Category Archives: Graham Taylor

7th April 2009- Championship, Watford 2 Southampton 2

http://watford.fcdb.info?id=4862

Southampton centre-back Jan-Paul Saeijs hit a stunning last-minute equaliser to earn them a point away at Watford.

Having rightly come under considerable fire in his early days, the manager has done a remarkable job of steering the ship away from the rocks since dropping his hardline allegiance to possession football. Bolstered by some extremely timely signings – Mike Williamson and Jack Cork particularly, but Don Cowie too – and aided by a transformation in the likes of Jobi McAnuff and Tamas Priskin, he’s managed to create a perfectly functional, thoroughly mid-table Second Division outfit. And a team that’s suddenly quite easy to like again, that seems comfortable with itself again. As ambition goes, that ain’t Aidy Boothroyd. But it’ll do just fine for now.

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2009-04-07

https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-championship/07-april-2009/

27th January 2009- Championship, Watford 3 Burnley 0

Tamas Priskin came off the bench to score a clinical brace as Watford earned a vital Championship win against a very disappointing Burnley.

Burnley got off to the worst possible start when McAnuff struck inside the opening minute.

Before Saturday, my co-editor suggested that Mr.Rodgers needed to give us something to cling to. Well this wasn’t so much a damp rope to cling to as a luxury yacht with well stocked galley and attentive staff. Wallop! And there was me suggesting that we were doomed with him in charge. Shows how much I know. Why are you still reading this?

Evening Standard, 28 Jan 2009

23rd January 2009- GT joins the Watford board as a non-executive director

6th May 2001- New Division One, Burnley 2 Watford 0

GT’s last game in charge of Watford.

Scan 7

Scan 8

Scan 9

Scan 10

Scan 11

Scan 12

Scan 13

Scan 14

Scan 15

http://watford.fcdb.info?id=4453

It wasn’t supposed to end like this, was it? Not with a pretty comprehensive defeat against a side that is the very definition of the word “functional”. Not with ninth place, perching uncomfortably between the playoffs and the mid-table wastelands. Not with farewell waves and kisses in front of hundreds of rudely intruding Burnley fans, held back by a fragile line of police and stewards. Not with the bitterness and acrimony that surrounds the simultaneous departures of Messrs Jackett, Blissett and Walley.

Then again, it wasn’t supposed to end at all. Fairytales always conclude with “happily ever after”.

Screen Shot 2018-05-06 at 10.43.25

Screen Shot 2018-05-06 at 10.42.59

To mark the occasion of Graham Taylor’s retirement all the Watford fan publications came together to produce a special fanzine paying tribute to our Greatest Manager.

https://oldwatford.com/2017/01/12/theres-only-one-graham-taylor/

28th April 2001- New Division One, Watford 1 Tranmere Rovers 1

GT’s last home game in charge.

http://watford.fcdb.info?id=4451

Allan Nielsen, Graham Taylor’s most expensive signing at £2.3m, spared the former England manager’s blushes at his Vicarage Road farewell. The Danish international popped up in the last minute to head an equaliser but the point salvaged is not enough to keep Watford’s play-off hopes alive.

Long ago, the script was written for Graham Taylor’s last match at Vicarage Road. One final wave of galloping attacks to see off already-relegated opponents. One last thumping victory, in the thrilling style of so many before it. Hat-tricks for Tommys Mooney and Smith to celebrate their end-of-season awards for best player and young player respectively. And, in the final minute of injury time, the seventh goal to crown it all, an astonishing, crashing-off-the-crossbar blast from thirty yards by the returning Richard Johnson.

He was more what we came to see than a relegated bunch of fighters, and an unquantifiable bunch of mid- to upper-table wanderers who represent what, if not why, he’s leaving behind by retiring. His direction was where we were looking, as a game that barely registers in the mind even this soon after its conclusion played itself into oblivion. When he showed up in the dugout, we asked for a wave, since chanting something along the lines of “Graham, give us a year or two more, we’re worthy, and by the way, thanks for making us all stand apart from whatever crowd we’ve found ourselves in from the age of [your age in 1977] to now” is just unfeasible.

English Division One	Table »
Barnsley	0-1	Bolton Wanderers
Birmingham City	1-0	Grimsby Town
Crewe Alexandra	1-3	Preston North End
Crystal Palace	0-2	Wolverhampton Wndrs
Fulham	1-1	Wimbledon
Norwich City	1-0	Sheffield Wednesday
Nottingham Forest	0-1	Gillingham
Queens Park Rangers	0-3	Stockport County
Sheffield United	2-0	Burnley
Watford	1-1	Tranmere Rovers
West Bromwich Albion	1-1	Huddersfield Town

Screen Shot 2017-04-28 at 16.06.51.png

17th April 2001- New Division One, Watford 3 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2

http://watford.fcdb.info?id=4449

Icelandic international Heidar Helguson kept Watford’s First Division play-off hopes alive with a last-gasp winner against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

So, this thoroughly bizarre, nonsensical football match. Such an oddity, in fact, that no reaction – laughter, tears, fainting, boredom, rejoicing, blind fury – would’ve been entirely inappropriate. Appropriately, then, it received the most inappropriate reaction of all…a standing ovation.

It was always going to be a strange night from the moment Robert Page almost slid the ball into his own net within seconds from kick-off with an ugly lunge trying to defend a cross.

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2001-04-17

https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-1/17-april-2001/