January 13 – There are footballing nice guys – and then there was Graham Taylor.
English football is preparing to pay tribute to the former national team manager at fixtures across the country this weekend after his sudden unexpected death at the age of 72 of a suspected heart attack.
Taylor may have had an uncomfortable time as England boss in the early 1990s but he stood out as one of the most honest, genuine and approachable figures in the game.
He will be remembered as an outstanding club manager at Watford and Aston Villa and the outpouring of tributes that followed the announcement of his death was testament to his popularity.
Tributes to Taylor have come from across the spectrum of English football including Alan Shearer who Taylor gave his first England cap to, and rock star Elton John who owned Watford when Taylor managed them through the divisions to the English top flight and an FA Cup final.
Son of a journalist, it was little surprise Taylor went into media punditry after his retirement, his down-to-earth, self-effacing approach continuing to win friends across the sport.
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