R.I.P. Graham Taylor

Discussion in 'The Hornets' Nest - Watford Chat' started by Aylesburyorn, Jan 12, 2017.

  1. nascot

    nascot First Team

  2. hornetgags

    hornetgags McMuff's lovechild

    [YT]YLcJ057il1c[/YT]
     
  3. Supertommymooney

    Supertommymooney Squad Player

    My brother just texted to remind me GT also put a note in the card to wish him well with his best man's speech. He is a Spurs fan but just said 'class'.
     
  4. ITK platypus

    ITK platypus Squad Player

    The first and probably only time the death of someone I've never personally met has made me genuinely sad.

    'God' was a huge part of Watford FC and Watford FC are a huge part of me.

    Rest in peace Graham and thank you.
     
  5. The Voice of Reason

    The Voice of Reason First Team Captain

    Near the end of that last video GT talked about our youth system and that we had to be careful not to destroy it, how about we honour him by making sure we don't, and really start to reinvest in it!

    I was at Birmingham for that semi final and also at Wembley, what days they were!

    Thanks for the memories Graham "Golden Boy" Taylor we all loved you:notworthy::notworthy::notworthy::notworthy::notworthy:​
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2017
  6. Loyalhornet

    Loyalhornet Reservist

    Terrribly sad loss of not only a Watford legend but a man of great integrity and character .
     
  7. TheDon

    TheDon First Team

    Anybody who has a spare free ticket for Saturday please get in contact. I am absolutely skint and owed money by companies that won't arrive til the end of the month.

    I can't miss Saturday. I know it's cheeky but worth a shot
     
  8. bracknellhornet

    bracknellhornet Reservist

    My heart sank when I saw the news earlier, and despite knowing how special and guy he was in Watford and footballing terms, I've seen so many stories and personal accounts of meetings with him that show him in such an incredible light, it makes it even the more sadder.

    RIP GT
     
  9. J.B

    J.B First Team

    More wonderful stories:

     
  10. miked2006

    miked2006 Premiership Prediction League Proprietor

    GT.

    I don't think I have ever read so many positive comments regarding a man's character.

    I spent my childhood dreaming that I would be good enough footballer to be in his team, or a good enough manager to lead Watford one day.

    Now, as an adult I have grown up and have other ambitions. But I'd give everything to show half the kindness, respect and dignity for others as he did.

    What an absolute inspiration. Such kindness and greatness will never be forgotten.
     
  11. Went for Christmas dinner with GT a month ago, a regular reunion of 80s club admin staff. I hadn't spoken to him for a couple of years, but he was in excellent form, remembering club backroom stalwarts like Roger Fleming, Roy Gurney, Les Simmons, Roy Clare, Bill Gough, Danny 'bleedin' Sharkey for gods sake, the list of 'little' club people was endless, and his enjoyment of the memories palpable. As the evening ended, I told him, for the first time, how much he meant to me as a Watford supporter, and though I didn't expect it to be the last opportunity I would get to do so, I cannot say how it feels right now that those words were the last I said to him.

    Graham Taylor is an icon to me, a towering influence, and a major reason for me enjoying the life I have led.

    I cannot be sad when I think of the man, and all my tears are happy ones. Like Elton says, the memories drown the sorrows

    Graham Taylor. Aye!
     
  12. Surprised at the depth of feeling not only from around Watford but across football - Shearer, Wright, Gazza, Merson... he touched everyone's heart
     
  13. iamofwfc

    iamofwfc Squad Player

    I was lucky enough to experience the great man at watford on both occasions, his achievements in his first spell I was too young to appreciate but the second I was. I remember that he would not have the dug out at the ground covered until the vic end had a roof over it.

    Also in a tour of Ireland we bumped into him and the team at the airport while checking in, few other watford fans there, one started moaning that his season ticket had not arrived. Instead of saying nothing to do with him he tried to explain that the ticket office are overrun and working very hard to get everything sorted, he also said he felt particularly responsible as he had got the team in the premier league.

    In Croatia during an England game, I was at the airport waiting for my bag, I had the watford observer under my arm, was with Walsall fans who i go to Engalnd games with, he came over and asked if he could borrow my watford observer, the other fans could not believe it.

    I was on the way to a friends 40th in Kings Langley, I popped into the spar the get something and the great man was in front of me buying some eggs, I said hello and asked if he could pop into my friends 40th as we were mainly long term watford season tickets, he said he would love to but he had to get the eggs to his wife and apogised, he still asked how the game was that day.

    I could go on all day and some things he told me off the record, all I can say he had more to do with getting rid off the old owner then most people realise.

    I am also half tempted to print copies of the several letters he sent me but think I will keep them private.

    Also when away at Engalnd games he always had good banter with the fans no matter how much stick they gave him.

    I think people will be surprised how much respect will be shown to him during the villa wolves game Saturday
     
  14. Sonic

    Sonic Academy Graduate

    Hi all. As a Burnley fan I am sad to hear that he has died, but doubtless nowhere near as the long-standing Watford fans who remember his glory years.

    Talking of which, I know this might seem strange at first, but I have a favour to ask. My wife is a life-long Watford fan and spent most of last night crying. This is because she was a steward at Vicarage Road until the end of the 2001 season, when we moved too far away for her to remain in the job. Her memories of GT are of a true gentleman who always took the time to make the stewards feel part of the team - a big thing for a small lady (she's 5' tall).

    Sorry, waffling. My favour. Does anyone know where I could find photographs or videos of GT's last home game - was it against Tranmere? - in 2001. She was stewarding and stood near him when he was on the pitch at the end. I can think of nothing better to give her as a memorial than a picture/video showing her and GT together at that last game.

    I hope you do GT proud tomorrow and walk over Middlesbrough. (Nothing to do with me supporting Burnley, honest!)

    Thanks

    Ian
     
  15. wfcwarehouse

    wfcwarehouse First Team Captain

    I never had the pleasure of meeting Graham but he was a football man, a Watford man and an absolute gentleman. The sort of wonderfully engaging man you could listen talk the game for hours on end. I'm absolutely devastated and teared up watching the very classy and respectful coverage on SSN.

    I'm going down to the Vic to leave some flowers and my old scarf at the tribute on my lunch hour today and I implore everyone else to do the same.

    Thank you for everything Graham, on behalf of me and my dad who remembers the journey from div 4. RIP Sir.
     
  16. wfcwarehouse

    wfcwarehouse First Team Captain

    Hi Ian; a user called Stevohorn may be able to help - I believe he has a YouTube channel with highlights going back years.

    Good luck.
     
  17. iamofwfc

    iamofwfc Squad Player


    Good luck with your search, I threw a scarf at the great man when he walking by the low rous after the game and he put it on, i also his last game managing watford was away at burnely, think we drew but not sure, the Burnley fans were great that day after the final whistle and the pitch invasion, they were also top draw before the game and in the pubs after the game, I think one of gods friends was managing them then as well, can't think who it was though.
     
  18. Knight GT

    Knight GT Predictor extraordinaire 2013/14

    There is a bloke on here called steveohorn or something like that who seems to have most videos of club games. He would be the best person on here I would think
     
  19. Knight GT

    Knight GT Predictor extraordinaire 2013/14

    Lost 2-0 but Burnley fans gave him a standing ovation.
     
  20. wfcmoog

    wfcmoog Tinpot

    That side of 98. That was the best season ever in my history. I was too young to appreciate the early 80s (I was concious of it but not old enough to put into context).

    98 was the closest I got to the real Taylor magic and every one of us enjoyed the ride.

    Putting Steve Palmer in goal - reason 376 of 10,000,000 why the man was a legend
     
  21. Sonic

    Sonic Academy Graduate

    Thanks all for the information. I hope 'steveohorn' has something I can print or get onto her PC. I wasn't there for the tie at Turf Moor as I lived down south, but I believe we gave him a pewter tankard or something at the end of the game. I did get to both ties at Vicarge Road. My mate was a Watford fan so we went together, but thankfully we separated at the ground as he had the habit of shouting "Short, fat, greedy b*%£&d" at Andy Hessenthaler. If I remember it was originally a Saturday game that was rained off for a small puddle. Went into a pub near the ground and all the WFC fans were commiserating. Felt a bit guilty when we won 1-0 in the Tues rematch .... Less than a month later met the wife. I think my first line to her was after finding out her loyalties. "Oh, you were stewarding? We won 1-0!" Not a good start!!

    PS Our manager in that last game was Steve Cotterill.
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2017
  22. Steve Leo Beleck

    Steve Leo Beleck Squad Player

    Go to 1:01:40 of this video and there's a good few minutes footage of the end of the Tranmere game - I couldn't see a 5' female steward standing near him but you may spot her at some point in the background:

    iamofwfc - your scarf throwing moment is captured at 1:02:35 - lovely memory to have captured on film!

    [video=youtube;NQiUlbUV7aM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQiUlbUV7aM&index=22&list=PLNfFC7Rmf1CcgtOyzwm16IA3FzqWOCALj[/video]
     
  23. iamofwfc

    iamofwfc Squad Player

    Ian from burnley, was your wife a steward in the lower rous during that era ?
     
  24. That video of his last game has got me going again
     
  25. Happy bunny

    Happy bunny Cheered up a bit

    The Times today has 4 pages on GT:

    Henry Winter: "Those seeking full appreciation of how deeply former England manager Graham Taylor was loved in football need only follow events at Vicarage Road at 3 pm tomorrow when Watford fans pay emotional tribute t their greatest inspiration .... Taylor was a good club manager and a great man.... That Watford side he first managed from 1977 to 1987 possessed far more flair than often perceived. Everyone knew about the precocity of John Barnes, those storming runs the winger made, but there was also the impudence of Nigel Callaghan's back-heeled goal against Waste Ham United in the Cup, prompting John Motson to proclaim "the cheekiest goal you'll ever see." There was Wilf Rostron bending the ball with the outside of his left foot, Luther Blisset rampaging and Ross Jenkins flying through the air. There was joy in Watford's football."

    Ken McGill, director of The Impossible Job: "Graham has done a great service to football by being an exemplary human being. Forget the tactics and analysis; he's one of the finest men I've ever met."

    Also appreciations written by John Barnes and Luther.

    I haven't checked what hypocrisies the Sun and the Mail have come up with.
     
  26. Happy bunny

    Happy bunny Cheered up a bit

    Can we sing "he's one of our own" tomorrow?

    I'm very keen that there should be a statue, but not at the ground. It should be in the centre of Watford, in recognition of all he did for the community and for the status of the town.
     
  27. iamofwfc

    iamofwfc Squad Player


    There should be one at Wembley stadium and parliament as well he did for English football and society then all the present premier league managers added togther
     
  28. Knight GT

    Knight GT Predictor extraordinaire 2013/14

    Should have been Knighted.
     
  29. Necrobutcher

    Necrobutcher Reservist

    It was 1999, and we looked out of the promotion race. We'd been on a bit of a bad run and there was a feeling of gloom about the club. I was walking my collie down the River Chess, and who did I bump into walking a pair of shelties? GT himself!

    "We'll get a result against Tranmere," he insisted, "and that'll be our springboard to the play offs!"

    We know what happened next. I believed him straight away, and I only chatted with him for a couple of minutes. It was just a little glimpse of the positivity he must have instilled into the players he worked with. I know his programme notes from the eighties have influenced me all my life. I keep saying this, but we really were blessed to have the bloke.
     
  30. UEA_Hornet

    UEA_Hornet First Team Captain

    Minute's applause appears to be the decision for tomorrow. There's an article on the fishal site with comment from Mazzarri where it's dropped in.
     
  31. Sonic

    Sonic Academy Graduate

    I think so, but I'll have to wait until she gets back from work to make sure.
     
  32. Sonic

    Sonic Academy Graduate

    No, I've had a look and I can't see her either. I'll show her the video later and hopefully she'll see something I've missed. Thanks very much for the post!!
     
  33. wfcmoog

    wfcmoog Tinpot

    I think this was actually the year before, in the Div 2 winning side. I missed the event because my train to Watford Junction was delayed, but I heard the incredulous coverage on the radio as I pelted it down Clarendon road, with shin splints. Wasn't it vs our rivals, Bournemouth?
     
  34. Otter

    Otter Gambling industry insider

    Here's a piece from the BBC in 1990 just after his first match as England manager.

    [video=youtube;GflYWluVbQA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GflYWluVbQA[/video]
     
  35. highgrade

    highgrade Reservist

    Would be great if you can take a photo when you go today and post it on here.Hopefully the game goes ahead tomorrow and all the flowers shirts and scarfs etc are still all there.
     

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