Graham Taylor
Graham Taylor OBE (born 15 September 1944, Worksop, Nottinghamshire) is the former Chairman of Watford Football Club, having formerly been a football pundit, football manager, and player. He was the manager of the England national football team from 1990 to 1993, as well as being manager of Watford, a club he took from the Fourth Division to the First in the space of five years, then from bottom of the second division to the Premier League in two seasons two decades later. Taylor grew up in the industrial steel town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, a town with which he still has many connections and regards as his hometown. The son of a sports journalist with The Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph, Graham found his love of football in the stands of the Old Show Ground watching Scunthorpe United. He became a player, playing at full back for Grimsby Town and Lincoln City. He retired as a player through injury in 1972. He became a manager and coach, winning success with Lincoln, Watford and Aston Villa. Taylor succeeded in rescuing and achieving promotion with all three clubs, leading Watford and Aston Villa to runners-up positions to Liverpool F.C in 1983 and 1990 respectively, while leading the former to an F.A Cup Final in 1984. In 1990, he became the manager of the England team, but resigned in November 1993, after failing to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States. Taylor was heavily criticised personally and professionally during his failed tenure. Taylor faced even more criticism when a documentary, which filmed the failed qualifying campaign, aired in 1994. Taylor was heard to utter the words "Do I not like that", when England conceded a goal to Poland, which it became a national catchphrase, and "Can we not knock it?". He was also filmed berating the German linesman during the controversial and crippling defeat to the Netherlands in a World Cup qualifier. Taylor returned to club management in March 1994, and achieved more success with Watford. The club was promoted to the Premier League in 1999, after slipping back down the leagues after Taylor's departure 12 years earlier. His most recent managerial role was manager of Aston Villa, who he returned to in 2002. He left at the end of the 2002–03 season. Taylor served as chairman of Watford F.C. from 2009 until 2012 with whom he still holds position of honorary life-president, and currently works as a pundit for BBC Radio Five Live.