Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: dave.woodhall on January 12, 2017, 09:53:28 PM
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http://thebirminghampress.com/2017/01/graham-taylor-1944-2017/
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Excellent stuff Dave and for those that got to meet him were certainly the lucky ones.
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Good stuff. Thank you.
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Really good read. Captured everything the man was about.
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Excellent. Tears flowing.
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Superb tribute.
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Thanks Dave, that must have been difficult, today.
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Thank you - even though it's the story I never wanted to read.
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The story I never wanted to read.
Top, top drawer. Very close to tears myself having read that.
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thank you Dave
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Fantastic, well done.
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Does him proud. Well done Dave.
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As always Dave - spot on.
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very very very well done
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Well done Dave,
Thank You
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Thanks for that.
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Good article. Very sad, but it's also worth remembering that he spent virtually his whole life involved in football, which he loved.
He had a great life.
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Well done Dave ... perfect tribute
RIP SIR Graham Taylor
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Thanks
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ThanksDave, spot on.
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I doubt i'll read a tribute as good as that over the coming days. Superb.
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Lovely piece Dave. I hope people outside of Villa and Watford will now regard him like we do.
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Thanks for taking the time in writing, great article.
What a sad day.
Amazing amount of coverage today, deserved but I didn't expect it.
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A touching, heartfelt tribute. Thank you Dave.
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Lovely words, Dave. What a sad day.
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What a great piece Dave. Such a fitting tribute to a special person.
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Spot on, Dave.
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Thanks. Good read.
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Perfect. Welling up again.
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This is really insightful and a lovely piece. I particularly enjoyed the fact he reacted with humour and pleasantness in the anecdote you kindly shared. This is great for you to have a witness and no doubt Graham is smiling and you sharing the tell. Thanks .
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Thanks Dave
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Excellent Dave
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Bravo Dave.
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Beautiful.
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Well said Dave.
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A very fitting tribute Dave to a lovely man. It is a very sad day.
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Thank you for that, Dave.
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That's lovely, Dave. Thank you.
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Lovely post, Dave. Very sad and very poignant.
Thank you very much.
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A fitting tribute to a great man.
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Nice one Dave. Love the Belfry story.
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Great piece. Strange and difficult to read knowing its a tribute to someone no longer with us. I hope when we have a home game we do our own tribute and I hope its a minute's silence not applause.
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Great story Dave. My saddest football related day yesterday. Such a great man.
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Thank you Dave, I am in tears again.
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Lovely tribute Dave. Warm and personal, as it should be for someone we always felt close to.
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An excellent piece about a great man. National media who air brush the Villa time out of his lifetime achievements please note.
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Thanks Dave, great account. Such a great man.
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Fitting,appropriate,Humorous and moving - an excellent tribute.
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Maybe send the piece to the Villa? maybe they can collate thoughts and stories about the man and what he meant to us.
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An excellent piece about a great man. National media who air brush the Villa time out of his lifetime achievements please note.
Yes, I'm having to try very hard to not get angry at some of the BBC articles that make Villa a minor footnote at best. One listing his best achievements in football, yet zero mention of his time with us.
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Excellent article. Great Great man and manager. As you said in your book Dave the only manager to have got the better of Doug.
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Lovely piece Dave. Loved his reply to the guy who tried to mock him. Showed him what he was, a gentleman.
The irony yesterday from the vultures that vilified him at his time with England all coming on saying what a nice bloke he was. To the two faced Harry Harris', Rob Shepherds et al of this world hang your heads. Scum.
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Thanks Dave, very well written.
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Still gutted - its like we have lost a family friend.
I too think all those that started the "Turnip" campaign should bow their heads in shame that they tried to belittle such a humble and great man. Listening to Liniker made me want to puke
Has Platty said anything or is Graham another part of his past he has removed like the club?
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Thanks Dave, you've hit the right note, perfectly.
I had always liked GT from long before he came to Villa, for his articulate and personable style.
From previous anecdotes from those who met the man in person he did sound like one of the world's good guys; the personal stories heard since his passing have only enhanced that.
As an aside, wasn't he a trained journalist himself?
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That, Dave, is your finest piece.
I have to admit my eyes were full.
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Lovely piece. Thanks.
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Very good Dave, really great story.
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Cheers Dave. I think I have some dust in my eye now!
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Brilliant tribute Dave.
Lets hope the scum from The Sun and the editor at the time Kelvin Mackenzie are struggling to look in the mirror without feeling totally ashamed this morning.......but I doubt they will be....
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Course he won't and to be fair - and it pains me to say this - that's the tabloid scramble for witty headlines and exposure for you. It was unfair and callous but the England manager was fair game. For every t****p phrase there was a 'Super Cally Go Ballistic...'. Move on and ignore just as I did then and correct every and any person who did and does refer to him as t****p. When he goes, MacKenzie's passing will be more akin to Thatcher's from her detractors than to a genuine and much missed Graham Taylor. Fuck MacKenzie - we'll have our memories and SGT will have his humility, dignity, and warmth of feeling from anyone he touched with his presence. Whether he knew it or not.
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Well done, Dave. As always.
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Thanks Dave, you've hit the right note, perfectly.
I had always liked GT from long before he came to Villa, for his articulate and personable style.
From previous anecdotes from those who met the man in person he did sound like one of the world's good guys; the personal stories heard since his passing have only enhanced that.
As an aside, wasn't he a trained journalist himself?
No but his Dad was, that is why he had respect for Journalism. When asked if he would appear on Sports Report he said yes but can i phone my Dad as he will be so proud.
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Course he won't and to be fair - and it pains me to say this - that's the tabloid scramble for witty headlines and exposure for you. It was unfair and callous but the England manager was fair game. For every t****p phrase there was a 'Super Cally Go Ballistic...'. Move on and ignore just as I did then and correct every and any person who did and does refer to him as t****p. When he goes, MacKenzie's passing will be more akin to Thatcher's from her detractors than to a genuine and much missed Graham Taylor. Fuck MacKenzie - we'll have our memories and SGT will have his humility, dignity, and warmth of feeling from anyone he touched with his presence. Whether he knew it or not.
I did glimpse at the Sun website... just to see if there was anything approaching am apology for the way they treated him. Of course there wasn't.
He was about third story down on the page. At the top of the page was an article about an assault on the Torino goalkeeper under the heading "HART ATTACK". Now, I'm not suggesting that was a deliberate dig, but you'd think some fucker might have cottoned on that the layout was in pretty poor taste.
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Despite the sad event that is a wonderful article Dave.
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Thanks Dave. An excellent tribute to a true gentleman.
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Platt, Yorke and McGrath all signed within a couple of years of each other and all for a combined fee of less than £750,000, a relative pittance even then. Two became footballers of the year (and McGrath probably the equal of any player in the world in his position for a few years) and one a mainstay in a treble winning team (unfortunately not us) which included the European Cup. Few managers in history can surely boast picking up and nurturing that level of quality for such little money.
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A lovely tribute Dave, thank you for that. As eloquent as we have come to expect and spot on as usual.
RIP Graham Taylor.
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Well said. I'm really surprised by how upset i am by this news.
I met him a couple of times briefly 28 years ago but I feel like ive just lost a friend.
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Superbly worded piece of work Dave - he was a wonderful man, the football world is worse off for us losing him.
Not sure if others have mentioned it, but one thing I always think of is how he was (nearly) always smiling, even in adversity. I still say he got a rough deal as England manager ( I've already mentioned the appalling decision that cost England a place in USA 1994) and wonder if he regretted giving up a team that probably would've challenged for the league tittle again in 1990-91, when all he got was hassle when managing England, despite as I remember it - only having one really bad result - the loss to Norway - and the way he got slated in press the next day was nothing short of disgraceful.
Also, I loved his humorous side - again not sure if it's been mentioned - anyone remember him singing Jerusalem - think it was George Gavin playing it as a way to encourage all things Villa.
RIP Sir Graham
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Like us, Villa till we Die now a Holte-ender in the Sky
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Goodison away in May 1990.
I'll never forget that, probably the best away day ive ever been on (and I've been on alot) and that was all because of SGT.
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Fantastic and thank you
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I still say he got a rough deal as England manager ( I've already mentioned the appalling decision that cost England a place in USA 1994) and wonder if he regretted giving up a team that probably would've challenged for the league tittle again in 1990-91, when all he got was hassle when managing England, despite as I remember it - only having one really bad result - the loss to Norway - and the way he got slated in press the next day was nothing short of disgraceful.
I doubt he regretted taking the England job. He would have seen it as a privilege even though he may have thought he could have gone on to win something with us. The England opportunity may not have come round again.
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I'm not a big fan of a lot of the national press but I'm not sure that they are air-brishing over his time at Villa as such, on a national level it probably just didn't register as such a big achievement compared with his taking Watford to D1, I guess its really only us locals who really understood what a mess we were in when he arrived and the difference he made. To those outside the area it was probably just seen as him halting the slide of a big club and putting it back on a more secure footing.
I've been thinking about any other managers who were revered by fans of different clubs and came up short.
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I'm not a big fan of a lot of the national press but I'm not sure that they are air-brishing over his time at Villa as such, on a national level it probably just didn't register as such a big achievement compared with his taking Watford to D1, I guess its really only us locals who really understood what a mess we were in when he arrived and the difference he made. To those outside the area it was probably just seen as him halting the slide of a big club and putting it back on a more secure footing.
I've been thinking about any other managers who were revered by fans of different clubs and came up short.
I'd guess Bobby Robson is the closest comparison? equally loved at Ipswich and Newcastle, shat on by the press during his England reign, became a national treasure in later life.
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I'm not a big fan of a lot of the national press but I'm not sure that they are air-brishing over his time at Villa as such, on a national level it probably just didn't register as such a big achievement compared with his taking Watford to D1, I guess its really only us locals who really understood what a mess we were in when he arrived and the difference he made. To those outside the area it was probably just seen as him halting the slide of a big club and putting it back on a more secure footing.
I've been thinking about any other managers who were revered by fans of different clubs and came up short.
I'd guess Bobby Robson is the closest comparison? equally loved at Ipswich and Newcastle, shat on by the press during his England reign, became a national treasure in later life.
Sir Bobby and Sir Graham were both good men who were both very proud to manage England and who were both treated like s**t by the press.
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I'm not a big fan of a lot of the national press but I'm not sure that they are air-brishing over his time at Villa as such, on a national level it probably just didn't register as such a big achievement compared with his taking Watford to D1, I guess its really only us locals who really understood what a mess we were in when he arrived and the difference he made. To those outside the area it was probably just seen as him halting the slide of a big club and putting it back on a more secure footing.
I've been thinking about any other managers who were revered by fans of different clubs and came up short.
I'd guess Bobby Robson is the closest comparison? equally loved at Ipswich and Newcastle, shat on by the press during his England reign, became a national treasure in later life.
A mate just mentioned that Bill Shankly had a stand named after him at Preston and we sat in it this season.
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Superbly worded piece of work Dave - he was a wonderful man, the football world is worse off for us losing him.
Not sure if others have mentioned it, but one thing I always think of is how he was (nearly) always smiling, even in adversity. I still say he got a rough deal as England manager ( I've already mentioned the appalling decision that cost England a place in USA 1994) and wonder if he regretted giving up a team that probably would've challenged for the league tittle again in 1990-91, when all he got was hassle when managing England, despite as I remember it - only having one really bad result - the loss to Norway - and the way he got slated in press the next day was nothing short of disgraceful.
Also, I loved his humorous side - again not sure if it's been mentioned - anyone remember him singing Jerusalem - think it was George Gavin playing it as a way to encourage all things Villa.
RIP Sir Graham
One of my earliest memories as a child the SGT Jerusalem rendition
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Oh yeah, Gavin played that when we needed to pull a goal out of the hat. Great days
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Yes, I'm having to try very hard to not get angry at some of the BBC articles that make Villa a minor footnote at best. One listing his best achievements in football, yet zero mention of his time with us.
Don't get angry, Sir Graham wouldn't have. We know what he did for our club and in the end that is all that matters.
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Course he won't and to be fair - and it pains me to say this - that's the tabloid scramble for witty headlines and exposure for you. It was unfair and callous but the England manager was fair game. For every t****p phrase there was a 'Super Cally Go Ballistic...'. Move on and ignore just as I did then and correct every and any person who did and does refer to him as t****p. When he goes, MacKenzie's passing will be more akin to Thatcher's from her detractors than to a genuine and much missed Graham Taylor. Fuck MacKenzie - we'll have our memories and SGT will have his humility, dignity, and warmth of feeling from anyone he touched with his presence. Whether he knew it or not.
Where's the Like button. Well said Peter.
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Spot on Dave.
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Lovely piece Dave.
Reflects the warmth that every one of us feels towards the great man.
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Lovely tribute Dave. Well done.