Sir Graham Taylor

[Pete3206]

That Everton away day was  quite simply the best away day ever.

It was fantastic. Sir Graham was clearly humbled by the reception the fans gave him after the game.

[spirit-of-82]

A man who I've got nothing but respect for. I honestly believe we could of gone into freefall if we'd made the wrong appointment but he came in & turned our club around.
He also came across as a genuinely decent person.
His treatment by a section of our support 2nd time around is 1 of the only times ive been ashamed & embarrassed to be a villa fan

[dcdavecollett]

His treatment when he was England manager was ten times worse!

[maidstonevillain]

Not sure if it has been posted elsewhere.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67508164

[Clampy]

I read that earlier. Such a nice read.

[Chris Harte]

I felt his comments about talking to the team before the 1984 Cup final could have undermined Sir GT.

[eamonn]

I felt his comments about talking to the team before the 1984 Cup final could have undermined Sir GT.

Yeah, sounded a bit ego-driven too.

Lineker must have felt salty towards SGT for a long time after Euro'92 but it strikes me that he respected him in later life when they were colleagues at the BBC.

[Cliftonville Villlain]

I remember that run we went on when we finished runners-up. Didn't matter who we played they were destroyed. A confidence I've rarely seen since. All down to Sir Graham.

[TopDeck113]

I felt his comments about talking to the team before the 1984 Cup final could have undermined Sir GT.

To be fair, I think Elton's comment was probably with almost forty years of hindsight and reflection. His blubbing through Abide With Me suggests that on the day he was just as pleased to simply be there.  The interview - and everything I've ever heard him or Taylor say previously about their relationship - would suggest that Elton wouldn't have done anything to undermine the manager or the football side of the club.

[Drummond]

He'd have been around 37 at the time, not sure the players would have given much of a shit what he had to say.

[CT Villan]

You don't think the players would have taken him seriously...

[rob_bridge]

You don't think the players would have taken him seriously...

Doesn't everyone dress like that at home?

[SoccerHQ]

Will certainly be getting the book. Did Watford go from 4th division right up to 2nd in 4-5 years or was that Swansea?

Anyway a brilliant rise up the division by them (was going to say it could be done in the 1980s but of course their neighbours have replicated it in last decade) masterminded by two seemingly different characters who just clicked.

It's easy to forget that SGT in the mid 90s was basically seen as finished at managerial level, not just for England obviously but he was sacked by Wolves aswell IIRC so the phone stopped ringing at that point so just as interested to read about his second spell and Elton John deciding to give him another go and of course again Watford quickly rose from mid table in division two up to the premier league in about three years.

[Exeter 77]

Watford won the 4th Division in 1978, got promoted from the 3rd in 1979 and then from the 2nd in 1982. Swansea got promoted from the 4th Division with Watford in 1978 and the 3rd in 1979 but then got into to 1st Division in 1981. Watford lasted a lot longer in the top division (not relegated until after SGT in 1988). Swansea went down in 1983.

Edit: Swansea then proceeded to get relegated twice more in three seasons and were back in the 4th Division in 1986.

[go on the dog]

I know its not about Villa, its Watford but theirs a fantastic podcast out called Enjoy the Game, its Watfords rise under Sir Graham, its fantastic, what a amazing human being he was.