old, heart-attack apparently.

Will sadly probably only be remembered for his failures, but he was one of the good guys, and had a very successful career before England.

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  • JalapenoJalapeno Frets: 6378
    Do I not like that ! :(

    His career at Watford was stellar - 4th Div to 1st in 5 yrs !


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  • DeadmanDeadman Frets: 3853
    Poor old turnip 'ead. RIP.
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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16255
    I seem to remember he was statistically one of the more successful England managers but just there at a time when the press felt they had free reign to make him a figure of hate. RIP Graham, I'm sure they don't have The Sun where you are now. 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • hubobuloushubobulous Frets: 2352
    He had the honour of managing Villa and was an all round good guy. Tabloid scum won't hang their heads in shame, but they should.
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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    Sadly, he is not always remembered in the best light due to the low points of his England tenure. He always seemed like a very likeable man though. 72 doesn't seem that old these days. 
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  • RavenousRavenous Frets: 1484

    I'll just remember that moment when he was ranting with the official on the touch line :)

    "Tell him he's just cost me my job"  (Followed by a quite polite apology to the official, which I think most gits showing repeats cut out.)

    He was a good character actually, I liked hearing his comments on matches after he went into Radio punditry.

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  • GassageGassage Frets: 30826
    Fantastic bloke on all accounts; was a very good friend of one of my rugby mates who is now a premiership TMO and my mate was saying what a warm caring man he was.

    Can't help but think England job came too early in his career. Even then he had a spell of 2 yrs with only one loss

    *An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.

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  • 57Deluxe57Deluxe Frets: 7329
    I Kinda liked the guy regardless of his England debacles... very sad...
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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16255
    57Deluxe said:
    I Kinda liked the guy regardless of his England debacles... very sad...
    12 matches unbeaten, the longest run by any England manager. Only one defeat in his first 23 games and he took England to the Euros and the World Cup, only 7 losses in 38 games ( lower rate of losses than Alf Ramsey for example). Of course he wasn't perfect but I feel sad that he seems so well remembered only for his mistakes and the caricatures created by the London tabloids.  
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • FuengiFuengi Frets: 2849
    I remember a story about a Watford fan who wrote to him to ask if he'd be best man at his wedding. Graham Taylor agreed.

    Lovely man according to all who worked with him, great shame. 
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  • RobDaviesRobDavies Frets: 3062
    57Deluxe said:
    I Kinda liked the guy regardless of his England debacles... very sad...
    remembered only for his mistakes and the caricatures created by the London tabloids.  

    Screw the tabloids.   Shitheads.

    Football people knew the score with Taylor - a genuinely nice man who got dealt a crappy hand with the England team at the time.

    An absolutely tremendous club manager in his prime and very astute pundit in recent years.

    I hope he rests in peace and him and Sir Bobby have a good ol' chinwag.

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  • Philly_QPhilly_Q Frets: 22516

    I remember him for his first spell at Watford, Elton John era, because my family had just moved to Hemel Hempstead and he was always in the local papers.

    The press seemed to be unnecessarily hard on him as England manager, but I guess following a popular and relatively successful figure like Bobby Robson was always going to be hard, whoever it was.

    The last few years I've heard him quite a lot as a co-commentator on 5 Live, to be honest he wasn't the most exciting person to listen to but he seemed like a very nice and genuine chap.

    RIP.

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  • jpttaylorjpttaylor Frets: 458
    It's a shame that the idea he was a tactical luddite stuck. Yes his Watford side were quite direct (who in those days wasn't?) but he was one of the first English managers to implement organised, group pressing. 

    By all accounts I've seen today, he seemed like a lovely guy, and if nothing else, he stood by John Barnes no matter what filth was thrown his way. It would have been easy for him to keep schtum and say nothing - he deserves a lot of kudos for doing the opposite.
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  • GassageGassage Frets: 30826
    edited January 2017
    Dave Rose, a prem rugby ref, wonderful fly half in his day, and former teammate of mine at Moseley and Walsall, posted this on my FB wall- brilliant:

    James, when I worked as a Rugby Development Officer in Brum, me Smithy and Bletch wanted to know what a professional sports coaching set up looked like just after rugby had gone pro. I wrote to every club manager in the Midlands, GT was the only one to reply and said come in to the Wolves. They used to train at the old Lucas sports ground in Stafford road near the M54, I think it was Lucas may have been GEC? Anyway we rocked up one Monday morning and met GT he then spent the whole day with us talking football and the challenges. That night the reserves were playing Newcastle away, first team where playing Tuesday.

    Steve Harrison had the first team boys playing 5-a-side with no keepers. One of the teams had a great passing move ended with an open goal and the lad put it wide, can't recall his name. Harrison said "great play, one touch passing and we've done them" GT who was talking to us and watching said excuse me a moment, he walked over and said " hang on Steve, that's bollocks lads, what's the fucking point in all that great play then missing the fucking goal?" "It's not good enough, get it fucking right, we need an end product" with that he came back calm as you like and said now then what was I saying!!!! Priceless

    The session ends and some of the lads are doing extras. He sees Steve Bull and says look at him, he's a fucking twat now, billy big shoes I gave him his cap, now he's the last in and first out. If I had my way I'd sell him to Exeter for the price of a tin of dog food, but hey I'm the turnip and he's a legend I can't sell him because he's Bully and the fans will lynch me!!!! Brilliant never told the story publicly but as GT has passed on I guess it's ok. RIP


    *An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.

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  • MotorhateMotorhate Frets: 238
    Philly_Q said:

    The press seemed to be unnecessarily hard on him as England manager, but I guess following a popular and relatively successful figure like Bobby Robson was always going to be hard, whoever it was.

    Believe me, the press really crucified Bobby Robson, more so than they did GT if memory serves me correctly. Really horrible stuff was written about him, especially in The Sun. Tabloid scum. I do wonder at the mentality of a tabloid journalist.
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  • RobDaviesRobDavies Frets: 3062
    Motorhate said:
    Philly_Q said:

    The press seemed to be unnecessarily hard on him as England manager, but I guess following a popular and relatively successful figure like Bobby Robson was always going to be hard, whoever it was.

    . Really horrible stuff was written about him, especially in The Sun. Tabloid scum. I do wonder at the mentality of a tabloid journalist.

    Saw a nice quote on Twitter the other day....

    "Ten or so years ago, the tabloids told me how wholesome Jimmy Saville was, and that George Michael was a pervert.... and people are still buying this shit".

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  • Philly_QPhilly_Q Frets: 22516

    On 5 Live this morning they spoke to a Watford supporter whose husband-to-be had secretly asked Graham Taylor if he could write some kind of note to be read out at their wedding, about 15 years ago.

    Taylor not only replied, he sent a handwritten, two page personal letter - and this was around the time he'd just gone back to Villa, so he had plenty of other things to concern himself with.  It was a very nice letter, and also very funny - he had a better sense of humour than I realised.

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