A brilliant man

A busy day today that also brought the sad news of the passing of Graham Taylor. You only have to read a few tributes to know how highly regarded he was and he was a rare gentleman in the game of football.

I was too young to really appreciate his first spell at Aston Villa but grew up knowing of his achievements and how fondly his time at the club remembered. I found a picture of him emerging for his first game in his second spell. I'm not sure I've ever heard a roar quite as loud that greeted him that day. It really was a hero returning.

The second spell didn't work out as well as we hoped but he remained dignified and brave until the end and is still revered by Villa fans. There will be renditions of Graham Taylor's claret and blue army in the coming weeks and I look forward to joining in and remembering a great man.