Sir Graham Taylor

[clash city rocker]

RIP...Sir Graham....Thank you for what you did for Aston Villa F.C....A true gentleman in an industry where people like that are few and far between. Once again a heartfelt thank you.

[DeKuip]

True gent and a true legend for our football club.
Goodson Park in 1990 was the greatest send off any supporters anywhere have ever given a departing manager - one of the most memorable away days in my 50 years of supporting Villa. It's a real pity he came back later and some fans may only remember he second spell.
Let's show the football world what he meant to us, both at Molineux and a packed Villa Park next week.
The way this good honest man was treated by the national press was nothing short of a disgrace. Villa, Watford and Lincoln supporters know the real man and have so much to thank him for.

Rest in peace Sir Graham, and thanks for the wonderful memories.

[Walmley_Villa]

I think SGT was overwhelmed at Goodison, wasn't he quoted as saying "I didn't think they liked me" lol!

[supertom]

Very sad to hear this. Great guy and someone who really deserves, wholeheartedly, the "legend" tag. Our best manager in modern history in every way, from what he achieved off and on the pitch in his first stint here, to his personality. Top, top man.
Even in retrospect his second stint wasn't as bad as it felt back at the time, and positively halcyon in comparison to the last 6 years. And actually an important period of transition after Gregory left a squad overstuffed with over the hill, mercurial players lacking in fitness and motivation. Much like O Neill, Gregory as a top 6 manager, but another 18 months in the job may have seen implosion given the state of fitness he left many of them.
Not great of course but under the remit he probably had as Doug probably needed to balance the books ready for a potential takeover, I think he did okay. It went to the last week(s) in something of an oddity given we amassed 45 points. Which is gargantuan in comparison to what we managed for our last four seasons in the Prem. Generally if you hit that you're safely clear of the drop zone. Just happened that year it nearly wasn't enough.
There aren't many managers in the game who conduct/conducted themselves with quite the dignity that SGT did.

[dave shelley]

Aston Villa and Graham Taylor were made for each other.  The share a common bond...Class.

[mallo]

Fantastic for us, RIP GT, such sad news.

[villabear]

A nice statement from the club has been released.  Sorry no link, just heard it read out on SSN.

Link below

https://www.avfc.co.uk/News/2017/01/12/rip-graham-taylor

[rob_bridge]

Sad - what a great manager he was for us first time round

Saved us from the fate that Blues, Wolves and Albion suffered for more than a decade dove tailing the 1990 years..

The home game v Bradford is amongst my Top 5 of all time

[simon ward 50]

Snuffle

Something in your eye there Woofles?

[papa lazarou]

Some quality stories on here about a quality human being.
A very sad day.

[manic-road]

Sad news indeed, not only did he do a fantastic job at the Villa he always appeared as a sincerely top man.

[Pete]

Dion Dublin's pretty cut up about it...he's just phoned 5 Live

Clip

[Dr Butler]

RIP Sir Graham....not much more to say, as I am like many, many others deeply saddened by the news of his passing...

UTV
The Doc

[Tony Boucher]

Paul Brown, from the AVFC Official Blog:

I remember it like it was yesterday.

I had just arrived at Aston Villa as a junior reporter in 2002 – working as a No.2 on the matchday programme with the illustrious Rob Bishop.

To be working in football was something that had my heart glowing – for it to be at Villa Park, home to some of my fondest memories as a teenager was another thing entirely.

Every morning brought a concoction of nervousness and delight as I made my way to my new workplace to learn my trade under ‘Bish’ – he of Birmingham Mail, Express & Star and Birmingham Post repute – and something of a legend on the patch.

Bish’s role on the News & Record was standard – as was mine.

Bish spoke to the manager for his column, the captain too while I worked on the more peripheral pages like News Desk, Junior Villans and the Visitors section.

So imagine my shock when ‘Bish’ suggested that I take care of the manager’s notes one week as he had been called away on a family event.

Tension was the only emotion I felt as I made my way to Bodymoor Heath to chat to Graham Taylor – ‘The Gaffer’ and a man of the highest standing in the game.

I waited furtively in the reception of the old training ground before being beckoned in.

First words from Graham could easily have been: “Wow your palms are sweaty”, “Are you old enough to be working, shouldn’t you be at school?”

Instead he smiled and roared out: “Great to meet you young man and welcome to Aston Villa.”

I listened spellbound as he explained: “You’ll do well here. And please don’t forget – Juan Pablo Angel is over there and Dion Dublin too. You’re just as important as them…you’re one of my team.”

I could barely believe my ears.

Graham and I had a chat for 30 minutes during which time he previewed the Sunderland game and discussed a range of other issues for his upcoming column.

As we finished, my mind raced with how I was going to ‘shape’ the column, how I was going to make it flow well and how I hoped I ‘got it right’.

As I walked away, he finished: “One last thing, just send the column through to my secretary Kathy on fax. I usually change one or two things when Bish writes it so give me a chance to check it.”

Several hours later…it felt like days…I typed in the numbers and the 600-word piece zoomed from Villa Park to Bodymoor Heath.

All other work took a back seat as I stared intently at my phone…when will it ring?

Tring…Tring…”Hello”…..”Hi Paul, it’s Kathy….Graham says that’s perfect, thank you very much, no changes.”

I couldn’t believe it. I had nailed it.

Several days later, I made my way into the Player’s Lounge, with Bish who had driven me, ahead of the pre-match press conference to listen in on Graham face the press.

We arrived early and GT meandered past us on his way back to his office.

“Ah, it’s One Take Brown!” he said as he patted me on the shoulder. “Hey Bish, this lad is good. You can learn a thing or two from him” before he winked at my celebrated partner-in-crime and walked off into the distance.

Remember, this was during a very, very difficult spell in his career with Villa fighting relegation.

He must have had so much on his plate.

But instead he took the time to put a young reporter at ease and welcome him into the Aston Villa family.

I will never forget it – and I will never forget Graham. A true gent!

[markeeeebeeee2005]

My Dad just rang me to see if I'd heard the news and he reminded me of this story of great kindness and humility from SGT.

Ian, a friend had cystic fibrosis which meant although he was an avid Villa fan his condition wouldn't allow him to get to a game.  My Dad wrote to Villa, Steve Stride if he remembers rightly, to see if Ian could get along to Bodymoor Heath one day for a bit of a behind the scenes visit. Ian had several complications with his CF and wasn't expected to live into his 30s.

Graham Taylor replied personally to my old man (I'm now hoping somewhere at their home he's kept that letter, I did ask him!) promising to fulfil Ian's dream of meeting some players and watching them play & train.  Well, I can't even begin to describe what SGT ended up doing with Ian.  I know he spent the day at BH and was put up at The Belfry by Villa for a couple of nights with his family.  They were picked up on the Saturday and travelled with the team on a Flights coach to an away game, memory is failing, can't remember which one but we think it was Middlesborough.  Ian sat next to SGT all the way there and back, I've seen some old Polaroids of him playing cards with some of the players.  This meant Ian was away from his family for about 24 hours, CF sufferers need to be massaged and helped with dealing with the mucus build up in the respiratory tract & lungs.  Ian's Mum usually helped with this but SGT said if she showed him how to do it he'd make sure him and the physios dealt with it, she can have the day off.

Ian died about 6 months after that amazing experience.

SGT came to Ian's funeral, no mean feat considering it was in Surrey.  On Ian's coffin was a picture of him laughing and smiling with SGT.

This is the man encapsulated in a short story. There wouldn't have been a reporter in sight either. He just did it because it was right.