Day -518. WorldCup2018
I had to think about why I was so sad to read about the passing of Graham Taylor today. I also had to consider how I was going to start writing this, because I knew this was going to be my only topic today. Was I going to open with something about Graham Taylor or me? I ended up starting with an "I" because the sadness came from the "me" part in the news of his death. I also thought about naming Elton John in the first sentence to get more people's attention. It would add to the memory of Graham Taylor but more of that later.
Graham Taylor was best known for the endless amount of ridicule he endured, abuse even, for England's failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup. To make it worse, he was filmed looking like a pretty helpless manager, in the documentary, "An Impossible Job", which I remember as the "do I not like that" film. He was not the first manager to suffer this failure . Two did it, or didn't, in 1974 and 1978. And they didn't have their every move filmed.
Graham Taylor should best be remembered for making fans of Watford and Aston Villa dream. Those were his glory days. He was the Pep Guardiola of the late seventies and eighties, the Jose Mourinho, Eddie Howe. And yet he was ridiculed for his terrible time with England, in a job, which by his later admission, he took on too early. As the many Aston Villa fans said today, "What if? What if he had stayed at Villa after leading them to second place in the old First Division in 1990.....?"
All the tributes from fans, players and fellow managers all sounded the same. "He was a true gentleman." Reading all the comments from Aston Villa fans it is easy to see what an impression he had on them, not just as manager of their team but as a person. As the manager he was close to Aston Villa greatness. And the fans loved him. Villa had been relegated in 1986 when he took over. Three seasons later they were runners-up to Liverpool. They ended the 1989-90 season with a 3-3 draw at Everton. As I read through the Villa fans' many comments on the Taylor memories this one struck me: "Goodison Park, May 1990. The greatest ever away day without a trophy at the end of it. Thank you, Sir."
After that match Villa fans sang, "Graham Taylor's Claret and Blue Army " solidly for 40 minutes, with such passion that even the Everton fans applauded them. Graham Taylor coached a team who's attacking players were Ian Ormondroyd and Ian Olney to within a whisker of being champions of England. And he did it with none of the fanfare of Guardiola or Mourinho. Second place was a victory for those fans.
That Villa team also included David Platt, one of Villa's greats, brought to Birmingham by Taylor. He also discovered Dwight Yorke as a 17 year old playing in Trinidad and Tobago when Villa were on a preseason tour. At Watford his coaching skills developed the great talent of John Barnes and Luther Blissett.
It was the unlikely partnership with Elton John at Watford where the Taylor story took off. He had already led Lincoln City to the fourth division championship when Elton John, the chairman of Watford, picked Taylor to make his dream of European football come true for his beloved team. Watford were in the fourth division at the time, 1977. Four seasons later, after three successive promotions, they finished second in the First Division. One of my earliest football memories is a picture in a magazine of a celebrating Watford team with Elton John. Elton John? That was crazy. But he was only half of the story. Graham Taylor made the dream happen. The final words have to go to Elton John. His tribute today:
"I am deeply saddened and shocked to hear about Graham's passing. He was like a brother to me. We shared an unbreakable bond since we first met. We went on an incredible journey together and it will stay with me forever. He took my beloved Watford from the depths of the lower leagues to uncharted territory and into Europe. We have become a leading English club because of his managerial wisdom and genius. This is a sad and dark day for Watford. The club and the town. We will cherish Graham and drown our sorrows in the many brilliant memories he gave us. I love you Graham. I will miss you very much. My thoughts go out to Rita, Joanne, Karen and the whole Taylor family.
I had to think about why I was so sad to read about the passing of Graham Taylor today. I also had to consider how I was going to start writing this, because I knew this was going to be my only topic today. Was I going to open with something about Graham Taylor or me? I ended up starting with an "I" because the sadness came from the "me" part in the news of his death. I also thought about naming Elton John in the first sentence to get more people's attention. It would add to the memory of Graham Taylor but more of that later.
Graham Taylor was best known for the endless amount of ridicule he endured, abuse even, for England's failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup. To make it worse, he was filmed looking like a pretty helpless manager, in the documentary, "An Impossible Job", which I remember as the "do I not like that" film. He was not the first manager to suffer this failure . Two did it, or didn't, in 1974 and 1978. And they didn't have their every move filmed.
Graham Taylor should best be remembered for making fans of Watford and Aston Villa dream. Those were his glory days. He was the Pep Guardiola of the late seventies and eighties, the Jose Mourinho, Eddie Howe. And yet he was ridiculed for his terrible time with England, in a job, which by his later admission, he took on too early. As the many Aston Villa fans said today, "What if? What if he had stayed at Villa after leading them to second place in the old First Division in 1990.....?"
All the tributes from fans, players and fellow managers all sounded the same. "He was a true gentleman." Reading all the comments from Aston Villa fans it is easy to see what an impression he had on them, not just as manager of their team but as a person. As the manager he was close to Aston Villa greatness. And the fans loved him. Villa had been relegated in 1986 when he took over. Three seasons later they were runners-up to Liverpool. They ended the 1989-90 season with a 3-3 draw at Everton. As I read through the Villa fans' many comments on the Taylor memories this one struck me: "Goodison Park, May 1990. The greatest ever away day without a trophy at the end of it. Thank you, Sir."
After that match Villa fans sang, "Graham Taylor's Claret and Blue Army " solidly for 40 minutes, with such passion that even the Everton fans applauded them. Graham Taylor coached a team who's attacking players were Ian Ormondroyd and Ian Olney to within a whisker of being champions of England. And he did it with none of the fanfare of Guardiola or Mourinho. Second place was a victory for those fans.
That Villa team also included David Platt, one of Villa's greats, brought to Birmingham by Taylor. He also discovered Dwight Yorke as a 17 year old playing in Trinidad and Tobago when Villa were on a preseason tour. At Watford his coaching skills developed the great talent of John Barnes and Luther Blissett.
It was the unlikely partnership with Elton John at Watford where the Taylor story took off. He had already led Lincoln City to the fourth division championship when Elton John, the chairman of Watford, picked Taylor to make his dream of European football come true for his beloved team. Watford were in the fourth division at the time, 1977. Four seasons later, after three successive promotions, they finished second in the First Division. One of my earliest football memories is a picture in a magazine of a celebrating Watford team with Elton John. Elton John? That was crazy. But he was only half of the story. Graham Taylor made the dream happen. The final words have to go to Elton John. His tribute today:
"I am deeply saddened and shocked to hear about Graham's passing. He was like a brother to me. We shared an unbreakable bond since we first met. We went on an incredible journey together and it will stay with me forever. He took my beloved Watford from the depths of the lower leagues to uncharted territory and into Europe. We have become a leading English club because of his managerial wisdom and genius. This is a sad and dark day for Watford. The club and the town. We will cherish Graham and drown our sorrows in the many brilliant memories he gave us. I love you Graham. I will miss you very much. My thoughts go out to Rita, Joanne, Karen and the whole Taylor family.
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