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Graham Taylor: Football pays tribute to former England manager

Last updated on .From the section Football

Watford's programme for the Middlesbrough match featured a tribute from chief executive Scott Duxbury
Watford chairman and chief executive Scott Duxbury paid tribute to Graham Taylor in the match programme: "His achievements at this club remain unsurpassed"

Tributes have been paid at football matches across the country to former England manager Graham Taylor after his death on Thursday at the age of 72.

Watford saluted the club's "greatest manager of all time" before their home Premier League match against Middlesbrough at Vicarage Road.

Chants of "there's only one Graham Taylor" rang out during a minute's applause in his memory.

His achievements were also applauded before English Football League games.

Taylor took Watford from the Fourth Division to a second-placed finish in the top flight in five seasons. He also guided the club to the only FA Cup final of their history - a 2-0 defeat against Everton in 1984 - and European football, as well as enjoying spells with Lincoln City, Aston Villa and Wolves.

Taylor became England boss in 1990 but resigned in 1993 after the team failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup, and later became a respected pundit for BBC Sport.

Fans laid flowers, scarves and club shirts outside the stadium
Watford fans, some in tears, laid flowers, scarves and club shirts outside the stadium before Saturday's match against Middlesbrough
Graham Taylor tribute
"Thanks for the memories GT," one Watford fan wrote on a club shirt left outside Vicarage Road
Watford corner flags were black in memory of Graham Taylor
Watford used black corner flags in memory of their former manager for their match at Vicarage Road which ended in a goalless draw
Watford fans pay tribute to their former manager Graham Taylor
Fans at Watford unfurled a banner in tribute to their former manager at Vicarage Road
Tributes were paid at Wolves against Aston Villa
There were floral tributes to Taylor ahead of Wolverhampton Wanderers' Championship game with Aston Villa at Molineux. Taylor managed both clubs
Tributes were paid at Tottenham against West Brom
Players, officials and fans remembered Taylor before Tottenham's 4-0 win over West Brom at White Hart Lane
Sunderland described Taylor as a "true gentleman" in a message on the big screen at the Stadium of Light before the game with Stoke City
Sunderland described Taylor as a "true gentleman" in a message on the big screen at the Stadium of Light before the game with Stoke City
Graham Taylor tribute by Scunthorpe United players
Tributes to Taylor were paid before games up and down the country. In League One, Scunthorpe United's players wore armbands in memory of the club's vice president during the 2-1 win at Northampton

#thankyouGT

Lincoln City tribute to Graham Taylor
Taylor started his managerial career at Lincoln City. There was a minute's applause before Lincoln's FA Trophy tie away to Gateshead. Lincoln won 3-1
Graham Taylor tribute at Sunderland
At Sunderland, there was a tribute to Taylor on the big screen ahead of their game with Stoke City at the Stadium of Light. Stoke won 3-1
Graham Taylor tribute at Watford
Watford tweeted a simple message as fans took part in a minute's applause before the goalless draw with Middlesbrough. It read: "Graham Taylor - We Love You"
Tributes were paid to Graham Taylor
BBC Radio 5 live's Alistair Bruce-Ball tweeted a picture of the Watford programme tribute to Taylor

'A great man'

Former England striker Ian Wright on Match of the Day: "I was forever grateful to him for giving me my first cap. We didn't always see eye to eye on certain things but he was a gentleman."

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown on Football Focus: "Graham Taylor rescued Aston Villa and probably my career too. The first day he wandered in, with a difficult chairman, he said he had chosen to come to the club. He had a clear vision and told us how we were going to function.

"I learnt a lot under him. He got Villa back into the First Division. Eleven players came in and 11 went out. The celebrations when we went up after beating Swindon will live long in the memory.

"He has left his mark and was a great man to work under."

Watford captain Troy Deeney: "Today was more about Graham Taylor and not the result. You could see how emotional everyone was and it showed how much people care about him.

"There are no words that I can use to sum up how great a man he was and we just wish his family all the best at this difficult time."

Remembering Graham Taylor: When Graham met Elton

Former England defender Danny Mills on BBC Radio 5 live: "I worked alongside Graham Taylor for 5 live a fair bit and I don't remember him ever being grumpy.

"No matter what, even if something hadn't gone his way, he still had that impish smile. A lovely man.

"He got vicious, vitriolic stick from parts of the media as England manager but he came out still being able to laugh at himself. That's the measure of the man."

Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson on Football Focus: "My time with him was mainly at tournaments, and you'd meet players that had played for him, and every single one absolutely loved him. He was normal, and in the mad world of football, normal is good."

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Match of the Day commentator John Motson: "He single-handedly put Watford on the football map, taking them from the Fourth Division to runners-up in the old First Division."