With the World Cup in full swing and many people sick as the proverbial parrot of football at the moment, it is in some ways unfortunate that it was exactly 37 years ago today, on Monday, June 27, 1977, that Graham Taylor took up his job as manager of Watford FC. Unfortunate, because the lion’s share of this week’s Nostalgia is dedicated to that day.

Technically, GT, as he’s referred to by fans, had been in charge since June 24, 1977, since he signed his contract on the previous Friday.

But either way, it was the start of a golden period for Watford FC and Taylor, who stayed at the club 10 years and is widely regarded as the club’s best ever manager. He’s certainly the most popular – and later this summer the Rous Stand at Vicarage Road is being renamed The Graham Taylor Stand in his honour.

When he signed up as manager in 1977, Graham Taylor was just 32 years old. He had turned down approaches from other clubs – and how glad Watford fans were about that.

At the time, the Hornets were in the old Fourth Division but Taylor led them from the Fourth to the First Division in only five years.

He won the Fourth Division title at the first attempt, during the 1977–78 season, losing only five of 46 games and winning the league by 11 points.

Next for an assault on the Third Division, where Taylor led Watford to another promotion, finishing second and losing out on the title by just one point the following year. The team also made the semi-final of the League Cup that year.

Taylor’s third season, his first in the Second Division, was less successful and the team finished 18th. But rather than sack him, as no doubt would happen these days, Watford persevered and their faith in the man was certainly not misplaced.

The following year (1980-81) the Hornets finished ninth and the year after, the first in which teams won three points for a win rather than two, were runners up, with 23 wins and 11 draws from 46 games, to earn promotion to the top level – the First Division.

In the First Division, with Taylor as manager, Watford gained its highest-ever victory (8–0 against Sunderland, with Luther Blissett scoring four). The team also had memorable victories over Arsenal (twice), away at Tottenham Hotspur and at home against both Everton and Liverpool.

The season ended with Watford in the runners-up position and qualifying for Europe. John Barnes played in all 53 of the team’s games that season and Luther Blissett scored 33 goals in total. His league tally of 27 was the best in the division.

In the UEFA Cup, Watford made the Third Round, going out to Sparta Prague, but the team did rather better in the FA Cup, where they reached the final in 1984 at Wembley, which Watford lost to Everton 2–0.

In his final season, 1986–87, Taylor’s Watford finished ninth in the league and reached the FA Cup semi-finals. But the lure of a new challenge proved too much, and Taylor left to manage Aston Villa.

And that was that – until February 1996, when Elton John, who had recently bought Watford for a second time, appointed Taylor as general manager at Vicarage Road.

Just over a year later, Taylor had appointed himself as the club’s manager, succeeding Kenny Jackett, who was relegated to a coaching capacity at the club.

He won the Division Two championship at his first attempt in 1998 and the following season, Taylor won the Division One Play-off Final, beating Bolton Wanderers 2–0 at Wembley, and with it promotion to the Premier League.

Sadly, it was to be a short-lived return to the top flight, as Watford finished bottom of the table, never to return (although fans remain ever hopeful).

Taylor retired not long afterwards, although not before he had become only the third manager to manage 1,000 league games in England, after Brian Clough and Jim Smith.

But back to June 1977, and the fans’ first chance to read about their new manager.

“Straight-talking Graham Taylor will become Watford’s 14th post-war manager when he signs his £20,000 contract at the board meeting this morning [June 24, 1977].

“Watford will pay Lincoln City £20,000 compensation for the man who, in recent weeks, we have had to refer to as Mr ‘X’.

“Taylor takes over at Vicarage Road on Monday but after a fact-finding mission on Wednesday, he was able to pronounce: ‘This club has a complete lack of discipline. I’m excited by the challenge, but I have one hell of a job on here.’

“The 32-year-old manager was the board’s first and last choice and the Watford directors were in jubilant mood after completing the negotiations.

“‘We’ve done well to get him. He wouldn’t have gone to any other Division Four club,’ said vice-chairman Geoff Smith. In fact, Taylor, after talks with West Bromwich Albion, opted for Watford and telephoned the Hawthorns on Monday to cancel a further appointment.

“The former Grimsby and Lincoln full back has been considering Watford’s offer for three weeks. During that time he has also visited the town unannounced and asked questions about the club from supporters.

“At Lincoln, after three years, he steered City to the Division Four championship with a six-point lead. Lincoln scored 111 goals in doing so and also had the best defensive record in the division.

“Taylor, as has been the custom with previous appointments, will have the choice of a two-litre car but Watford will not be buying his house.”

ONLINE TOMORROW: Graham Taylor's first interview with the Watford Observer, published the day he became manager, June 24, 1977