R.I.P. Graham Taylor

Yup. Was a promotion party that night I seem to remember.

 

Yes. YES!

 

Following WFC since 1969 I am one of the lucky ones and have many memories of the great man, this morning whilst reading tributes took me back to Ross Jenkins Testimonial match Home to Luton on a Tuesday evening late in the season, I think 1982.

As soon as the match started fans behind the goal were singing " rude " songs about Luton Town, Graham after a few minutes went into the main stand grabbed the mic, halted the match and asked the fans to stop, pointing out that Luton had a very important match the following Saturday to avoid relegation and didn't have to have agreed to play this match. (that was the match away to Man City when Luton won and David Pleat did he jig on the pitch)

Graham's comments brought applause and everyone was from then onwards well behaved, showed the humanity of the great man!

 

This. Gutted I'm away this weekend, please everyone there sing loud and proud for 90 minutes!

There's only one Graham Taylor

 

Echoing much of what has already been said I'm not normally affected by the deaths of celebrities but I'm genuinely really upset about this.

RIP GT.

 

Perhaps at the end of the game we should all stay behind and watch the big screen and join in the minutes applause at the Villa Wolves evening kick off game -

 

Not quite.

I think you are thinking of the fact that we didnt have dugouts at Vicarage Road because GT said they would sit out in the open until the home end got a roof.. hence the famous 'school benches' we had.
He was good to his word (of course) and in fact we were the last ground in the league to get covered dugouts.

 

Hard to know what to say isnt it.. to do this moment justice.


So i will just post this tribute that i put together yesterday..





RIP GT.

 

I think its going to be harder than most people think. There are going to be a lot of people trying very hard to hold back the tears tomorrow, who might find singing harder than they think.

Sure there will be plenty of voice at various times through out the game

 

Partly inspired by the user with the name, but I really feel there's only two things that need to be done in the future. A statue of him in the town centre (as someone has said), and for God to be knighted (get it done Queenie!!).

Actually, can they posthumously knight a person?

 

I'd never heard that quote and didn't know that stat - thanks for sharing

 

Experience with another manager would suggest not:
http://www.brianclough.com/knight.htm

Apparently the Henry Cotton example is wrong as he had already been offered and accepted it before he died.

Edit: apparently there is a petition to get one currently for George Michael...

 

No, I think it's only been done for those in the military, which of course is understandable.

 

fb://group/?id=401325703283083&view=permalink&object_id=1250405491708429

somebody has taken a video of the tribute at the round

 

That really does sum the bloke up, can you imagine any of the premiership managers doing that now, apart from maybe Dyche?

 

Link doesn't work

 

My user name originally was a bit tounge in cheek but what a fitting final tribute and thoroughly deserved if it can be done

 

Probably before most of you, however I remember once GT was critical of the fans claiming we weren't passionate, of course he faced a backlash so before a game he took to the field with a microphone to apologise and then held this sign up...I was at the game but quite young so my recollection of it is quite vague...perhaps some more experienced supporters can flesh it out...

 

I remember getting very excited at the prospect of Bobby Moore becoming manager and then feeling very deflated whilst reading the evening echo that we had appointed some bloke from Lincoln.
What followed were the best years ever, the promotions, the cup final, europe and being able to face any team in the country and know we had a chance of beating them.
Then he came back and secured another two promotions on the trot.
Thank you Mr Taylor for the wonderful memories you have given to me and all Watford fans of a certain age, and if anybody sees a greying 58 year old duffer singing his heart out with tears rolling down his cheeks it may be me.
RIP GT

 

Puts the honours system in complete perspective:-

Graham Taylor O.B.E.

Victoria Beckham O.B.E.

 

A handful of tickets left in the Lower Graham Taylor for tomorrows game for anyone wanting to be there to say an emotional farewell.

 

Hi iamofwfc, just checked: yes she was usually on the lower rous, but sometimes on the higher. Why do you ask??

 

Much more recent memory, due to my age I obviously don't have any from the original GT era but will never forget him calling out Bas after he pulled out of a fan forum.

And on Sky Sports he called up and slagged off I think it was the Russo's when we almost went into admin?

 

if she was a short little lady i think i remember her.

 

She is both short and little! :naughty: I'll tell her that she made an impression!

 

Yes.....I remember this. It was Watford v Crystal Palace where he came on before kick off to apologise for having a pop at the fans. He got a spontaneous round of applause from everyone after raising the "I'm Sorry" board above his head.. The game ended 1-1 and was April 1982.

 

That must have been the Good Friday game with Barnesy equalising.

 

I work just opposite Wembley stadium and this image has been proudly emblazoned across the Wembley Way end all day, in appropriately sombre but uplifting colours (particularly poignant seeing it first thing on a wintry morning just after daybreak) - sorry I couldn't get the pics of the great man in better definition:



Just seeing the man's name across our national stadium (and especially appropriate as it encapsulates two of our greatest memories of him as WFC manager) gave me goosebumps and is entirely fitting to how highly regarded he is both as man and manager across the country. Can you imagine many of today's highly (over-)lauded managers, including some not much younger if not equal in age to him receiving such a tribute? Sir Alex maybe but can't think of any others.

 

Great stories, particularly from the Villa journalist. So envious of people who have had the privilege to work closely alongside legends like him, even if it's at a club I don't particularly like.

I hope the Villa fans that called him "Turnip" during his second spell have been feeling more than a little shame-faced over the past 24 hours.

 

The media and football world will go into total meltdown as and when Sir Alex goes.

 

and rightly so

His support for McMillan, his support for young British managers is renowned.

GT never got to hear all the plaudits being lauded upon him. We shouldn't make that mistake with any sporting great again

 

I agree.

 

Collymore has suggested on Twitter a Graham Taylor trophy to be played between us and Aston Villa like Forest / Derby play the Brian Clough trophy

 

Yeah but Forest / Derby are in the same league ... surely Collymore's idea would be hard on a little club like Villa

 

I would love to see a statue outside the Vic of Graham Taylor.