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4 unusual facts about Graham Taylor


Billy McNeill

When Villa were relegated after finishing bottom of the First Division in May 1987, he stood down to make way for Graham Taylor and returned to Celtic.

Paul Ridley

When the England football team under manager Graham Taylor flopped at Euro ’92, Ridley capitalised on the infamous SWEDES 2 TURNIPS 1 headline with a lengthy campaign to get ‘Turnip’ Taylor sacked.

Proavis

The term Proavis was used again in 1999, when Joseph Garner, Graham Taylor, and Adrian Thomas proposed their "pouncing proavis model", an hypothesis entailing that the origin of avian flight rested in a predatory behaviour, the "proavis" jumping on its prey from trees (see pouncing proavis model in Origin of avian flight).

Sophonisba Breckinridge

Breckinridge worked with Vassar College graduate and social reformer Julia Lathrop, social gospel minister Graham Taylor (founder of the settlement house, Chicago Commons) and others to create the Chicago School of Civics and Philanthropy, becoming its first (and only) dean.


1976–77 Football League

The British pop star Elton John took over Fourth Division side Watford and installed Graham Taylor as manager.

1981–82 Football League

They were joined by Norwich City and Watford, owned by Elton John and managed by Graham Taylor, who would begin 1982–83 as First Division members for the first time in their history.

Football on 5

Channel 5’s regular pundits consisted of Pat Nevin who, from 2009, moved to pitchside before games and in the OB truck at half and full-time; Stan Collymore who briefly replaced John Barnes and is now in the studio alongside Jim Rosenthal, and Graham Taylor who is the principal co-commentator.

Garry Parker

In the 1990/91 season, Parker was called up once by England coach Graham Taylor to the full squad, although he didn't feature in the team and never won a full cap, although a number of appearances at 'B' level came his way.

Gerry Francis

With the resignation of Graham Taylor as England national football team manager in November 1993 following failure to qualify for the World Cup, Francis was one of the many names linked to the vacancy, but the job went to Terry Venables instead.

Wilf Rostron

During the 1980–81 Watford manager Graham Taylor played Rostron as a left-back to combat Chelsea winger Clive Walker.


see also