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Viking Chat => Viking Chat => Topic started by: podrover73 on January 12, 2017, 01:24:30 pm

Title: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: podrover73 on January 12, 2017, 01:24:30 pm
Died aged 72
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: GazLaz on January 12, 2017, 01:30:29 pm
Do I not like that.
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: Glyn_Wigley on January 12, 2017, 01:34:44 pm
I always liked him and respected his opinions on the game. Also, he always had a sense of humour, often self-deprecating. You might not have liked how his teams played but I think he stood head and shoulders above a lot of other football people as a man.
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: Donnywolf on January 12, 2017, 01:53:54 pm
rip Wolves old Manager

My fav Graham Taylor story (told on here more than once)


When Graham Taylor failed to get us to the USA World Cup he left England and took over at Wolves. On a pre Season Tour he got off the Wolves Coach way up Norway (Tromso) or somewhere like that

A Group of Wolfies were there to greet the Coach so GT ambled over and during the small talk he said to a couple of them " I thought you lot would have something better to do than be way up here watching Wolves play friendlies "  YES pipes up one of them we WERE going to the World Cup to watch England but you f***** that up for us didn't you "


Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: rover-n-out on January 12, 2017, 01:54:05 pm
Sad news for sure. I also liked Graham Taylor, as Glyn says, at least he went about his business with a smile on his face. My condolences to his family, and all his many, many friends in football. RIP.
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: ballysbackin on January 12, 2017, 03:45:12 pm
Yes, I always liked him, good personality and never forget his upbringing, he was always a good speaker and approachable too  R.I.P
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: Askern Rover on January 12, 2017, 04:32:42 pm
I truly hope now that this gentleman of our great game can get treat with the dignity that he deserved RIP Graham.
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: telfordrover on January 12, 2017, 05:07:56 pm
I think he will get the respect he deserves, Obviously did n't happen for him with England but look at his Watford team. The day they came to Belle Vue and put 4 past us. Luther Blisset and Ross Jenkins up front. A proper football man RIP   
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: roversdude on January 12, 2017, 05:53:34 pm
Other than the press nobody seemed to have a bad word about him, even his style of football seemed to be nearly acceptable
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: GM-MarkB on January 12, 2017, 06:02:54 pm
I think he will get the respect he deserves, Obviously did n't happen for him with England but look at his Watford team. The day they came to Belle Vue and put 4 past us. Luther Blisset and Ross Jenkins up front. A proper football man RIP   

I'd agree with that. He cannot be judged on his England tenure. But his legacy will always be Watford

RIP
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: streatham dave on January 12, 2017, 06:08:49 pm
Always came across as a decent man. Also picked players on basis of recent form rather than favourites. Many inside and away from football could learn from this example.
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: GM-MarkB on January 12, 2017, 06:15:00 pm
I hope Koeman has something nice to say about him....
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: Sammy Chung was King on January 12, 2017, 06:21:23 pm
He seemed a nice bloke who was a very effective manager. His teams played long ball but that wasn't a surprise most teams did back then. He also got the best out of a lot of talented players who went onto better things. John Barnes and David Platt among many.
He was treated really unfairly as our media tend to treat anybody that falls short of expectations. The personal stick he took was wrong our press at it's worst. He had one of the poorest England sides in recent times. Just like Steve McLaren when he needed little bits of luck to go his way they didn't!.

We were beaten by a Dutch side that contained Bergkamp, Overmars, Koeman, Rijkaard, The De Boer brothers-England had one player remaining from the nil-nil draw at Italia 90-Paul Parker.
 There were some top names still among our side, Platt, Shearer, Barnes-who never did it for England on a regular basis. We were also missing our best player in Paul Gascoigne while we had a squad containing Dorigo, Sinton and Merson. The previous results were what did for us losing to a Norweigan that was on the upsurge but unknown quantity we were expected to beat.

When you look at that dutch side why did we think we should beat it?-yet but for a dodgy free kick we could have. He got a job similar to that Moyes got at man utd in some ways but without the trophies.
 Bobby Robson another who was treated badly but was rated highly- after he left the job. Robson overachieved with a side that though it had talent was limited in some places in getting to the semi-final of the world cup.
Taylor was left with the pieces of what was left of that side after retirements-with a player like Shearer just starting his international career and a fair few who were barely international class. Good and honest professionals mixed with some class and some quite a way through their careers.

At the time there were not that many who were more deserving of the chance of being England manager. The fa also was very much like it is now but worse.. Restricted thinking in how the game should be played and a foreign manager back then would have been unthinkable.
Without Taylor failing we might not have seen what happened at Euro 96 because Terry Venables wouldn't have got the job!.
 Graham Taylor a good football man who wasn't treated the way he should have been. The 'fly-on-the-wall documentary made him and Phil Neal look stupid-Do the same with many managers and they would also look stupid. It should never have been allowed.
Worked his way up from an ordinary playing career and started at the bottom in management. Eventually leading Watford to an FA cup final and a few promotions. Also getting Aston Villa promoted and got them high up in the premier league one season. Never forgot where he came from helping local football and many different football projects.

A shame a good football man.
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: telfordrover on January 12, 2017, 07:12:29 pm
Did he not take Watford from the fourth to the old first division in consecutive years. Has anyone else achieved that. If that was the case? 
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: RoversAlias on January 12, 2017, 08:14:22 pm
Did he not take Watford from the fourth to the old first division in consecutive years. Has anyone else achieved that. If that was the case? 

Three promotions in five years I believe. Can't take any credit for that, just read it a few times today.

Didn't Northampton do it in as quick a time? Then bizarrely plunged straight back down the leagues in quick succession too...
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: The Red Baron on January 12, 2017, 08:24:15 pm
Graham Taylor deserves to be remembered as a great club manager. Don't forget he came close to winning the League Championship with Aston Villa and he achieved huge things with Watford.

Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: The Red Baron on January 12, 2017, 08:25:26 pm
Did he not take Watford from the fourth to the old first division in consecutive years. Has anyone else achieved that. If that was the case? 

Three promotions in five years I believe. Can't take any credit for that, just read it a few times today.

Didn't Northampton do it in as quick a time? Then bizarrely plunged straight back down the leagues in quick succession too...

Northampton Town went from Division Four to Division One and back again in the space of nine seasons.
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: Donnywolf on January 12, 2017, 09:01:53 pm
As Maurice Chevalier said / sang "Ah yes I remember it well"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sISWPzEqHLQ
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: BobG on January 12, 2017, 09:05:49 pm
He set a points record with Lincoln City before any of the Watford and Villa b*llocks too. Helluva bloody side they were.

BobG
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: IDM on January 12, 2017, 09:10:35 pm
He would have been their manager in my first ever game at BV - Boxing Day 1975, Lincoln won 4-2 in that season..
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: silent majority on January 12, 2017, 09:26:05 pm
Most England fans I know held him in high esteem and most have good stories about him. A friend of mine posted his story on Facebook tonight which shows what the man was really like. I'm sure he won't mind if I post it on here.



Just got home (ironically from Watford) and seen the news about Graham Taylor, such a shame.
Back in 2012 I was given the news that the mother-in-law was on deaths door and it was time to get home. This was out in Donetsk, the next flight I could get was Donetsk to Kiev after hours later then a morning flight home from there.
In the airport bar there was afew English ready for the same flight when Graham Taylor turned up (he was doing media work out there). He was more than happy chatting to everybody, he asked where I was from, as soon as I said Rotherham he couldnt wait to talk about how good the new ground was going to be, how good it would be for the town amd how our season had been. The man still watched football at all levels even after leaving the game. Discussed plans for the tournament, I explained why I had to make an unplanned journey home and he couldn't have been nicer.

Upon landing in Kiev, waiting for luggage I received a text message just saying "too late. She's gone". I am not ashamed to say that I blubbed like a little girl. The first person to console me was Graham himself. He collected his luggage, sent the rest of the media team off to their hotels and took me to the airport bar to buy me a pint to console me. Spent an hour of his evening with me at the airport bar just to make sure I was okay until I headed to town for more drinks with the Donny Lads.
For that Ill always hold the gent in high esteem, RIP to a true gent.

Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: BobG on January 12, 2017, 09:30:34 pm
I took a girl to that match IDM.... Not the best thing I've ever done! A Denis Christmas special again.

BobG
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: Capmeister on January 12, 2017, 09:59:51 pm
Remember him in charge of Lincoln and the 4-2 game. Great atmosphere. Lincoln had a great team and we matched them for a while mainly cos we had the holy trinity of Kitch, Big Bren and Windy Miller. Shame our defence was crap.
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: Draytonian III on January 12, 2017, 10:19:50 pm
He was born in Worksop and I used to work with his cousin's son who had been named after him,this Graham Taylor had an identical twin brother called Phil.
As others have commented before he was a real football man
RIP
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: Lesonthewest on January 12, 2017, 10:34:27 pm
RIP Graham Taylor, worked his way up from Lincoln/Grimsby to the top level & an amazing achievement at Watford first time around. Only saw him being interviewed but seemed a very knowledgeable guy who loved the game.
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: Sammy Chung was King on January 13, 2017, 03:15:41 am
I remember him talking about how the press treated him many years after it happened with England. He accepted the football part but was upset at how it effected his wife and kids the ridicule he received.
I'm all for the press being free to print almost anything within reason. Freedom of speech is vital in any countries press but for the sake of a cheap laugh i think they put down a decent honest man who tried his best but failed.
I remember the Villa side he put together without spending loads of money. Signing among them Dwight Yorke. That was a really good side for a time.
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: GazLaz on January 13, 2017, 10:30:27 am
I remember him talking about how the press treated him many years after it happened with England. He accepted the football part but was upset at how it effected his wife and kids the ridicule he received.
I'm all for the press being free to print almost anything within reason. Freedom of speech is vital in any countries press but for the sake of a cheap laugh i think they put down a decent honest man who tried his best but failed.
I remember the Villa side he put together without spending loads of money. Signing among them Dwight Yorke. That was a really good side for a time.

The FA shouldn't have allowed the abuse he got. They never stood up for him as you'd expect. They always have been a spineless set of bas**rds.
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: chrisd_123 on January 13, 2017, 12:07:10 pm
I met him a few years ago at the Doncaster Belles end of season awards where he was a guest speaker.

Absolute gent. It was clearly always a huge regret of his how his England time worked out but my word he was proud to have managed his country. When he was talking about it you could tell how much of an honour it was for him to lead his country. If only we had people like him around the national side today!
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: BobG on January 13, 2017, 12:16:24 pm
Being a Retford lad, did he support the Rovers by any chance?

BobG
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: RoversAlias on January 13, 2017, 12:20:11 pm
Scunthorpe fan, think he had a role there in his later years after retirement as vice president or something.
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: BobG on January 13, 2017, 12:50:03 pm
Thanks RA. I didn't know that.

BobG
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: Colemans Left Hook on January 13, 2017, 01:01:48 pm
I remember him talking about how the press treated him many years after it happened with England. He accepted the football part but was upset at how it effected his wife and kids the ridicule he received.
I'm all for the press being free to print almost anything within reason. Freedom of speech is vital in any countries press but for the sake of a cheap laugh i think they put down a decent honest man who tried his best but failed.
I remember the Villa side he put together without spending loads of money. Signing among them Dwight Yorke. That was a really good side for a time.

obviously "clean as a whistle" nice bloke remember Lincoln City coming to Rovers (Rovers didn't win it probably lost) and Mick Harford terrif**ing Rovers tall dark haired and fast - for some reason I always remember that game under his management  Funnily enough Marquis reminds me of Harford
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: Sammy Chung was King on January 14, 2017, 02:39:08 am
I remember him talking about how the press treated him many years after it happened with England. He accepted the football part but was upset at how it effected his wife and kids the ridicule he received.
I'm all for the press being free to print almost anything within reason. Freedom of speech is vital in any countries press but for the sake of a cheap laugh i think they put down a decent honest man who tried his best but failed.
I remember the Villa side he put together without spending loads of money. Signing among them Dwight Yorke. That was a really good side for a time.

obviously "clean as a whistle" nice bloke remember Lincoln City coming to Rovers (Rovers didn't win it probably lost) and Mick Harford terrif**ing Rovers tall dark haired and fast - for some reason I always remember that game under his management  Funnily enough Marquis reminds me of Harford

I was reading on the Scunny site that four teams between 1888-1981 gained 70 or more points under the two points for a win system. Two of those were managed by Graham Taylor. Whether it's true i don't know but some achievement if right.
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: BobG on January 14, 2017, 02:45:49 am
I know Lincoln City did it under Graham Taylor. But I can't think of another team he managed that did it. Which probably guarantees there is one..... Did Watford do it?

BobG
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: Sammy Chung was King on January 14, 2017, 03:04:15 am
I know Lincoln City did it under Graham Taylor. But I can't think of another team he managed that did it. Which probably guarantees there is one..... Did Watford do it?

BobG

Yes, he achieved it with LINCOLN 1975-76 season. P 46 W 32 D 10 L 4 F 111 A 34 PTS 76-According to the Scunny fan scoring 71 goals at home.
WATFORD 1977-78 P 46 W 30 D 11 L 5 F 85 A 38 PTS 71.
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: BobG on January 14, 2017, 03:10:30 am
Thanks Sammy.

That's some going that is. I didn't realise he'd done it twice. Helluva thing to do. Good on him.

Cheers

BobG
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: Sammy Chung was King on January 14, 2017, 03:15:51 am
Thanks Sammy.

That's some going that is. I didn't realise he'd done it twice. Helluva thing to do. Good on him.

Cheers

BobG

Before my time both of them i would have been just about born around the Watford season. I remember him from later on i didn't realise just how good he had been before i was interested in football.
Even the cup final against Everton i was probably just starting to get interested. For all his reputation of direct football his teams obviously were very entertaining.
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: BobG on January 14, 2017, 04:01:27 am
He was the first one to use long ball consistently.And he got players to suit it. He was unstoppable for a while. Lincoln were immense that season. So were Watford. Quick, big, strong players all knowing exactly what they were supposed to do. It was a tour de force for a period. Not silky smooth and not for the purist, but extremely effective.

BobG
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: IDM on January 14, 2017, 10:22:47 am
I know Lincoln City did it under Graham Taylor. But I can't think of another team he managed that did it. Which probably guarantees there is one..... Did Watford do it?

BobG

Yes, he achieved it with LINCOLN 1975-76 season. P 46 W 32 D 10 L 4 F 111 A 34 PTS 76-According to the Scunny fan scoring 71 goals at home.
WATFORD 1977-78 P 46 W 30 D 11 L 5 F 85 A 38 PTS 71.

And the other two??
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: Bentley Bullet on January 14, 2017, 10:33:30 am
Weren't Rovers one of them?
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: IDM on January 14, 2017, 10:53:03 am
I thought so..  didn't we get 72 points from a 42 game season once??  I am sure it was in the Guinness book of records I had a kid, but it also recorded our lowest football league points total of 8 too!
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: Susan Abbott on January 14, 2017, 11:06:53 am
Did he not take Watford from the fourth to the old first division in consecutive years. Has anyone else achieved that. If that was the case?
I was a game against Watford when Elton John had just taken over and Graham Taylor soon turned their fortunes around and duly won at Belle Vue at great surprise to the few Watford fans who were just used to  having an  day out and excepting the predetermined result of loosing away as the norm . Money backed him and that has not changed even now . We are I believe where they were then and the combination of good management and sound financial backing will produce a productive season and lay the foundation to build an even larger following. Graham Taylor laid his foundation and created the understanding in the game that with hard work and respect you can leave behind a legacy and a standard everyone can aspire to . RIP.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: Donnywolf on January 14, 2017, 11:09:56 am
Yes - both were records in my "youth" and both in 2 Points for a win Seasons
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: Bentley Bullet on January 14, 2017, 11:16:00 am
Well, I thought Rovers held the record points total for a season, and that it was only beaten after the three points for a win was introduced, by Lincoln city!

Dutch, Baron, where are you?

Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: IDM on January 14, 2017, 11:44:51 am
Rovers had the record for a 42 game season, Lincoln for 46 games.  Both 2 points for a win..
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: BobG on January 14, 2017, 03:19:10 pm
Rovers still hold the record for a 42 game season.

BobG
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: kenrockrover on January 14, 2017, 04:02:38 pm
Quality Person , spoke with a heart many of us wish we could or had done ourselves respect is all many older heads poster on the site will have for sure.
Title: Re: Graham Taylor rip
Post by: Sammy Chung was King on January 15, 2017, 03:13:27 am
I know Lincoln City did it under Graham Taylor. But I can't think of another team he managed that did it. Which probably guarantees there is one..... Did Watford do it?

BobG

Yes, he achieved it with LINCOLN 1975-76 season. P 46 W 32 D 10 L 4 F 111 A 34 PTS 76-According to the Scunny fan scoring 71 goals at home.
WATFORD 1977-78 P 46 W 30 D 11 L 5 F 85 A 38 PTS 71.

And the other two??

Rotherham utd in 1951 and us in 1947.