Graham Taylor (football manager)
Encyclopedia
Graham Taylor OBE
(born 15 September 1944, Worksop
, Nottinghamshire
) is a football pundit, ex-football
manager, and a former player. He is best known as the manager of the England national football team
, as well as being manager of Watford
, a club he took from the Fourth Division
to the First
in the space of five years, then from bottom of the second division to the Premier League in two seasons two decades later.
Taylor grew up in the industrial steel town of Scunthorpe
, North Lincolnshire
, a town with which he still has many connections and regards as his hometown. The son of a sports journalist with The Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph, Graham found his love of football in the stands of the "Old Show Ground" watching Scunthorpe United
. He became a player, playing at full back for Grimsby Town
and Lincoln City
.
He retired as a player through injury in 1972. He became a manager and coach, winning success with Lincoln, Watford
and Aston Villa
. Taylor succeeded in rescuing and achieving promotion with all three clubs, leading Watford and Aston Villa to runners-up positions to Liverpool F.C in 1983 and 1990 respectively, while leading the former to an F.A Cup Final in 1984.
In 1990, he became the manager of the England
team, but resigned in November 1993, after failing to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup
in the United States
. Taylor was heavily criticised personally and professionally during his failed tenure. Taylor faced even more criticism, when a documentary which filmed the failed qualifying campaign, aired in 1994. Taylor was heard to utter the words "Do I not like that", when England conceded a goal to Poland
, and it became a national catchphrase. He was also filmed berating the German linesman during the controversial and crippling defeat to the Netherlands
in a World Cup
qualifier.
Taylor returned to club management in March 1994, and achieved more success with Watford. The club was promoted to the Premier League in 1999, after slipping back down the leagues after Taylor's departure 12 years earlier. His most recent managerial role was manager of Aston Villa, who he returned to in 2002. He left at the end of the 2002–03 season
. Taylor now works as a pundit for BBC Radio Five Live
and is chairman of Watford F.C.
.
in Scunthorpe in 1947, where his father Thomas was the sports reporter for the Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph. He went to the Henderson Avenue Junior School, then Scunthorpe Grammar School (now High Ridge School), where he met his wife, Rita, from Winteringham
. He played for the England Grammar Schools football team, and joined the sixth-form after passing six-O-levels in 1961, but he left after one year to pursue a full-time career in football. This was highly unusual for a Grammar School pupil and his teachers disapproved of his actions. Taylor always preferred football to rugby at Grammar School. He joined Grimsby Town, and played his first competitive game for them in September 1963 against Newcastle United when they won 2–1. In early 1965 Graham Taylor married Rita Cowling. They had two daughters, Joanne and Karen, whilst Taylor was at Grimsby. They also lived in Cleethorpes
. When he moved to Lincoln, he bought his first house in North Hykeham
.
in 1962 for whom he went on to play 189 games at fullback, scoring twice. He was transferred to Lincoln City
in the summer of 1968, he scored 1 goal in 150 appearances before being forced to retire from playing following a serious hip injury in 1972. He was dubbed to have said to be thinking of an early retirement shortly before this happened because of family matters, but this was never confirmed.
coach, at the age of 27. Following his retirement from playing, Taylor became manager of Lincoln City
, being the youngest manager in the league at the age of 28 in December 1972. Taylor led Lincoln to the Fourth Division
title in 1976, during which the Imps set the league records for most wins (32), fewest defeats (4), and most points (74) (when 2 points were awarded for a win).
by new owner Elton John
. He turned down an approach from First Division West Bromwich Albion
in favour of a Fourth Division club, which caused a major surprise among many observers.
Taylor led Watford from the Football League Fourth Division
to the First Division in only five years. In this first season in the Football League Fourth Division Watford won the title at his first attempt during the 1977–78 season, losing only five of 46 games and winning the league by 11 points. In the Football League Third Division
Taylor led Watford to another promotion, finishing second, and losing out on the title by one point in the 1978–1979 season.
Taylor's third season in the Football League Second Division
was less successful. Indicating the tougher competition, Watford managed only a 18th finish, out of 22 teams, avoiding relegation by eight points and winning only 12 of their 42 games in the 1979–1980 season. In the next season, the 1980–1981 season, Taylor improved Watford's performance, ending it with 16 wins and a 9th place finish. In the 81–82 season Watford achieved promotion, ending the season in 2nd place, and gaining 23 wins and 11 draws in 46 games.
In the First Division with Taylor as manager, Watford gained its highest-ever victory (8–0 against Sunderland, with Luther Blissett scoring four) as well as the "double" over Arsenal, an away win at Tottenham Hotspur, and home victories over Everton and Liverpool; this resulted in Watford finishing runners-up in the entire Football League. He then took the side to the third round of the UEFA Cup
, having finished second in 1982–83
(the club's first season as a top division club). Taylor also led Watford to the 1984 FA Cup Final
, which Watford lost to Everton
2–0. In his final season, 1986–87
, Watford finished ninth in the league and reached the FA Cup semi-finals, missing out on another Wembley appearance when they lost to Tottenham
, their chances hardly helped by the fact that both of their first team goalkeepers were injured.
, who had just been relegated from the First Division. It was a terrible setback for the Midlanders, who had won the European Cup just five years earlier and had been league champions six years earlier.
Taylor managed to take Aston Villa back to the top flight with his first attempt, securing their top flight safety in 1988–89
with a win on the final day of the league season. During his third season at the club Villa finished runners-up in the first division, having led the league table at several stages of the season before being overhauled in the final weeks by Liverpool
. Following this success, Taylor accepted an offer to take over the England national football team
from Bobby Robson
, who left the job after England's world cup semi-final defeat to Germany
.
once. It was also pointed out Taylor had never played in 'top flight' football let alone international level and that winning the respect of the players would be difficult. His critics also noted although he had ditched the long-ball game at Aston Villa there was still tactical worries about his intentions when English clubs were looking to dispense with "route one" football in favour of a more "picturesque route to goal".
at Wembley Stadium in September 1991). However, England struggled to qualify for Euro '92. In a group containing Turkey
, Ireland
, and Poland
England were held to 1–1 twice by the Irish and managed just 1–0 wins home and away against Turkey. It was only a last ditch goal from Gary Lineker
against Poland that saw England qualify at the expense of the Irish. England's qualification for the Euro 92 finals proved to be the high point of Taylor's tenure.
The number of players that Taylor was using in the run up to the championship was also questioned, and the gentlemen of the press viewed this as evidence Taylor did not not know his best team. He used 59 players in total, as he struggled to find a 'new spine' after the retirement of Peter Shilton
, Terry Butcher
and Bryan Robson
. He also faced accusations he could not cope with 'stars', after he dropped Paul Gascoigne
for Gordon Cowans
for a qualifying game against Ireland, fearing he might "lose his head" in what would a "bruising" encounter.
Matters were not helped by Taylor's reluctance to use creative players who did not have high work rates, such as Chris Waddle
and Peter Beardsley
. He also suffered several injuries, notably to Gary Stevens
, Lee Dixon, John Barnes and Paul Gascoigne
, leaving the squad in make-shift mode going into the finals. The loss of Mark Wright
led to Taylor trying to call up Tony Adams
, but UEFA refused, citing that it was too late.
England was drawn to face France
, Denmark
and hosts Sweden
. In the opening game England started brightly and missed several chances to take a healthy lead. Platt was guilty of particularly glaring miss. Thereafter, the Danes began to dominate the match, and nearly won the game with minutes left as John Jensen
struck a post. The game ended 0–0. In the match against France, Platt nearly scored with a diving header which went inches wide of the post, and Stuart Pearce
hit the bar with a free-kick. The game ended 0–0.
England needed to beat hosts Sweden
to advance to the semi-finals. Lineker crossed for Platt to open the scoring on four minutes, with a miss-kicked volley. However, England wasted several chanced to extend their lead. Platt made a pass to Tony Daley
who wasted a chance to pass to Lineker in the open. England held a slender 1–0 lead at half-time. After half-time, the Swedes changed their personnel and formation, and dominated the second half, scoring twice to win 2–1. England were eliminated.
During the game, after 60 minutes and with the score at 1–1, Taylor substituted Gary Lineker
in his final game for England. By doing this, he prevented Lineker from having the chance of equalling, or possibly even breaking, Bobby Charlton
's record of 49 goals for England. Many were dismayed to see Taylor substitute England's top striker when his side needed a goal. This led to the media's vilification of Taylor, including the "turnip" campaign by The Sun
, which began the morning after the game under the headline: "Swedes
2 Turnips 1". During that campaign the newspaper's back page featured an image of Taylor's face superimposed onto a turnip
.
Taylor's relationship with the press was partially restored when he admitted his mistakes a few weeks after the finals. However, this did not last long. England's first game after Euro 92 ended in a 1–0 defeat to Spain in a friendly, The Sun
depicted Taylor as a "Spanish onion".
England were drawn in Qualification Group 2 for the 1994 FIFA World Cup
in the United States. The group contained Norway
, The Netherlands
, Poland
, Turkey
and San Marino
. England were expected to qualify along with the Dutch.
England began with a disappointing 1–1 draw with Norway. Norway were the early pace setters, with victories over San Marino, the Netherlands and Turkey. Gascoigne returned, but the Norwegians were confident. Despite dominating the game, England could muster only half chances. Platt gave England the lead in the 55th minute after a cross from Stuart Pearce. Norway rarely threatened, but equalised in the 77th minute, when Kjetil Rekdal
scored from 20 yards. The draw flattered the Norwegians, but put them clear in the group.
at Wembley Stadium. England went 2–0 up in 24 minutes through John Barnes
and David Platt. However Taylor's luck had started to take a turn for the worse, as Paul Gascoigne
was injured by Jan Wouters' elbow, but the Dutchman was not sent off. Dennis Bergkamp
scored a goal for the Netherlands towards the end of the first half, against the run of play, but England continued to control the game, and looked to be heading for a win which would have ended Dutch hopes of qualification, following the side's defeat in Norway, and a draw at home to the Poles. But four minutes from full-time Marc Overmars
outpaced Des Walker
, prompting Walker to foul him inside the penalty area. The penalty was converted by Peter Van Vossen
and the game ended 2–2. Suddenly England's "World Cup life" looked in danger.
of Poland scored in the 36th minute, although the team missed several chances to extend their lead. Ian Wright
salvaged a vital point through forcing an equaliser in the 85th minute, for a final score of 1–1. Taylor was again vilified for his team's poor performance. England's next opponents were Norway.
The Norwegians had arrived from obscurity and had taken the group by storm with a series of early victories which had left England, Poland, and The Netherlands scrapping for second place. Taylor made wholesale changes of personnel and tactics, which again drew criticism, his actions considered risky in what was now a crucial game. Lee Sharpe
and Lee Dixon
came on as wing-backs, while Carlton Palmer
and Platt occupied midfield berths. Gascoigne supported Teddy Sheringham
and Les Ferdinand
up-front. Des Walker, Tony Adams
and Gary Pallister
formed a back three.
England lost 2–0, with few attempts on goal. Lars Bohinen
and Øyvind Leonhardsen
scored the goals in the 42nd and 47th minutes. The first was caused by a Des Walker error, while Walker was beaten for pace by a Norwegian counter-attack for Bohinen to score
Subsequently Taylor said "We made a complete mess of it. I'm here to be shot at and take the rap. I have no defence for our performance", although his honesty did not spare him a roasting from the press, who were now calling for his head. The press came up with headlines such as "NORSE MANURE" and "OSLO RANS".
), which was expected to be a precursor to the following summer's tournament. Taylor stated before the game against the USA
:
For Taylor the US Cup began with a humiliating 2–0 defeat in Boston
to the USA which was reported by the tabloid press in Britain as "YANKS 2 PLANKS 0!". Some pride was restored with a credible 1–1 draw with Brazil and a narrow 2–1 defeat to Germany. Taylor was now living on borrowed time.
began with a much improved performance, with a 3–0 win over Poland raising the nation's hopes going into what was now the crucial match against the Dutch in Rotterdam
.
In October England were to play the Netherlands in Rotterdam. With Norway having won the group the encounter would effectively decide the second and last qualifier of the group. The game was played at a furious pace, with the Dutch putting the English under pressure early on. However England hit back with a string of counter attacks, with Platt heading just wide and Tony Adams
having a shot cleared off the line by Erwin Koeman
, while Tony Dorigo
hit a post with a 35-yard free-kick after 25 minutes. Two minutes before half-time England were fortunate to have a Frank Rijkaard
goal ruled out for offside, even though replays showed the goal was legitimate. However later in the second half with the game locked at 0–0 David Platt was fouled by Ronald Koeman
as he raced in on goal. The German referee failed to apply the rule of sending him off for a professional foul. The Dutch charged down Dorigo's free-kick, with Dutch players clearly encroaching. Just minutes later the Dutchman took an identical free kick outside England's penalty area. His first shot was blocked, but it was ordered to be retaken because of encroachment
.
Koeman scored at the second attempt. Paul Merson
hit a post with a free-kick moments later, while Dennis Bergkamp
scored just moments later, despite using his arm to control the ball, for 2–0 win. In the meantime Taylor was in an apoplectic mood on the touchline, berating the officials and referee as the significance of the result sank in.
Taylor resigned on 24 November 1993. He went 'with great sadness', saying: 'No one can gauge the depth of my personal disappointment at not qualifying for the World Cup.' There had been no question of him wanting to stay on, in any capacity. 'This is the appropriate course of action in the circumstances,' he said. 'If we didn't qualify, it was always my intention to offer my resignation.'
Taylor had also agreed to be filmed during the qualifying campaign
for Cutting Edge
, a Channel 4
fly-on-the-wall
documentary series, in which his portrayal further undermined his authority. During the film, Taylor was heard to use foul language, and what became his personal catchphrase: "Do I not like that", uttered just before England conceded a goal to Poland
.
in March 1994, replacing Graham Turner
. Taylor had been a generally unpopular figure in English football since his unsuccessful reign as national coach, and few people seemed willing to forgive him for his first managerial failure – one that mattered most to so many people up and down the country.
But he took the Midlands club to fourth in Division One to qualify for the playoffs – their highest league finish since their last top division season 11 years earlier – where they lost out to Bolton Wanderers
. They also reached the quarter finals of the FA Cup
after a memorable replay penalty shootout victory over Sheffield Wednesday, in which they were 3–0 down on penalties, only to win the shootout 4–3, in which Chris Bart-Williams
had two penalties saved over the two matches.
Taylor spent heavily on players while at Wolves, paying large sums for the likes of Steve Sedgley
, Tony Daley
and Don Goodman
.
However, the 1994–95 season proved to be his only full season at Molineux
, as, after a poor start to the following campaign, winning just 4 from the 16 opening league games, he resigned in November 1995 due to overwhelming supporter pressure. During his tenure, he attempted to perform a citizen's arrest
on a fan who had spat at him, prompting calls for closer crowd controls in the English game.
, who had recently bought Watford for a second time, appointed Taylor as General Manager at Vicarage Road. Just over a year later Taylor had appointed himself as the club's manager succeeding Kenny Jackett
, who was relegated to a coaching capacity at the club. He won the Division Two championship at his first attempt in 1998, despite having a life-threatening abscess that blocked his windpipe and almost killed him.
The following season Taylor won the Division One Play-off Final
, beating Bolton Wanderers 2–0 at Wembley, and with it promotion to the Premier league, where Watford were relegated after one season. Despite starting the following season well – unbeaten through the first fifteen league games and heading the table – Watford slumped to finish 9th in Division One with Taylor publicly stating he had lost his powers of motivation. At this point Taylor decided to retire. During this final season Taylor had become only the third manager to manage 1,000 league games in England, after Brian Clough
and Jim Smith
.
. He subsequently cited tensions in his relationship with the club's chairman Doug Ellis
and argued for an overhaul of the club's upper management to allow the club to be more competitive.
club Scunthorpe United
, his hometown club. Since 2004, he has worked as a pundit on BBC Radio Five Live
, and has managed a team of celebrities for Sky One
's annual series, The Match
.
His time at Scunthorpe has seen a turnaround in the club's fortunes. In his first season
on the board, they narrowly avoided relegation to the Conference
. The following season
, they were promoted to League One
. Two years after that
, they were promoted to the Football League Championship
as League One champions.
Taylor returned to Watford on 23 January 2009, being appointed to the new board
as a non-executive director
and was appointed interim chairman on 16 December 2009.
and is a Patron of DebRa (www.debra.org.uk). He is a Celebrity Ambassador for the Sense Enterprise Board in Birmingham, and has worked to raise both funds and awareness, including running the London Marathon
in 2004. He regularly hosts moderated "online coaching seminars" on the DALnet
channel irc://irc.dal.net/digi . He also supports the Royal British Legion and cycled from London to Paris in 2010 to raise funds for the RBL's Poppy appeal.
Lincoln City
Watford
Aston Villa
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 15 September 1944, Worksop
Worksop
Worksop is the largest town in the Bassetlaw district of Nottinghamshire, England on the River Ryton at the northern edge of Sherwood Forest. It is about east-south-east of the City of Sheffield and its population is estimated to be 39,800...
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
) is a football pundit, ex-football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
manager, and a former player. He is best known as the manager of the England national football team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, as well as being manager of Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
, a club he took from the Fourth Division
Football League Fourth Division
The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
to the First
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
in the space of five years, then from bottom of the second division to the Premier League in two seasons two decades later.
Taylor grew up in the industrial steel town of Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe is a town within North Lincolnshire, England. It is the administrative centre of the North Lincolnshire unitary authority, and had an estimated total resident population of 72,514 in 2010. A predominantly industrial town, Scunthorpe, the United Kingdom's largest steel processing centre,...
, North Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire is a unitary authority area in the region of Yorkshire and the Humber in England. For ceremonial purposes it is part of Lincolnshire....
, a town with which he still has many connections and regards as his hometown. The son of a sports journalist with The Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph, Graham found his love of football in the stands of the "Old Show Ground" watching Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
. He became a player, playing at full back for Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
and Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
.
He retired as a player through injury in 1972. He became a manager and coach, winning success with Lincoln, Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
and Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
. Taylor succeeded in rescuing and achieving promotion with all three clubs, leading Watford and Aston Villa to runners-up positions to Liverpool F.C in 1983 and 1990 respectively, while leading the former to an F.A Cup Final in 1984.
In 1990, he became the manager of the England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
team, but resigned in November 1993, after failing to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Taylor was heavily criticised personally and professionally during his failed tenure. Taylor faced even more criticism, when a documentary which filmed the failed qualifying campaign, aired in 1994. Taylor was heard to utter the words "Do I not like that", when England conceded a goal to Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
, and it became a national catchphrase. He was also filmed berating the German linesman during the controversial and crippling defeat to the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
in a World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
qualifier.
Taylor returned to club management in March 1994, and achieved more success with Watford. The club was promoted to the Premier League in 1999, after slipping back down the leagues after Taylor's departure 12 years earlier. His most recent managerial role was manager of Aston Villa, who he returned to in 2002. He left at the end of the 2002–03 season
2002-03 in English football
The 2002-03 season was the 123rd season of competitive football in England.-Most Memorable rise:*Wigan Athletic marked their 25th season of Football League membership by winning the Division Two championship and reaching the league's second tier for the very first time.-Most Memorable...
. Taylor now works as a pundit for BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
and is chairman of Watford F.C.
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
.
Early life
He moved to a council houseCouncil house
A council house, otherwise known as a local authority house, is a form of public or social housing. The term is used primarily in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Council houses were built and operated by local councils to supply uncrowded, well-built homes on secure tenancies at...
in Scunthorpe in 1947, where his father Thomas was the sports reporter for the Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph. He went to the Henderson Avenue Junior School, then Scunthorpe Grammar School (now High Ridge School), where he met his wife, Rita, from Winteringham
Winteringham
Winteringham is a village in North Lincolnshire and on the south bank of the Humber Estuary, population 989 .The Romans had a settlement here probably called Ad Abum . The Roman road Ermine Street from London and Lincoln to the south crossed the Humber here by way of a ferry or ford to Brough, and...
. He played for the England Grammar Schools football team, and joined the sixth-form after passing six-O-levels in 1961, but he left after one year to pursue a full-time career in football. This was highly unusual for a Grammar School pupil and his teachers disapproved of his actions. Taylor always preferred football to rugby at Grammar School. He joined Grimsby Town, and played his first competitive game for them in September 1963 against Newcastle United when they won 2–1. In early 1965 Graham Taylor married Rita Cowling. They had two daughters, Joanne and Karen, whilst Taylor was at Grimsby. They also lived in Cleethorpes
Cleethorpes
Cleethorpes is a town and unparished area in North East Lincolnshire, England, situated on the estuary of the Humber. It has a population of 31,853 and is a seaside resort.- History :...
. When he moved to Lincoln, he bought his first house in North Hykeham
North Hykeham
North Hykeham is administratively a town immediately south of Lincoln, in the county of Lincolnshire, England. Geographically it is part of the greater Lincoln urban sprawl, and comprises 4,915 dwellings...
.
Playing career
His playing career began with Grimsby TownGrimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
in 1962 for whom he went on to play 189 games at fullback, scoring twice. He was transferred to Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
in the summer of 1968, he scored 1 goal in 150 appearances before being forced to retire from playing following a serious hip injury in 1972. He was dubbed to have said to be thinking of an early retirement shortly before this happened because of family matters, but this was never confirmed.
Records
Graham Taylor is the only manager to have twice led teams that amassed over 70 points in one Football League season under the League's original scoring system of two points for a win and one point for a draw which was introduced for the inaugural 1888–89 season and was retained for over 90 years until the reward for a win was increased to three points in 1981. He achieved this with Lincoln City (74 points – 1976) and Watford (71 points – 1978). To put this in perspective there were only two other occasions when this feat was accomplished, the other clubs concerned being Doncaster Rovers (72 points – 1947) and Rotherham United (71 points – 1951).Lincoln City (1972–1977)
Taylor was the youngest person to become a FAThe Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
coach, at the age of 27. Following his retirement from playing, Taylor became manager of Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
, being the youngest manager in the league at the age of 28 in December 1972. Taylor led Lincoln to the Fourth Division
Football League Fourth Division
The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
title in 1976, during which the Imps set the league records for most wins (32), fewest defeats (4), and most points (74) (when 2 points were awarded for a win).
Watford (1977–1987)
In 1977, the 32-year-old Taylor was hired to manage WatfordWatford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
by new owner Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
. He turned down an approach from First Division West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
in favour of a Fourth Division club, which caused a major surprise among many observers.
Taylor led Watford from the Football League Fourth Division
Football League Fourth Division
The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
to the First Division in only five years. In this first season in the Football League Fourth Division Watford won the title at his first attempt during the 1977–78 season, losing only five of 46 games and winning the league by 11 points. In the Football League Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
Taylor led Watford to another promotion, finishing second, and losing out on the title by one point in the 1978–1979 season.
Taylor's third season in the Football League Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
was less successful. Indicating the tougher competition, Watford managed only a 18th finish, out of 22 teams, avoiding relegation by eight points and winning only 12 of their 42 games in the 1979–1980 season. In the next season, the 1980–1981 season, Taylor improved Watford's performance, ending it with 16 wins and a 9th place finish. In the 81–82 season Watford achieved promotion, ending the season in 2nd place, and gaining 23 wins and 11 draws in 46 games.
In the First Division with Taylor as manager, Watford gained its highest-ever victory (8–0 against Sunderland, with Luther Blissett scoring four) as well as the "double" over Arsenal, an away win at Tottenham Hotspur, and home victories over Everton and Liverpool; this resulted in Watford finishing runners-up in the entire Football League. He then took the side to the third round of the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
, having finished second in 1982–83
1982-83 in English football
The 1982–83 season was the 103rd season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Bob Paisley's last season as Liverpool manager ended on a high as they topped the First Division with a comfortable lead. Bob Paisley retired as Liverpool manager with a record 21 prizes in nine years. His...
(the club's first season as a top division club). Taylor also led Watford to the 1984 FA Cup Final
1984 FA Cup Final
The 1984 FA Cup Final was contested by Everton and Watford at Wembley. Everton won 2–0, with one goal by Graeme Sharp and a particularly memorable goal from Andy Gray. He was adjudged by many to have fouled the Watford goalkeeper Steve Sherwood by heading the ball from Sherwood's hands....
, which Watford lost to Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
2–0. In his final season, 1986–87
1986-87 in English football
The 1986–87 season was the 107th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :The First Division championship went to Everton in their final season under the management of Howard Kendall before his departure to Athletic Bilbao. His side overcame a spate of injuries to fight off...
, Watford finished ninth in the league and reached the FA Cup semi-finals, missing out on another Wembley appearance when they lost to Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, their chances hardly helped by the fact that both of their first team goalkeepers were injured.
Aston Villa (1987–1990)
In June 1987, Taylor left Watford for a new challenge at Aston VillaAston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
, who had just been relegated from the First Division. It was a terrible setback for the Midlanders, who had won the European Cup just five years earlier and had been league champions six years earlier.
Taylor managed to take Aston Villa back to the top flight with his first attempt, securing their top flight safety in 1988–89
1988-89 in English football
The 1988–89 season was the 109th season of competitive football in England.-Hillsborough disaster:On 15 April, a crowd crush at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough killed 94 people and injured more than 300. A 95th Liverpool supporter died in hospital...
with a win on the final day of the league season. During his third season at the club Villa finished runners-up in the first division, having led the league table at several stages of the season before being overhauled in the final weeks by Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
. Following this success, Taylor accepted an offer to take over the England national football team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
from Bobby Robson
Bobby Robson
Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team during his career....
, who left the job after England's world cup semi-final defeat to Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
.
Appointment
When Graham Taylor took over the highest managerial job in English Football many complained that he was doing so without ever having won a major trophy – even though he had taken teams to second place in the league twice and an FA Cup finalFA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
once. It was also pointed out Taylor had never played in 'top flight' football let alone international level and that winning the respect of the players would be difficult. His critics also noted although he had ditched the long-ball game at Aston Villa there was still tactical worries about his intentions when English clubs were looking to dispense with "route one" football in favour of a more "picturesque route to goal".
1992 European Championship
Despite the unease at his appointment, England lost just once in Taylor's first 23 matches ( a 0–1 defeat to GermanyGermany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
at Wembley Stadium in September 1991). However, England struggled to qualify for Euro '92. In a group containing Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
, and Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
England were held to 1–1 twice by the Irish and managed just 1–0 wins home and away against Turkey. It was only a last ditch goal from Gary Lineker
Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker, OBE , is a former English footballer, who played as a striker. He is a sports broadcaster for the BBC, Al Jazeera Sports and Eredivisie Live...
against Poland that saw England qualify at the expense of the Irish. England's qualification for the Euro 92 finals proved to be the high point of Taylor's tenure.
The number of players that Taylor was using in the run up to the championship was also questioned, and the gentlemen of the press viewed this as evidence Taylor did not not know his best team. He used 59 players in total, as he struggled to find a 'new spine' after the retirement of Peter Shilton
Peter Shilton
Peter Leslie Shilton OBE is a former English footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He currently holds the record for playing more games for England than anyone else, earning 125 caps....
, Terry Butcher
Terry Butcher
Terence Ian "Terry" Butcher is an English football manager and former player. He was a highly successful football player and made his name as an uncompromising defender with Ipswich Town and Rangers in the 1980s. He was also a captain of England and won 77 caps in a ten-year international career...
and Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson OBE is an English football manager and a former player. He is best known for playing in midfield for Manchester United, where he was the longest serving captain in club history. He was the manager of Sheffield United, being relieved of his first team duties at the club in February 2008...
. He also faced accusations he could not cope with 'stars', after he dropped Paul Gascoigne
Paul Gascoigne
Paul John Gascoigne , commonly referred to as Gazza, is a retired English professional footballer.Playing in the position of midfield, Gascoigne's career included spells at Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, Rangers, Middlesbrough, Everton and Gansu Tianma, where he scored at least a goal...
for Gordon Cowans
Gordon Cowans
Gordon Sidney Cowans is an English retired football player and coach.Cowans started his career at Aston Villa as an apprentice in 1974, and signed as a professional in 1976...
for a qualifying game against Ireland, fearing he might "lose his head" in what would a "bruising" encounter.
Matters were not helped by Taylor's reluctance to use creative players who did not have high work rates, such as Chris Waddle
Chris Waddle
Christopher Roland "Chris" Waddle is a former footballer from England. He played for a number of clubs in the 1980s and 90s, including Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield Wednesday in England, and Olympique de Marseille in France...
and Peter Beardsley
Peter Beardsley
Peter Andrew Beardsley MBE is an English former footballer who played between 1979 and 1999. He once set a record transfer fee in the game and represented his country 59 times between 1986 and 1996, once as captain...
. He also suffered several injuries, notably to Gary Stevens
Gary Stevens
Gary Michael Stevens is a retired English footballer who is best remembered playing in defence for a successful Everton side of the 1980s, as well as for the England national football team....
, Lee Dixon, John Barnes and Paul Gascoigne
Paul Gascoigne
Paul John Gascoigne , commonly referred to as Gazza, is a retired English professional footballer.Playing in the position of midfield, Gascoigne's career included spells at Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, Rangers, Middlesbrough, Everton and Gansu Tianma, where he scored at least a goal...
, leaving the squad in make-shift mode going into the finals. The loss of Mark Wright
Mark Wright
Mark Wright may refer to:*Mark Wright , English footballer and manager*Mark Wright , English footballer...
led to Taylor trying to call up Tony Adams
Tony Adams
Tony Adams may refer to:*Tony Adams , Welsh actor*Tony Adams , American football player*Tony Adams , Irish-born film and stage producer...
, but UEFA refused, citing that it was too late.
England was drawn to face France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
, Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
and hosts Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
. In the opening game England started brightly and missed several chances to take a healthy lead. Platt was guilty of particularly glaring miss. Thereafter, the Danes began to dominate the match, and nearly won the game with minutes left as John Jensen
John Jensen
John Jensen , nicknamed Faxe, is a former Danish international footballer who is unemployed. He is known for his temper and is often outspoken in interviews. His playing career lasted over a decade, during which he played most famously for Arsenal F.C...
struck a post. The game ended 0–0. In the match against France, Platt nearly scored with a diving header which went inches wide of the post, and Stuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce OBE is an English football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the England national under-21 team and the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic football team...
hit the bar with a free-kick. The game ended 0–0.
England needed to beat hosts Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
to advance to the semi-finals. Lineker crossed for Platt to open the scoring on four minutes, with a miss-kicked volley. However, England wasted several chanced to extend their lead. Platt made a pass to Tony Daley
Tony Daley
Anthony Mark Daley is an English former footballer, who made the vast majority of his appearances for Aston Villa, playing mainly as a winger, well known for his pace...
who wasted a chance to pass to Lineker in the open. England held a slender 1–0 lead at half-time. After half-time, the Swedes changed their personnel and formation, and dominated the second half, scoring twice to win 2–1. England were eliminated.
During the game, after 60 minutes and with the score at 1–1, Taylor substituted Gary Lineker
Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker, OBE , is a former English footballer, who played as a striker. He is a sports broadcaster for the BBC, Al Jazeera Sports and Eredivisie Live...
in his final game for England. By doing this, he prevented Lineker from having the chance of equalling, or possibly even breaking, Bobby Charlton
Bobby Charlton
Sir Robert "Bobby" Charlton CBE is an English former professional football player, a member of the England team who won the World Cup and Ballon d'Or for European Footballer of the Year in 1966...
's record of 49 goals for England. Many were dismayed to see Taylor substitute England's top striker when his side needed a goal. This led to the media's vilification of Taylor, including the "turnip" campaign by The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
, which began the morning after the game under the headline: "Swedes
Rutabaga
The rutabaga, swede , turnip or yellow turnip is a root vegetable that originated as a cross between the cabbage and the turnip; see Triangle of U...
2 Turnips 1". During that campaign the newspaper's back page featured an image of Taylor's face superimposed onto a turnip
Turnip
The turnip or white turnip is a root vegetable commonly grown in temperate climates worldwide for its white, bulbous taproot. Small, tender varieties are grown for human consumption, while larger varieties are grown as feed for livestock...
.
Stuttering start
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
depicted Taylor as a "Spanish onion".
England were drawn in Qualification Group 2 for the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
in the United States. The group contained Norway
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
, The Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
, Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
, Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
and San Marino
San Marino national football team
The San Marino national football team is the national football team of San Marino, controlled by the San Marino Football Federation...
. England were expected to qualify along with the Dutch.
England began with a disappointing 1–1 draw with Norway. Norway were the early pace setters, with victories over San Marino, the Netherlands and Turkey. Gascoigne returned, but the Norwegians were confident. Despite dominating the game, England could muster only half chances. Platt gave England the lead in the 55th minute after a cross from Stuart Pearce. Norway rarely threatened, but equalised in the 77th minute, when Kjetil Rekdal
Kjetil Rekdal
Kjetil André Rekdal is a Norwegian football coach and a former footballer. He is currently managing Aalesund in Norwegian Tippeligaen. His previous tenure was at Kaiserslautern of the 2...
scored from 20 yards. The draw flattered the Norwegians, but put them clear in the group.
Three wins and a Dutch draw
The campaign seemed to get back on track with two wins against Turkey (4–0 at home and 2–0 away) and a 6–0 home victory over San Marino. In April 1993 England faced the NetherlandsNetherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
at Wembley Stadium. England went 2–0 up in 24 minutes through John Barnes
John Barnes (footballer)
John Charles Bryan Barnes MBE is an English football manager and former player.During his playing career, Barnes had successful periods at Watford and Liverpool in the 1980s and 1990s, winning the First Division twice, the FA Cup twice, and playing for England 79 times...
and David Platt. However Taylor's luck had started to take a turn for the worse, as Paul Gascoigne
Paul Gascoigne
Paul John Gascoigne , commonly referred to as Gazza, is a retired English professional footballer.Playing in the position of midfield, Gascoigne's career included spells at Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, Rangers, Middlesbrough, Everton and Gansu Tianma, where he scored at least a goal...
was injured by Jan Wouters' elbow, but the Dutchman was not sent off. Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Nicolaas Bergkamp , is a former Dutch professional footballer who is currently the assistant manager to Frank de Boer at Ajax. At club level he played for Ajax, Internazionale, and Arsenal, and also represented the Netherlands at international level...
scored a goal for the Netherlands towards the end of the first half, against the run of play, but England continued to control the game, and looked to be heading for a win which would have ended Dutch hopes of qualification, following the side's defeat in Norway, and a draw at home to the Poles. But four minutes from full-time Marc Overmars
Marc Overmars
Marc Overmars is a retired Dutch footballer. He is best known as a right-footed left winger, although he is able to use both his feet with equal precision and power...
outpaced Des Walker
Des Walker
Desmond Sinclair "Des" Walker is a former England international footballer who is best remembered for his spells with Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday...
, prompting Walker to foul him inside the penalty area. The penalty was converted by Peter Van Vossen
Peter van Vossen
Peter Jacobus van Vossen is a former Dutch footballer, who played for K.S.K. Beveren, Anderlecht, Ajax, Istanbulspor, Rangers, Feyenoord, De Graafschap and Vitesse. During his time with Ajax he won the 1994/95 European Cup. During his time at Rangers he is well known for missing an open goal in an...
and the game ended 2–2. Suddenly England's "World Cup life" looked in danger.
Draw in Poland, defeat in Norway
England's next chance of reviving their flagging fortunes came in May, requiring at least a win and draw away against Poland and Norway which were to be played just three days apart. England were poor against Poland and were largely outplayed. Dariusz AdamczukDariusz Adamczuk
Dariusz Adamczuk is a former Polish professional footballer.-Club:He started his career with Pogoń Szczecin during the 1987–88 season, before moving on to play for Eintracht Frankfurt, Dundee, Udinese Calcio and Belenenses....
of Poland scored in the 36th minute, although the team missed several chances to extend their lead. Ian Wright
Ian Wright
Ian Edward Wright, MBE is a retired English footballer turned television and radio personality.Wright enjoyed success with London clubs Crystal Palace and Arsenal, spending six years with the former and seven years with the latter. With Arsenal he has lifted the Premier League title and both major...
salvaged a vital point through forcing an equaliser in the 85th minute, for a final score of 1–1. Taylor was again vilified for his team's poor performance. England's next opponents were Norway.
The Norwegians had arrived from obscurity and had taken the group by storm with a series of early victories which had left England, Poland, and The Netherlands scrapping for second place. Taylor made wholesale changes of personnel and tactics, which again drew criticism, his actions considered risky in what was now a crucial game. Lee Sharpe
Lee Sharpe
Lee Stuart Sharpe is an English former footballer. Predominantly a left winger, Sharpe joined Manchester United from Torquay United as a youngster in 1988, playing for the club up until 1996...
and Lee Dixon
Lee Dixon
Lee Michael Dixon is a former English professional footballer born in Manchester.He formed part of the Arsenal defence from the late 1980s, through till 2002. He was capped 22 times for England, scoring once....
came on as wing-backs, while Carlton Palmer
Carlton Palmer
Carlton Lloyd Palmer is a former English professional football player who played as a midfielder, most notably for Sheffield Wednesday.-Playing career:...
and Platt occupied midfield berths. Gascoigne supported Teddy Sheringham
Teddy Sheringham
Edward Paul "Teddy" Sheringham MBE is a retired English footballer, and the father of footballer Charlie Sheringham. Sheringham played as a striker, and had a successful career at the club level, winning almost every domestic honour available with his clubs, most notably the Treble with Manchester...
and Les Ferdinand
Les Ferdinand
Leslie "Les" Ferdinand MBE is a former English footballer. His playing career included spells at Queens Park Rangers, Besiktas J.K., Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Bolton Wanderers F.C., during which period he earned a number of appearances for England...
up-front. Des Walker, Tony Adams
Tony Adams
Tony Adams may refer to:*Tony Adams , Welsh actor*Tony Adams , American football player*Tony Adams , Irish-born film and stage producer...
and Gary Pallister
Gary Pallister
Gary Andrew Pallister is an English former footballer, most noted for his nine-year spell at Manchester United from 1989 until 1998...
formed a back three.
England lost 2–0, with few attempts on goal. Lars Bohinen
Lars Bohinen
Lars Roar Bohinen is a Norwegian former footballer.-Club level:His first professional club was Vålerenga, and he played for Viking, Young Boys Bern, Nottingham Forest, Blackburn Rovers, Derby County...
and Øyvind Leonhardsen
Øyvind Leonhardsen
Øyvind Leonhardsen is a Norwegian former footballer. He retired after the 2007 season, and at that moment he was captain of Strømsgodset IF in the Norwegian Premier Division, ending a career with nine years in English football with clubs like Wimbledon, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa...
scored the goals in the 42nd and 47th minutes. The first was caused by a Des Walker error, while Walker was beaten for pace by a Norwegian counter-attack for Bohinen to score
Subsequently Taylor said "We made a complete mess of it. I'm here to be shot at and take the rap. I have no defence for our performance", although his honesty did not spare him a roasting from the press, who were now calling for his head. The press came up with headlines such as "NORSE MANURE" and "OSLO RANS".
The US Cup
With their World Cup hopes hanging by a thread, Taylor's England were to play a four-team Tournament in the U.S (1993 U.S. Cup1993 U.S. Cup
The 1993 U.S. Cup was a United States Soccer Federation organized round robin tournament held in June 1993. The U.S. hosted Brazil, England and Germany. All three of those countries were playing in their only U.S. Cup. The U.S. Cup began as a four-team invitational tournament in 1992 and would...
), which was expected to be a precursor to the following summer's tournament. Taylor stated before the game against the USA
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
:
In football, you're only as good as your last game, and at the moment we're poor. You can always lose any game, to anyone. It's how you lose that matters. That was the thing that shocked us all in Norway. We would have been looking for a win here anyhow, but if we'd won last week it wouldn't have been considered essential. Now it is. Whether we like it or not, people expect us to beat America, and there is definitely more intensity about this game because of our performance in the last one.
For Taylor the US Cup began with a humiliating 2–0 defeat in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
to the USA which was reported by the tabloid press in Britain as "YANKS 2 PLANKS 0!". Some pride was restored with a credible 1–1 draw with Brazil and a narrow 2–1 defeat to Germany. Taylor was now living on borrowed time.
The Holland game
The 1993–94 season1993-94 in English football
The 1993-1994 season was the 114th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:From the start of this season, the FA Premier League would be sponsored by Carling Breweries - an association which would last for eight years...
began with a much improved performance, with a 3–0 win over Poland raising the nation's hopes going into what was now the crucial match against the Dutch in Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
.
In October England were to play the Netherlands in Rotterdam. With Norway having won the group the encounter would effectively decide the second and last qualifier of the group. The game was played at a furious pace, with the Dutch putting the English under pressure early on. However England hit back with a string of counter attacks, with Platt heading just wide and Tony Adams
Tony Adams
Tony Adams may refer to:*Tony Adams , Welsh actor*Tony Adams , American football player*Tony Adams , Irish-born film and stage producer...
having a shot cleared off the line by Erwin Koeman
Erwin Koeman
Erwin Koeman is a former football player and Dutch football manager. Currently he is the manager of FC Utrecht in the Dutch Eredivisie. He is the son of Dutch international footballer Martin Koeman, and, alongside his younger brother Ronald, has also represented the Netherlands...
, while Tony Dorigo
Tony Dorigo
Anthony Robert Dorigo is a retired English football player who played for Aston Villa, Chelsea, Leeds United and the England national side as a left-back.-Career:...
hit a post with a 35-yard free-kick after 25 minutes. Two minutes before half-time England were fortunate to have a Frank Rijkaard
Frank Rijkaard
Franklin Edmundo Rijkaard is a Dutch football manager of Dutch and Surinamese descent and former player. Rijkaard has played for Ajax, Real Zaragoza and Milan, and represented his national side 73 times, scoring 10 goals. In his coaching career, he has been at the helm of the Dutch national side,...
goal ruled out for offside, even though replays showed the goal was legitimate. However later in the second half with the game locked at 0–0 David Platt was fouled by Ronald Koeman
Ronald Koeman
Ronald Koeman is a former Dutch footballer, and the current manager of Feyenoord. He is the younger brother of former Feyenoord coach Erwin Koeman and the son of former Dutch international Martin Koeman...
as he raced in on goal. The German referee failed to apply the rule of sending him off for a professional foul. The Dutch charged down Dorigo's free-kick, with Dutch players clearly encroaching. Just minutes later the Dutchman took an identical free kick outside England's penalty area. His first shot was blocked, but it was ordered to be retaken because of encroachment
Encroachment
Encroachment is a term which implies "advance beyond proper limits," and may have different interpretations depending on the context. Encroachment may refer to one of the following:* Temporal encroachment* Structural encroachment...
.
Koeman scored at the second attempt. Paul Merson
Paul Merson
Paul Charles Merson is a retired English football player, and former player-manager of Walsall. His playing career has included spells at Arsenal, Middlesbrough, Aston Villa, Portsmouth and finishing his playing career at Tamworth. He also played for England 21 times...
hit a post with a free-kick moments later, while Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Nicolaas Bergkamp , is a former Dutch professional footballer who is currently the assistant manager to Frank de Boer at Ajax. At club level he played for Ajax, Internazionale, and Arsenal, and also represented the Netherlands at international level...
scored just moments later, despite using his arm to control the ball, for 2–0 win. In the meantime Taylor was in an apoplectic mood on the touchline, berating the officials and referee as the significance of the result sank in.
San Marino and resignation
England still had a chance to qualify if the Netherlands lost in Poland on the same night England were hoping they could run up a big score against part-time minnows San Marino. But it was in the final game that Taylor was to suffer the ultimate humiliation. After just 8.3 seconds of play David Gualtieri, a computer salesman, scored the fastest World Cup goal (as of 2009 it remains the fastest World Cup goal). England took another twenty minutes to find an equaliser and eventually won 7–1, but the Dutch had won in Poland and England had failed to qualify.Taylor resigned on 24 November 1993. He went 'with great sadness', saying: 'No one can gauge the depth of my personal disappointment at not qualifying for the World Cup.' There had been no question of him wanting to stay on, in any capacity. 'This is the appropriate course of action in the circumstances,' he said. 'If we didn't qualify, it was always my intention to offer my resignation.'
Taylor had also agreed to be filmed during the qualifying campaign
1994 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification....
for Cutting Edge
Cutting Edge (Channel 4 TV series)
Cutting Edge is a British TV documentary series broadcast by Channel 4, it has been its flagship documentary series since 1990 that focuses on political and social issues.-Graham Taylor: The Impossible Job:Original airdate: 24 January 1994...
, a Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
fly-on-the-wall
Fly on the wall
Fly on the wall is a style of documentary-making used in filmmaking and television production. The name derived from the idea that events are seen candidly, as a fly on a wall might see them...
documentary series, in which his portrayal further undermined his authority. During the film, Taylor was heard to use foul language, and what became his personal catchphrase: "Do I not like that", uttered just before England conceded a goal to Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
.
Wolverhampton Wanderers (1994–1995)
Sir Jack Hayward appointed Taylor as manager of WolvesWolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
in March 1994, replacing Graham Turner
Graham Turner
Graham John Turner is an English former footballer who became a manager. He is currently manager of League Two club Shrewsbury Town. His son Mark was also a professional footballer....
. Taylor had been a generally unpopular figure in English football since his unsuccessful reign as national coach, and few people seemed willing to forgive him for his first managerial failure – one that mattered most to so many people up and down the country.
But he took the Midlands club to fourth in Division One to qualify for the playoffs – their highest league finish since their last top division season 11 years earlier – where they lost out to Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
. They also reached the quarter finals of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
after a memorable replay penalty shootout victory over Sheffield Wednesday, in which they were 3–0 down on penalties, only to win the shootout 4–3, in which Chris Bart-Williams
Chris Bart-Williams
Christopher Gerald Bart-Williams is a Sierra Leonean-born English former footballer. His position was defence or midfield....
had two penalties saved over the two matches.
Taylor spent heavily on players while at Wolves, paying large sums for the likes of Steve Sedgley
Steve Sedgley
Stephen Philip "Steve" Sedgley is an English former professional footballer who made more than 450 appearances in the Football League and Premier League for Coventry City, Tottenham Hotspur, Ipswich Town and Wolverhampton Wanderers. He played as a midfielder or defender...
, Tony Daley
Tony Daley
Anthony Mark Daley is an English former footballer, who made the vast majority of his appearances for Aston Villa, playing mainly as a winger, well known for his pace...
and Don Goodman
Don Goodman
Don Goodman is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker.-Career:Born in Leeds, Goodman played for Bradford City, West Bromwich Albion, Sunderland, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Barnsley, Motherwell, Walsall, Exeter City, Doncaster Rovers and Stafford...
.
However, the 1994–95 season proved to be his only full season at Molineux
Molineux stadium
Molineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
, as, after a poor start to the following campaign, winning just 4 from the 16 opening league games, he resigned in November 1995 due to overwhelming supporter pressure. During his tenure, he attempted to perform a citizen's arrest
Citizen's arrest
A citizen's arrest is an arrest made by a person who is not acting as a sworn law-enforcement official. In common law jurisdictions, the practice dates back to medieval Britain and the English common law, in which sheriffs encouraged ordinary citizens to help apprehend law breakers.Despite the...
on a fan who had spat at him, prompting calls for closer crowd controls in the English game.
Return to Watford (1996–2001)
In February 1996 Elton JohnElton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, who had recently bought Watford for a second time, appointed Taylor as General Manager at Vicarage Road. Just over a year later Taylor had appointed himself as the club's manager succeeding Kenny Jackett
Kenny Jackett
Kenny Jackett is a former Wales international football player, who has since moved into management. He is the current manager of Millwall, the longest serving manager in the Football League Championship and eleventh longest serving manager in England.A skilful player, equally at home in defence or...
, who was relegated to a coaching capacity at the club. He won the Division Two championship at his first attempt in 1998, despite having a life-threatening abscess that blocked his windpipe and almost killed him.
The following season Taylor won the Division One Play-off Final
1999 Football League First Division play-off Final
The 1999 Football League Championship play-off Final was contested between Bolton Wanderers and Watford, played at Wembley Stadium on 31 May 1999. The match was won by Watford through goals from Nick Wright and Allan Smart. As a result, Watford would play in the Premier League for the first time...
, beating Bolton Wanderers 2–0 at Wembley, and with it promotion to the Premier league, where Watford were relegated after one season. Despite starting the following season well – unbeaten through the first fifteen league games and heading the table – Watford slumped to finish 9th in Division One with Taylor publicly stating he had lost his powers of motivation. At this point Taylor decided to retire. During this final season Taylor had become only the third manager to manage 1,000 league games in England, after Brian Clough
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
and Jim Smith
Jim Smith (footballer)
James Michael "Jim" Smith is a retired English footballer and manager. As a player, he made 249 appearances in the Fourth Division of The Football League, representing Aldershot, Halifax Town, Lincoln City and Colchester United, and played for three-and-a-half years for Boston United of the...
.
Return to Aston Villa (2002–2003)
Taylor came out of retirement in February 2002 to return to his old job at Aston Villa, but retired for a second time after Villa finished the 2002–03 season in 16th place in the PremiershipFA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
. He subsequently cited tensions in his relationship with the club's chairman Doug Ellis
Doug Ellis
Herbert Douglas Ellis, OBE , is an entrepreneur, best known as the former chairman of Aston Villa Football Club.-Early life:...
and argued for an overhaul of the club's upper management to allow the club to be more competitive.
Post managerial career (Since 2003)
In 2003, Taylor became vice-president at League OneFootball League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
club Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
, his hometown club. Since 2004, he has worked as a pundit on BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
, and has managed a team of celebrities for Sky One
Sky One
Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
's annual series, The Match
The Match (TV series)
The Match is a reality TV show on Sky One in which a group of celebrities form a football team to compete against a team of former professional footballers . The show begins with a large squad of celebrities who train and live together, all aiming to be selected for "The Match" against the team of...
.
His time at Scunthorpe has seen a turnaround in the club's fortunes. In his first season
2003-04 in English football
The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game....
on the board, they narrowly avoided relegation to the Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
. The following season
2004-05 in English football
The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
, they were promoted to League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
. Two years after that
2006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
, they were promoted to the Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
as League One champions.
Taylor returned to Watford on 23 January 2009, being appointed to the new board
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
as a non-executive director
Non-executive director
A non-executive director or outside director is a member of the board of directors of a company who does not form part of the executive management team. He or she is not an employee of the company or affiliated with it in any other way...
and was appointed interim chairman on 16 December 2009.
Other work
Graham Taylor is a supporter of Sense-National Deafblind and Rubella AssociationSense-National Deafblind and Rubella Association
Sense is a national charity in the United Kingdom that supports and campaigns for children and adults who are deafblind.-History:Sense was founded in 1955 as a self-help and support group for the parents of children whose disabilities were neither recognised nor provided for, children born...
and is a Patron of DebRa (www.debra.org.uk). He is a Celebrity Ambassador for the Sense Enterprise Board in Birmingham, and has worked to raise both funds and awareness, including running the London Marathon
London Marathon
The London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...
in 2004. He regularly hosts moderated "online coaching seminars" on the DALnet
DALnet
DALnet is an Internet Relay Chat network that is currently populated by a stable population of around 30,000 users in about 18,000 channels, with 40 servers making up the network....
channel irc://irc.dal.net/digi . He also supports the Royal British Legion and cycled from London to Paris in 2010 to raise funds for the RBL's Poppy appeal.
As a player
Grimsby TownGrimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
- Lincolnshire Senior CupLincolnshire Senior CupThe Lincolnshire Senior County Cup is a football competition for senior football clubs in Lincolnshire organised by the Lincolnshire FA....
winner: 1967–681967-68 in English footballThe 1967–68 season was the 88th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour. * indicates new record for competition-FA Cup:...
Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
- Lincolnshire Senior CupLincolnshire Senior CupThe Lincolnshire Senior County Cup is a football competition for senior football clubs in Lincolnshire organised by the Lincolnshire FA....
winner: 1968–691968-69 in English footballThe 1968–69 season was the 89th season of competitive football in England.-First Division:Leeds United won the League for the first time in their history, finishing six points ahead of Liverpool...
, 1969–701969-70 in English footballThe 1969–70 season was the 90th season of competitive football in England.-First Division:Everton won their seventh title, finishing nine points clear of Leeds United with Chelsea in third and newly promoted Derby County in fourth...
As a manager
Lincoln CityLincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
- Lincolnshire Senior CupLincolnshire Senior CupThe Lincolnshire Senior County Cup is a football competition for senior football clubs in Lincolnshire organised by the Lincolnshire FA....
winner: 1974–751974-75 in English footballThe 1974–75 season was the 95th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Dave Mackay guided Derby County to their second league title in four years having overcome strong competition from Liverpool, Ipswich Town, Everton, Stoke City, Manchester City, Sheffield United and... - Football League Fourth DivisionFootball League Fourth DivisionThe Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
champions: 1975–76
Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
- Football League Fourth DivisionFootball League Fourth DivisionThe Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
champions: 1977–78 - Football League Third DivisionFootball League Third DivisionThe Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
runners up: 1978–79 - Football League Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
runners up: 1981–82 - Football League First DivisionFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
runners up: 1982–83 - FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
runner-up: 19841984 FA Cup FinalThe 1984 FA Cup Final was contested by Everton and Watford at Wembley. Everton won 2–0, with one goal by Graeme Sharp and a particularly memorable goal from Andy Gray. He was adjudged by many to have fouled the Watford goalkeeper Steve Sherwood by heading the ball from Sherwood's hands.... - Football League Division Two champions: 1997–98
- Football League Division One play-off winner: 1998–991999 Football League First Division play-off FinalThe 1999 Football League Championship play-off Final was contested between Bolton Wanderers and Watford, played at Wembley Stadium on 31 May 1999. The match was won by Watford through goals from Nick Wright and Allan Smart. As a result, Watford would play in the Premier League for the first time...
Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
- Football League Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
runners up: 1987–88 - Football League First DivisionFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
runners up: 1989–90
Managerial statistics
All teams managed by Graham Taylor have been EnglishEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
| eam | rom | o | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Lincoln City Lincoln City F.C. Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League.... |
Dec 1972 | Jun 1977 |
|||||
| Watford Watford F.C. Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade... |
Jun 1977 | May 1987 |
|||||
| Aston Villa Aston Villa F.C. Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder... |
May 1987 | Jul 1990 |
|||||
| England England national football team The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first... |
1990 | 1993 |
|||||
| Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at... |
Mar 1994 | Nov 1995 |
|||||
| Watford Watford F.C. Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade... |
Feb 1996 | Jun 2001 |
|||||
| Aston Villa Aston Villa F.C. Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder... |
Feb 2002 | May 2003 |
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