GLOVERS NEWS: Former Yeovil Town boss pays tribute to great friend and great manager Graham Taylor

FORMER Yeovil Town manager Gary Johnson has paid tribute to Graham Taylor – the ex-Watford, Aston Villa and England boss – who died on Thursday (January 12, 2017) at the age of 72.

Johnson, who had two successful terms as manager at Yeovil Town and is now boss at League Two rivals Cheltenham Town, said he owed a lot to Taylor who he worked under while as the head of Watford’s academy in the late 1990s.

“I am very, very sad and I want to send me condolences to his wife, children and grandchildren,” said Johnson, speaking to the local media in Cheltenham. “I am lucky enough to have been in his company with his wife Rita and my wife many times.”

Graham Taylor was manager at Aston Villa back in 2002 when Yeovil Town reached the FA Umbro Trophy Final which was being played at Villa Park in Birmingham.

The Yeovil players stayed ahead of the final at the Belfry Golf Course and were given permission by Taylor to train at Villa’s Bodymoor Heath Training Ground.

Taylor went along to meet the Yeovil players and his old pal Gary Johnson and wished them well in the final which they went on to win with a 2-0 success over Stevenage Borough.

PHOTO – TOP: Click on the video to see Graham Taylor with Gary Johnson and the Yeovil players ahead of the 2002 FA Trophy Final. Johnson talks about Taylor on 2mins 18secs into the video and then Taylor himself at around 5mins.

PHOTO – RIGHT: Great pals Graham Taylor (left) and Gary Johnson.

Johnson added: “Graham was a great man and a great man manager and motivator. A lot of the things I do and a lot of my way of thinking comes to what Graham Taylor taught me, I trusted him.

“It’s a sad day when you lose a great footballing personality. He was a great coach and a great personality.

“He was great company to be in and it’s very, very sad. Football has lost a good ‘un.”

PHOTO – ABOVE: Graham Taylor and Gary Johnson at the Bodymoor Heath Training Ground ahead of Yeovil Town’s FA Trophy Final with Stevenage Borough back in 2002.

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