Sir Graham Taylor

[mgrubb1970]

Very sad news about a man who saved us from oblivion in 1987. Got to work straight away when he walked through the door at VP and announced the club was "a shambles". How right he was!!

Dread to think where we would have ended up without him.

I thought he still lived in Sutton Coldfield but apparently he down to Hertfordshire last year to be nearer his 2 daughters.

Very touching tributes on news this afternoon which brought back so many happy memories of his first spell at the club.

RIP Sir Graham - a proper football man

[supertom]

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

Clip

Big Dion had a good season for SGT in his second spell. Dion was fighting the clock by that season. The legs were going but he still hit something like 14 goals IIRC. He was an old school player and it doesn't surprise me how much respect he has for a manager like Graham Taylor. Feel gutted for big Dion and all those who played under him and really bought into his influence.

[Duncan Shaw]

Its hard to add anything to all that written here, but 1987 is up there as one of my very favourite seasons supporting the Villa.  Gutted, he was an absolute gentleman and a true legend.  RIP

[jimmygreen]

I've no great tale to tell. He put his thumb up to me once with a big smile. Made my day. Gutted.

[SoccerHQ]

Very sad news.

For those who are long time users of this forum and have long memories I made a very ill advised and ignorant post about him not long after his second spell in charge.

It's something I still very much regret and pretty surprised I wasn't banned from the forum there and then.

At the time I posted I did not grasp the significance of how he turned around the club in his first spell (which gives extra meaning with the position we know find ourselves in) and instead based it on his ill-fated second spell (which was still better than the last five seasons).

I actually met him at the NEC at a BBC grassroots football event ain I think 2011 as we were talking about McLeish quickly so must've been the summer he joined us.

I can confirm what others have said...a very charming and courteous man...I think my Mum who's not a Villa fan was more excited to meet him than I was as she was a big fan of his commentaries on 5 Live.

I'd certainly say the football world will be a lot poorer without his contributions.

R.I.P.

[Phil from the upper holte]

Genuinly saddened by this.

RIP Sir Graham

[PeterWithesShin]

Gutted. RIP Sir Graham, and thank you.

[SoccerHQ]

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.

Yeah it was a very strange year, we really couldn't win away and when we did at Boro we used up all our goals.

At home we were very good though...11 wins I think which we haven't achieved since.

It was probably similar to the Houllier year...transition and because we were used to top 6 the sudden drop down the league was much more of a shock than in the Lambert era.

There was some good football and results in that season but sadly the two SHA results overshadowed things.

[brian green]

On top of all the other tributes, if it has not been said already, his radio broadcasting was measured and fair.  He put the shrill attention seeking colleagues around him firmly in their place.  A Villa man in every way.  Sleep on Sir Graham.

[simboy]

Thank you for everything.

RIP Graham Taylor

[Nev]

I've told this before but....

We had a bad start to the last relegation season (87?) and hadn't had a win as we travelled to Leicester, we got off the train at around midday and, in those dark days, the Old Bill didn't fancy a load of Villa fans in Leicester City centre and promptly frog marched us to the ground about two and half hours early. We sat down bored and a few Villa players eventually appeared and started to warm up, after a bit SGT popped his head out and was about to go back inside when the 50 or so of us sang 'One Graham Taylor' to him, he looked round and promptly jogged over, hurdled over the hoardings and sat down amongst us for a chat. He was an absolute gent and had a laugh and a joke for 10 mins before concluding with 'right lads, you all behave yourselves today and get behind us, anyone got any final questions?'

'Yeah Graham, when are we going to fucking win?' came an enquiry.

'Today lads, today'

And we did, and kept on winning.

God bless him.

I've just told the same story to one of my workmates, one of so many fond memories, particularly from that season in Division Two.

[ClaretAndBlueBlood]

have been to a family funeral today so already a bit teary but some of these memories and stories have finished me off

RIP Sir Graham Taylor

[Bottom Right 89]

Don't think I'll ever forget the day he was appointed the first time round. Always remember watching the lunch time news and seeing him livid saying the club was a shambles and needs shaking, he just gave me that feeling that we were now in safe hands and he was going to sort it out and he did. He didn't just manage the team he managed the whole club even Doug. When you think of favourite all time Villa players - he scouted and bought three of them.

Also remember him signing my programme, he stopped for a couple of minutes, gave me his full attention and asked about my thoughts for the match, as a young Villa fan that was as good as it gets, a truly likeable down to earth guy who knew how to treat the supporters respectfully - much like our new manager.

Very sad news but comforted by the memories of the journey back to the top flight and the glorious 89-90 season, because of this there will always be a bit of Graham Taylors legacy at Aston Villa and I'm sure the club will honour him appropriately. RIP and thanks for everything you did for us Graham.

[Oscar Arce]

So sad.
Graham, Villa needed you and you delivered.
Sorry about the second spell, it wasn't right but typical of you, you wouldn't back down from it.
A genuine, football man and a one-off.
RIP GT.

[Proposition Joe]

Villa fan from Lincoln here, so the news hits doubly hard. It's great to read all these anecdotes about what a great guy he was, and also Elton John's tribute was very touching.