The Graham Taylor memorial match will be streamed LIVE on SPORTbible's Facebook page, this afternoon, from three o' clock.
This afternoon, Aston Villa will host Watford in a pre-season friendly at Villa Park to pay tribute to the late Graham Taylor, who managed both teams to promotions during his legendary managerial career.
Former Hornets and Villains boss Taylor passed away in January of this year of a suspected heart attack at the age of 72 and was mourned by fans and former players and colleagues alike.
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While infamously unsuccessful during his spell as England manager between 1990-1993, Taylor achieved monumental success with Watford, guiding the Vicarage Road club from the old Fourth Division to runners up spot in the top flight in just five years. Taylor also led Watford to the final of the 1984 FA Cup final, where they lost 2-0 to Everton.
"I'm sorry, Elton, I don't know all the words to Bennie and The Jets, we'll have to sing 'em Rocket Man, again." Image: PA
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Taylor would return to the Hornets in 1996, first as General Manager before succeeding Kenny Jackett as first team manager a year later. Taylor would once again work his magic, delivering top flight football to the Vicarage Road faithful following a 2-0 victory over Bolton Wanderers in the 1999 First Division play-off final.
But Taylor's promotion powers were not just restricted to Watford. During the embryonic stages of his managerial career, Taylor earned promotion from the Fourth Division with Lincoln City at the ridiculously young age of 32, having become the league's youngest manager four years previously, aged just 28.
Taylor's arrival at Villa Park also saw the former Watford boss return Villa to the top flight at the first time of asking, in 1988, before the Villains ran Liverpool close for the First Division league title in 1990, finishing as runners up, having led the title race at several points of the season before Kenny Dalglish's team overhauled them to claim their 18th and last league crown.
"Finish this early, lads, I need to get off on 70 minutes for a Paul Weller gig." Image: PA
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And, though no one really has anything positive to say about Taylor's time as England manager, following his excellent spell in the Midlands, he did hand a young Alan Shearer his first ever England cap, which is a noteworthy achievement in anyone's book.
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As well as giving Shearer his first taste of international football, Taylor managed some truly wonderful players, including John Barnes at Watford, David Platt at Aston Villa and Stuart Pearce, Paul Gascoigne, Des Walker and the aforementioned Shearer at international level.
Ahead of tomorrow's game at Villa Park, we put together the best XI players to be coached by Taylor during his promotion laden career.
Aston Villa goalkeeper Nigel Spink stands between the sticks, despite his finest hour as a Villain arriving before Taylor's arrival in the Midlands, when he memorably kept Bayern Munich at bay during Villa's remarkable 1982 European Cup triumph. Spink would be named in the Second Division Team Of The Year during Villa's successful promotion campaign in Taylor's first season in charge, however.
'Psycho' Stuart Pearce earns the left-back berth, mainly because we were too scared to give it to anyone else, while his England international teammate Des Walker lines up in the heart of defence alongside explosive free-kick expert Ian Bolton, who Taylor once described as the best signing he ever made, becoming a mainstay of the Watford team that climbed through the Football League in the late '70s and early '80s. Rounding off the defence at right-back is former Arsenal coach Pat Rice, who Taylor signed for the Hornets in 1980, following 13 years with the Gunners.
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Midfield is where things begin to get a tad more attacking, with caution well and truly thrown to the wind, with a foursome of John Barnes, David Platt, Paul Gascoigne and Watford wing legend Nigel Callaghan having the license to terrorise defences at will before supplying the deliveries for a monstrous strike partnership of Shearer and Watford goal machine Luther Blissett, who scored 186 goals during three different spells at Vicarage Road.
And just for good measure, here's the XI in claret and blue for any Villa fans reading:
The memorial match for Taylor kicks off at three o' clock with profits shared between the Taylor family's nominated charities; Staffordshire-based National Memorial Arboretum and Watford's Community Sports & Education Trust, as well as the AV Former Players' Club and the Aston Villa Foundation.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Watford, Aston Villa, Football
