Letter: Fitting tribute to Graham Taylor
The football world's loss of former manager Graham Taylor, one who was so successful here in the Midlands, left us all with great sadness.
He was one of the good guys and a manager who managed before the modern day set ups we see too often, with head coaches and directors of football.
In his era, football was still the working class sport. Clubs had small staff – both on and off the pitch – a secretary and a tight close knit backroom staff.
At all the clubs Graham managed he brought human qualities and had time for everyone.
A visionary in every way, lots of things he brought in to the game are all common-place now – be it psychology or nutrition.
He was one of the first to appoint a club chaplain – something that nearly every club has now.
His attention to detail was perhaps one of his greatest strengths. During the season all his backroom staff would have a week off at some point.
He would tell his assistant go book a holiday with your family. On his return he would do the same with his physiotherapist and then the kit man. There were no international breaks in those days.
At all the clubs his legacy lives on. For Wolverhampton Wanderers it is the training ground, built on land at Compton Park that Graham had earmarked. In his first couple of weeks he asked his youth development officer, Rob Kelly, how he could improve things for him. Rob's reply was that he could do with a coach on a Sunday for the schoolboys to travel to away games instead of mini buses. Straight away Taylor spoke to the club secretary Tom Finn and arranged for a 52 seater coach that still remains to this day.
A man who had so much love and enthusiasm for the game and this rubbed off on all. How fitting it was that Wolves played Aston Villa – two teams he managed – the weekend after he died.
A wonderful way to pay tribute to a great manager.
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