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Graham Taylor

"'I'd like to be the most tracksuited manager England has ever had'"

38 matches in charge

P 38 W 18 D 13 L 7 F 62: A 32
65% successful
FIFA Rankings:
from 5th in 1992 to 18th

1990-93

discipline: tbc tbc
players managed:
59

Profile

  Graham Taylor OBE
Birth 15 September 1944 in Worksop, Nottinghamshire [registered in Worksop, September 1944]
Marriage to Rita J. Cowling [registered in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, March 1965]. Two daughters, Joanne and Karen.

Playing Career

As a schoolboy, he won representative honours with the England Grammar Schools XI as an inside-forward. Taylor reverted to being a fullback when he started at Grimsby Town FC from July 1962, played 189 league matches, scoring twice, before being transferred to Lincoln City FC in July 1968 for £4000, where he would go on to play another 151 league matches, scoring once, and becoming the club captain, before retiring in 1972 because of a hip injury 1972.
Lincolnshire Senior Cup winners 1967-68, 1968-69, 1969-70;
No individual honours

Management Career

Taylor began his coaching career at a very early age, qualifying as the youngest ever FA Staff coach when only 21. He coached the Lincolnshire League team, City School Old Boys, from January 1970 before becoming the Imps' coach in 1972 when his playing career was ended by injury. He then became the youngest Football League manager with Lincoln City FC in December 1972, aged only 28 years; Despite interest from First Division West Bromwich Albion FC, he joined Watford FC, of the fourth division, in June 1977 for a £26,000 fee, then after success, joined Aston Villa FC from July 1987 until July 1990.
Lincolnshire Senior Cup winners 1974-75; Football League Division Four winners 1975-76, 1977-78; Football League Division Three runners-up 1978-79; Football League Division Two runners-up 1981-82, 1987-88; Football League runners-up 1982-83, 1989-90; FA Cup runners-up 1983-84;
Individual honours None

England Career

England tenure Accepted the position in early June, but not appointed until 23 July 1990; resigned 23 November 1993 under pressure following England's failure to advance from the World Cup 1994 qualification competition.
Other applicants A job wanted by Terry Venables, but he didn't even make the short-list that included Howard Kendall and Joe Royle, as well as Taylor himself.
First match No. 665, 12 September 1990, England 1 Hungary 0, a friendly match at Wembley Stadium, Wembley, aged 45 years 362 days.
Last match No. 702, 17 November 1993, San Marino 1 England 7, a World Cup preliminary match match at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, Bologna, Italy, aged 49 years 63 days.
Major tournaments European Championship finals 1992.
Team honours England Challenge Cup Tournament winners 1991.
Individual honours None
Backroom Staff Taylor chose Lawrie McMenemy is his assistant.  Phil Neal was a head coach.  Fred Street & Norman Medhurst were physiotherapists. Steve Harrison was also a coach.  The goalkeeping coach was Peter Bonetti.

Beyond England

Management Career

Club(s)

His return to domestic management came at Wolverhampton Wanderers FC in March 1994, before he returned to Watford FC for a second spell in February 1996 as general manager, appointing himself as club manager in 1997 and quickly guided the Hornets back into the Premiership. Unfortunately, they count nor retain that position and Taylor retired from club management at the end of the 2000-01 season. However, he came out of retirement in February 2002 to return to his old job at Aston Villa FC, before retiring for a second time on  14 May 2003. He became a pundit for the BBC and chairman of Watford FC after being vice-President of his hometown club, Scunthorpe United FC.

Club honours Football League Division Two winners 1997-98; Football League Division One play-off winners 1998-99;
Individual honours OBE for services to football 2002; Football Writers' Association Tribute Award for outstanding contribution to the national game 2002; Football Association Hall of Fame 2002.
Distinctions Graham Taylor is a supporter of SENSE, a charity supporting deafblind people and a patron of DebRa, a UK charity for people with the genetic skin blistering condition Epidermolysis Bullosa.

 

The Numbers
matches squads named squad players teamsheet players used players debutants careers ended ave. age
38              
P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts % W/L
38 18 13 7 62 32 +30 7 16 1.632 0.82 64.5 +11

Venue Record

Venue P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts % W/L
Home 15 9 5 1 31 9 +22 1 8 2.067 0.60 76.7 +8
Away 19 9 5 5 29 20 +9 4 6 1.526 1.053 60.5 +4
Neutral 4 0 3 1 2 3 -1 2 2 0.50 0.75 37.5 -1

Competition Record

Competition P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L

WCP

10 5 3 2 26 9 +17 2 4 2.60 0.90 65.0 +3
World Cup 10 5 3 2 26 9 +17 2 4 2.60 0.90 65.0 +3

ECP

6 3 3 0 7 3 +4 0 3 1.167 0.50 75.0 +3
ECF 3 0 2 1 1 2 -1 2 2 0.333 0.667 33.3 -1
European Championship 9 3 5 1 8 5 +3 2 5 0.889 0.556 61.1 +2
Minor Tournament 5 1 2 2 7 8 -1 1 0 1.40 1.60 40.0 -1
Friendly match 14 9 3 2 21 10 +11 2 7 1.50 0.714 75.0 +7

Competition Record

World Cup Preliminary Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
WCP 1992-94 10 5 3 2 26 9 +17 2 4 2.60 0.90 65.0 +3
WCP All 10 5 3 2 26 9 +17 2 4 2.60 0.90 65.0 +3

European Championship Preliminary Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
ECP 1990-92 6 3 3 0 7 3 +4 0 3 1.167 0.50 75.0 +3
ECP All 6 3 3 0 7 3 +4 0 3 1.167 0.50 75.0 +3
European Championship Final Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
ECF 1992 3 0 2 1 1 2 -1 2 2 0.333 0.667 33.3 -1
ECF All 3 0 2 1 1 2 -1 2 2 0.333 0.667 33.3 -1
European Championships
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
EC 1990-92 9 3 5 1 8 5 +3 2 5 0.889 0.556 61.1 +2
EC All 9 3 5 1 8 5 +3 2 5 0.889 0.556 61.1 +2

All Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
WC 10 5 3 2 26 9 +17 2 4 2.60 0.90 65.0 +3
EC 9 3 5 1 8 5 +3 2 5 0.889 0.556 61.1 +2
19 8 8 3 34 14 +20 4 9 1.789 0.737 63.2 +5

Match History

Took charge on 23 July 1990
Friendly match  
1 665 12 September 1990 - England 1 Hungary 0 [1-0]
Wembley Stadium, Wembley (51,459)
Lineker HW
European Championship preliminary matches
2 666 17 October 1990 - England 2 Poland 0 [1-0]
Wembley Stadium, Wembley (77,040)
Lineker (pen), Beardsley HW
3 667 14 November 1990 -
Republic of Ireland 1 England 1 [0-0]
Lansdowne Road, Dublin
(45,000/46,000)
Cascarino
Platt
AD
Friendly match
4 668 6 February 1991 - England 2 Cameroon 0 [1-0]
Wembley Stadium, Wembley (61,075)
Lineker (2 (1pen)) HW
European Championship preliminary matches
5 669 27 March 1991 -
England 1
Republic of Ireland 1 [1-1]
Wembley Stadium, Wembley (77,000/753)
Staunton OG
N.Quinn
HD
6 670 1 May 1991 - Turkey 0 England 1 [0-1]
Atatürk Stadyumu, İzmir (20,000/25,000)
Wise AW
England Challenge Cup
7 671 21 May 1991 - England 3 USSR 1 [2-1]
Wembley Stadium, Wembley (23,789)
Smith, Platt (2 (1 pen))
M.Wright OG
HW
8 672 25 May 1991 - England 2 Argentina 2 [1-0]
Wembley Stadium, Wembley (44,497)
Lineker, Platt
García, Franco
HD
Summer Tour of Oceania
9 673 1 June 1991 - Australia 0 England 1 [0-1]
Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
(35,472)
Gray OG AW
10 674 3 June 1991 - New Zealand 0 England 1 [0-0]
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
(17,520)
Lineker AW
11 675 8 June 1991 - New Zealand 0 England 2 [0-1]
Athletic Park, Wellington
(12,000)
Pearce, Hirst AW
12 676 12 June 1991 - Malaysia 2 England 4 [0-3]
Stadium Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur
(38,000/42,000)
Matlan (2)
Lineker (4)
AW

Season 1991-92
Friendly match
13 677 11 September 1991 - England 0 Germany 1 [0-1]
Wembley Stadium, Wembley (59,493)
Riedle HL
European Championship preliminary matches
14 678 16 October 1991 - England 1 Turkey 0 [1-0]
Wembley Stadium, Wembley (50,896)
Smith HW
15 679 13 November 1991 - Poland 1 England 1 [1-0]
Stadion Lecha, Poznań (10,300/15,000)
Szewczyk
Lineker
AD
Friendly matches
16 680 19 February 1992 - England 2 France 0 [1-0]
Wembley Stadium, Wembley (58,723)
Shearer, Lineker HW
17 681 25 March 1992 -
Czechoslovakia 2 England 2 [1-1]
Stadion Evzena Rošického, Praha (3,300)
Skuhravý, Chovanec
Merson, Keown
AD
18 682 29 April 1992 - CIS 2 England 2 [1-1]
Lenin Stadion, Moskva (10,000/25,000)
Tskhadadze, Kiriakov
Lineker, Steven
AD
19 683 12 May 1992 - Hungary 0 England 1 [0-0]
Népstadion, Budapest
(25,000)
Telek OG AW
20 684 17 May 1992 - England 1 Brazil 1 [0-1]
Wembley Stadium, Wembley (53,428)
Platt
Bebeto
HD
21 685 3 June 1992 - Finland 1 England 2 [1-1]
Olympiastadion, Helsinki
(16,101)
Hjelm (pen)
Platt (2)
AW
European Championship Finals in Sweden
22 686 11 June 1992 - Denmark 0 England 0 [0-0]
Malmö Stadion, Malmö
(26,385)
  ND
23 687 14 June 1992 - France 0 England 0 [0-0]
Malmö Stadion, Malmö
(26,535)
  ND
24 688 17 June 1992 - Sweden 2 England 1 [0-1]
Råsunda Fotbollstadion, Solna
(30,126)
Eriksson, Brolin
Platt
AL

Season 1992-93
Friendly match
25 689 9 September 1992 - Spain 1 England 0 [1-0]
Estádio El Sardinero, Santander
(30,126)
Fonseca AL
World Cup preliminary matches
26 690 14 October 1992 - England 1 Norway 1 [0-0]
Wembley Stadium, Wembley (51,441)
Platt
Rekdal
HD
27 691 18 November 1992 - England 4 Turkey 0 [2-0]
Wembley Stadium, Wembley (42,984)
Gascoigne (2), Shearer, Pearce HW
28 692 17 February 1993 - England 6 San Marino 0 [2-0]
Wembley Stadium, Wembley (51,154)
Platt (4), Palmer, L.Ferdinand HW
29 693 31 March 1993 - Turkey 0 England 2 [0-2]
Atatürk Stadyumu, İzmir (60,000)
Platt, Gascoigne AW
30 694 28 April 1993 - England 2 Netherlands 2 [2-1]
Wembley Stadium, Wembley (73,163)
J.Barnes, Platt
Bergkamp, van Vossen (pen)
HD
31 695 29 May 1993 - Poland 1 England 1 [1-0]
Stadion Śląski, Chorzów (60,000)
Adamczuk
I.Wright
AD
32 696 2 June 1993 - Norway 2 England 0 [1-0]
Ullevål Stadion, Oslo (22,500)
Leonhardsen, Bohinen AL
U.S. Cup
33 697 9 June 1993 - United States 2 England 0 [1-0]
Foxboro Stadium, Boston (37,652)
Dooley, Lalas AL
34 698 13 June 1993 - England 1 Brazil 1 [0-0]
Robert F. Kennedy Stadium, Washington.
(54,118)
Platt
Márcio Santos
ND
35 699 19 June 1993 - Germany 2 England 1 [1-1]
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac
(62,126)
Effenberg, Klinsmann
Platt
NL

Season 1993-94
World Cup preliminary matches
36 700 8 September 1993 - England 3 Poland 0 [1-0]
Wembley Stadium, Wembley (70,220)
L.Ferdinand, Gascoigne, Pearce HW
37 701 13 October 1993 - Netherlands 2 England 0 [0-0]
Stadion Feijenoord, Rotterdam
(48,000)
R.Koeman, Bergkamp AL
38 702 17 November 1993 -
San Marino 1 England 7 [1-3]
Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, Bologna
(2,378)
Gualtieri
Ince (2), I.Wright (4), L.Ferdinand
AW

Resigned under pressure 23 November 1993

Notes

Graham Taylor might have regretted the media access he granted when a television documentary disclosed considerable swearing in scenes from England's devastating World Cup qualifying loss to Netherlands in Rotterdam in October, 1993.  An earlier, equally critical loss in Norway had elicited his "Do I not like that," which, after the documentary aired, became a national catchphrase.  Taylor did not last out the year, but later returned to club management with considerable success.

____________________

CG/PY