Watford and Aston Villa to pay tribute to Graham Taylor

The Hornets have confirmed the clash at Vicarage Road on August 14 will be their Graham Taylor matchday, an event held every year since his death in January, 2017.

Taylor managed both clubs during a celebrated career, winning five promotions in two spells with Watford, taking them from the Fourth Division to the First in the space of five years between 1977 and 1982.

At Villa he was responsible for re-energising the club following their relegation in 1987, winning promotion back to the top flight at the first time of asking and then finishing second in the First Division in the 1989/90 season, before he left to manage England.

Watford’s tribute fixture to Taylor has typically been held in pre-season, with the first contested at Villa Park in the summer of 2017. But when the clubs were paired against each other on the first weekend of the 2021-22 campaign, it was decided that would be the ideal time to hold this year’s event.

Members of Taylor’s family will be present at Vicarage Road for the match, which will also see the Hornets honour the NHS for their work during the pandemic.