Lincoln City and Watford will compete for the Graham Taylor Cup whenever the two sides meet in competitive action, starting with Tuesday evening’s Sky Bet Championship fixture at Vicarage Road.
The trophy has been introduced to celebrate the remarkable legacy of Graham Taylor, one of English football’s most respected managers, who enjoyed extraordinary success with both clubs.
In a tribute to his achievements, the Graham Taylor Cup is a replica of the Football League Fourth Division trophy, which Taylor lifted in consecutive seasons with the Imps and the Hornets.
Taylor guided City to the Fourth Division title in 1975/76, overseeing a record-breaking campaign which saw the Imps accumulate 74 points under the two-points-for-a-win system, scoring 111 goals and conceding just 39.
His achievements at Sincil Bank earned him widespread recognition and paved the way for a move to Watford in 1977, where he immediately secured another Fourth Division championship in the 1977/78 season. Taylor went on to enjoy remarkable success at Vicarage Road, guiding Watford from the Fourth Division to the top flight in just five seasons, before leading the Hornets to a second-place finish in the First Division and an FA Cup final.
He subsequently managed England and returned for a second spell at Watford, further cementing his place in the club’s history. Taylor, who passed away in January 2017, remains one of the most influential figures in the history of both clubs, with his achievements and values continuing to inspire generations of supporters.
I wasn’t born when Graham Taylor was managing Lincoln City, but for me he will always represent Dad’s experiences of supporting the club in the 1970s. His team became the benchmark against which other Lincoln sides were measured, restoring pride after years when there had been precious little to celebrate. Their 74 points in 1976 remain a Football League record under the two-points-for-a-win system, but it is the thought of winning 21 of 23 home games that really brings their dominance to life. Imagine turning up at Sincil Bank every fortnight with that sort of expectation.
I met Graham a couple of times and found him friendly, open and down to earth, always happy to talk about Lincoln and players who clearly meant far more to him than names on a team sheet. Hearing that he had died in January 2017 became one of those moments I knew I would always remember, alongside learning we had lost Keith and Butch. Others understandably remembered England, Watford or Aston Villa, but my thoughts were much closer to home. I was mourning a man who had put smiles on Lincoln supporters’ faces before I was born, and someone who could make even my dad feel star-struck.
The introduction of the Graham Taylor Cup provides a lasting tribute to a manager who played such a significant role in shaping the fortunes of both Lincoln City and Watford. The first opportunity to lift the trophy will come on Tuesday evening, when the Imps travel to Vicarage Road for their Championship encounter with the Hornets.
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