Fri Jan 13, 2017 4:22 pm
Neil Warnock's memories of Graham Taylor
“It was a shock.
“Memories of Graham Taylor - I first met him when he was a full-back at Grimsby and I was a winger, he used to tell me he had to slow me down.
“We had some good rapport.
“Then when he started managing and went to Watford, early on I took a lad called Richard Jobson who wanted to go to university, and he came down to see Taylor, we were in his office and I listened to Graham for a year and a half telling him not to be a footballer, and I’m trying to get £25k - i’d never heard anything like it.
“But that was him, he told the truth and he ended up signing for him.
“Over the years, I’ve still got a bitter taste about the Sun’s coverage with the Turnip. It disgusted me the way they treated him.
“When I spoke to him it was bitter about that coverage. He wouldn’t tell anybody it hurt him, it hurt him remarkably.
“I never met a bigger gentleman than Graham, he always wanted to talk football. It could be a car attendant and he’d be talking tactics to him. He couldn’t shut up.
“When I played Scunthorpe his dad was a journalist, a big lad, cycling to press conferences who would tell us stories about Graham, a lovely family. It was a major blow.
“He’ll be looking down and I’m glad we’re having a minute’s silence.
“I hope the Bristol fans have a minute booing me when I pass away. I think it would be appropriate send off for me.”
Neil Warnock