Legendary former Imps' manager Graham Taylor OBE was posthumously inducted into the Lincoln City Hall of Fame ahead of The Imps, Sky Bet League One fixture against Oxford United on Saturday September 21st 2019.
Taylor is the third member inducted into the Hall of Fame following in the footsteps of Colin Murphy and Grant Brown.
Taylor guided the Imps to a record-breaking Division Four title-winning campaign in the 1975/76 season, and went on to manage the England national team as well as managing in the Premier League.
Graham's family were at the unveiling of the Hall of Fame plaque in the Buildbase Legends Lounge at Sincil Bank.
Career
Worksop-born Graham Taylor was a solid, right-sided defender and signed for the Imps for £4,000 in July 1968.
He served as club captain although he had several spells out injured and scored his only goal on his debut in a 5-0 home win over Notts County. He went on to make 170 League and cup appearances for the Imps.
He coached the Lincolnshire League team, City School Old Boys, from January 1970 before becoming the Imps' coach in 1972 when his playing career was ended by injury.
Better known nationally for his remarkable success with Watford and his three-year spell as England boss, Graham became the youngest manager in the Football League in December 1972 when he took the reins at Sincil Bank aged only 28.
League records were set in the 1975/76 season for most wins (32), least defeats (4) and most points (74) as the Imps netted 111 goals in the process of securing the Championship.
City finished a creditable ninth in Division Three the following season, but Graham left to join Elton John and Watford in the summer of 1977.
It was during his time at Lincoln that he brought the Football Club and the local community closer together. Regular visits to factories and offices by players were ground-breaking in professional football at the time and it is something he carried on during his time with Watford.
Graham took Watford from the old Fourth to the old First Division within the space of five years.
European football then came to Vicarage Road after Watford had finished runners-up to Liverpool before Graham moved to Aston Villa in 1987. He soon led his new side to promotion to Division One before he took the ultimate challenge - manager of England.
Graham led the nation between 1990 and 1993, before returning to club football with Wolves and eventually returning to Vicarage Road.
Graham retired from management at the end of the 2000/01 season, and was made Lincoln City's Club Patron in 2001 and was awarded an OBE in the 2002 New Years' Honours for his services to football.
Graham Taylor OBE sadly passed away on January 12th, 2017.
