Former England manager Graham Taylor says everything he achieved in football would not have been possible had it not been for one man - Heneage Dove.

 

Almost 35 years ago, a young Taylor was under pressure after just two wins in his first 11 games in charge of Lincoln City - his first job in management.

 

The Sincil Bank faithful were getting restless. But Dove, the Lincoln City Chairman, stuck with his man, and a career was born.

 

"There were 3,500 people at Sincil Bank shouting 'Taylor out, Taylor out'," recalled the 62 year old, speaking at the recent UEFA A Conversion Course at the University of Warwick.

 

"If I had been sacked, I don't know what would have happened to my career. I had two children under six, mortgage on a semi-detached house, but I had someone who stuck with me. He had belief in me. It was only later in my career that I could appreciate that.

 

"If he had not stuck by me, I probably would not have been anything as a football manager. I probably would have had to try and find a teaching career."

 

Football and teaching were always close to Taylor’s heart, but completing a Grammar School education, he chose to embark on a career as a professional footballer.

 

"Grammar School boys did not become professional footballers - it was a class distinction. I bucked that trend a little bit," he said.

 

But after lengthy spells as a full-back with Grimsby and Lincoln, his playing career was brought to a premature end due to a hip injury.

 

However, Taylor had always been interesting in coaching and after completing his full badge in 1968 - at 21 he was the youngest to do so - he was handed the reins at Lincoln.

 

But it was a far from smooth ride and adapting from being one of the boys to being the man in charge did not come easily.

 

"I was only 28 when I became manager," he explained. "In many respect it was thrown at me. Fortunately I stayed in it. I went from being one of 24 players, to the next day being the manager of 23. I remember saying to the fellas 'you've known me as Graham, keep calling me Graham'. A week later I pulled them together and said 'no, I'm the boss. You better start calling me boss'."

 

Dove's faith was well founded as Taylor led the Imps to the Division Four title in 1976. From there, Taylor took charge of Watford and Aston Villa before answering his country's call and leading England for four years.

 

A short spell at Wolves followed before Taylor returned to Watford where he led the Hornets to the Premier League. He eventually left in 2001, by which time he had taken charge of his 1,000th match, only the third person to have done so.

 

A return to Aston Villa followed before he retired to the relative safety of the BBC Radio Five Live commentary box.

 

After more than 30 years in football management, Taylor is perfectly positioned to look at how football has moved on since his days in the Lincoln hotseat.

 

"One thing that has changed in terms of management, when I was at my management peak, I was totally in charge," he explained. "I was the boss. You used to be able to tell players to do something, if they did not do it they were out.

 

"The days when journalists used to just have the manager's phone number is long gone. They now have the agent's number, then the player's, the chief executive, the chairman. He doesn't need the manager's number anymore. It's all change."

 

Taylor admits he's keen to keep abreast of any changes in the game.

 

"You have to accept that change comes, and the only way to do that is by coming on courses like this and appreciate what has changed from my very early days.

 

"But I have enjoyed the course and being in the football environment, listening to other people, having the laughs which you always have in football, the banter. I have been out of it for nearly four years now, I have picked up on some of the banter again.

 

"But more importantly, it's learning, listening and thinking."