By Suresh Nair
THEY say you seldom ever get a chance to make a “first impression”.
And what an outstanding first impression the late England football manager Graham Taylor personally made on me when I met him during a FA Workshop at Loughborough, England, in 2002.
From his first inspiring words, he catches your imagination as a genuine football man.
A real gentleman.
A down-to-heart human, who not only cared for his fellow professionals and the sport but goes down right to the grassroots fans.
Like the late “Uncle” Choo Seng Quee, much revered by Malaysia and Singapore die-hard fans, Taylor had his own distinguished style as a true football man. He may have operated at the highest level but he never talked down to supporters and was always interested in how they viewed the game.
The reaction to Taylor’s untimely death on Thursday, suspected of a heart attack, at the age of 72, and the affection expressed for him, from London to Los Angeles, Mumbai to Moscow, Singapore to Shanghai, was the truest measure of his standing inside and outside football.
Born in Worksop in Nottinghamshire, he was the son of a journalist and rose to prominence in the game as a manager after retiring as a player with Lincoln City in 1972. He became manager and coach at the club, winning the Fourth Division title with them before moving to Watford in 1977.
MAGIC OF WATFORD
He will be remembered for nurturing Watford legends such as coloured footballers Luther Blissett and John Barnes, remarkably finishing second behind Liverpool in their first season at that elite level and reaching the FA Cup final in 1984, where they lost 2-0 to Everton.
Rather unfairly, as football usually continues to be, he will be remembered by many for his unfulfilling spell in charge of England. But I will treasure the memories I had of him more as an outstanding club manager at Watford and Aston Villa and one of the nicest, most genuine men in the game.
The Taylor-Elton John bondship was another major chapter in Watford’s extraordinary rise. They were like brothers and the flamboyant rock star and the manager’s down-to-earth approach dovetailing with his chairman’s lavish lifestyle. They remained friends for life.
Sir John led the glowing tributes. “I’m deeply saddened and shocked to hear about Graham’s passing,” said the former owner of Watford, with whom Taylor made his name in the 1970s and 80s. “He was like a brother to me. We went on an incredible journey together. He took my beloved Watford from the depths of the lower leagues to uncharted territory and into Europe.”
Sir Alex Ferguson also praised the man he called “approachable, open and honest”. The former Manchester United manager said: “Graham was one of the old-school managers. He started as a very young man of 28, having suffered a career-ending injury as a player.
“He applied himself to every facet of football management. I have very fond memories of Graham. He was approachable, open and honest. If he could help you in any way, he always would. I was really shocked by this terrible news and I send my condolences to Graham’s wife and all of his family.”
I remember when he was manager of Lincoln in the mid-1970s, Taylor would take the players around the city, to the factories, to the shops, the stores, the offices to meet the supporters. His point was: “They pay to watch you at work and now they’re letting you watch them work for free – never lose sight that supporters are the lifeblood of football.”
In a nutshell, Taylor’s football methods were tried and trusted. But the critics were sometimes unkind as he often received brickbats for what his detractors perceived as “long ball” football. He, with much justification, pointed out his willingness to use wingers and flair players such as Barnes and the young Mo Johnston, whom he brought to England from Partick Thistle.
England reached Euro 92 in Sweden under Taylor but produced a series of disappointing performances, going out at the group stage after losing 2-1 to Sweden in Stockholm.
Taylor courted controversy and criticism in that decisive game by substituting England captain and main marksman Gary Lineker for Arsenal striker Alan Smith with a goal still needed – it never arrived and Lineker never played for England again. The manager was seriously criticised and lampooned as a “turnip” in The Sun newspaper.
WORLD CUP CAMPAIGN
Luck was seldom on his side. The campaign to qualify for the World Cup in the United States in 1994 also ended as a flop, and he was brutally chronicled in the fly-on-the-wall documentary ‘The Impossible Job’, which gave an intimate insight into the pressures Taylor was under.
As his chapter ended as a football manager, Taylor rose to be a highly-respected pundit on BBC Radio 5 live, a role he performed with total assurance and perception. Yes, he showed he had the gift of the football gab!
He was part of the radio team that covered England. It was a sign of the esteem in which he was held by fans as well as players that whenever he encountered supporters abroad, he was treated with complete respect.
The best tributes came when there was barely a reference from England followers to any of his struggles in charge of the national team. To them, Taylor was a true gentleman, to be given his due not just for his work but for his warm personality and willingness to discuss football matters with anyone he met.
Most I remember about him, during the one week in Loughborough was Taylor’s rousing reservoir of knowledge and a gentleman man with strong opinions. He was also an endless source of entertainment and stories, just as happy to poke fun at himself as everyone else.
REAL HUMAN BEING
Gordon Taylor, a playing contemporary and chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association since 1981, says: “He was a real quality human being. He cared about his fellow professionals and the good of the game. He should be remembered as a man who added to the game, who really showed his ability as a manager.
“He thought a lot about the game, he was in his own mould. I’m proud and privileged to have been able to call him a friend.”
British clubs will stage a minute’s applause ahead of all fixtures this weekend as a genuine mark of respect, while Watford will also hold a one-minute applause ahead of their Premier League clash against Middlesbrough at Vicarage Road. The Hornets will also wear black armbands for Saturday’s fixture.
In my books, and in the one week I got to know him, he ranks as one of the most decent football individuals I’ve ever met, always politely and professionally responding to questions even when you had good cause to despise some of the hacks who were asking those questions.
RIP Graham Taylor (1944-2017), OBE (Order of the British Empire).
- Suresh Nair is a Singapore-based journalist who covered regional football for over three decades
