R.I.P Geoff Taylor.

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Really sorry to hear this. He was a brilliant bloke, and absolutely integral to our spirit of that side. People rightly said what a great man manager Bassett was, but GT was every bit as important on creating the togetherness. The players loved him.

His zone man conversation will never fail to make me smile.

RIP, Geoff.
 
RIP Geoff.

I was thinking about him the other day when we were talking about defending crosses and I was remembering the famous scene in The United documentary about Wilf being the zone man on corners.

Great falls by all accounts and a big part of our most successful top flight run in my Blades life.
 
I can't remember who first transcribed this on BladesUnited (probably JJ Sefton) but here's the full zone man conversation:

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

The scenario: 5th May 1990, United need to win at Leicester to win promotion to the top flight for the first time in over a decade. 4-2 up at half time, Sir David Bassett is not happy with the defense at corners. A fine display of tactical genius and teamwork is then displayed by the management team of DB and Geoff Taylor.

DB: Now Jock, the first corner, you’ve gone wandering out and it’s just gone over your head. Your man’s gone out and Oldfield’s gone beyond. So we’ll make a change on the corners, Hilly, you’ll pick up, er, Kelly, Barnesy’s man, you’ll pick Kelly up on the corners OK? (points at a player out of shot) You’ll then pick North up, the five, OK? Jock, you’ll do the zone, OK?

GT: Can we just sort that out as well, like the last one, Chris was picking up Wrighty, there was Deano and Bob picking up with two, and we had no zone man. If our zone gets pulled out like Jock Bryson now, Mark, you’ve got to be across in the hole in the three. (to Mark Morris) Do you understand? No you don’t obviously.

Argument starts.

DB: We talking at a corner?

GT: Yeah.

DB: (points at Mark Morris) No he’s marking at a corner.

GT: Who’s he marking?

DB: He’s marking, er, he’s at the near post with Oldfield and James, him and Deansy there.

GT: (looking bemused): Alright.

DB: (points at Mark Morris again) So it’s him marking with, er, Deansy.

GT: We still need a zone in there.

DB: Yeah, Wilf’s the zone, in the corner.

GT: (more bemused): What, in the front?

DB: No, Jock’s the zone, near post zone, Chrissy’s on the edge. Jock’s come off, I’ve taken Hilly to mark instead of Jock, that’s the only difference.

GT looks even more bemused and they engage in some low level muttering.

DB: (now confused as well – GT muttering all the while now): Well Wrighty’s in the edge of the box, Chrissy Wilder’s……….well that’s right……….Well if he’s out there……….Wilf will have to……… (more low level muttering)

GT: What I’m saying is that the 6 yard man has got to be in front if he’s out.

DB: Yeah, Jock’s got to get out, yeah.
 
Very sad news. Those Bassett years, when I was 8 to 15, were a huge part of my life and Taylor was a big part of that.

JJ Sefton said:
In about 2005 I went down to Plymouth to see us in a 0-0 draw. Taylor was on the train, he was scouting us for Reading I think, and we spent the trip down chatting with him, lovely bloke.

We saw him on the platform on the way back and while we chatted his phone rang and it was Bassett. Taylor told him he was with some Unitedites, we told Taylor to tell Bassett we said hello, and he said: “Dave, they say you’re a wanker…(he turns to us) He says you’re right” Then he wandered off to chat to Bassett in private and the first thing he said was “Nah, we were shit today” I was touched that after all those years he still thought of us as “we”.
Click to expand...
 

After Harris and "Before Bassett" was an era when we were known to be a "soft touch" with little backbone or character.
I was 30 when Harry , Geoff & Frenchie came in - they took a weak-kneed club and literally grabbed it by the scruff of the neck , dragging it up to be a respected outfit.

We stopped being the mugs of the football world and it made me proud again to puff my chest out as a Blade.
Accusations of "long-ball or crude" style were completely misplaced - we simply "manned-up" and had Deane & Agana banging in the goals... Such joyful times. Capped by Darlington.

Harry had been an insurance broker & Geoff had been an electrical contractor when Wimbledon rose from the amateur world to the First Division and won the FA Cup.
I don't think even Wilder's rise from 2016 to 2020 is anywhere near that kind of "success on a shoestring" story.

If that happened today , instead of the 80s , you would never hear the end of it in the media , films etc.

Wonderful times created by wonderful men , the like of which we won't see again in the money driven game of today.

To get a flavour of it , watch the 'United' BBC series which followed our promotion to the old First Division in 89/90.

What a brilliant 92 years you must've had , Geoff
And "WILF'S THE ZONE". 🤣
 
Agree with what others have said - Taylor was an essential part of our success at that time. And it was great having “United” to give us a peak behind the curtain (a programme underrated/forgotten by many who think Peter Reid had the first fly on the wall). Taylor’s bit about Bassett and his "heads" has always stuck with me. As well as the zone 😂

“If you lot are sh*tting yourselves, just thing what me and Bag are doing.”

RIP Bag
 
Saw him after an away game at Palace one time. He was still helping Bassett out with a bit of scouting.

Came over as a lovely guy.

RIP Geoff - one who brought much joy to my teenage years!
 
R.I.P Geoff.
Condolences to family and friends.
One of my favourite blade ERA's.

That day at Leicester, was on holiday in skegvegas.
Went to the seafront with mi radio, managed to pick up radio Sheffield to listen to the scores.
 
AHH, that's sad. RIP Geoff. Used to see him occasionally down at Abbeydale Sports Club, he'd pop down and watch the cricket, just kept himself to himself but seemed a nice guy. He'd occasionally spend a few minutes watching us youngsters playing football down on the astro turf and I was convinced I was one good strike away from an invite for a trial... never came! Great time for the club though and he was an integral part.
 
Geordie Blade said:
I can't remember who first transcribed this on BladesUnited (probably JJ Sefton) but here's the full zone man conversation:

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

The scenario: 5th May 1990, United need to win at Leicester to win promotion to the top flight for the first time in over a decade. 4-2 up at half time, Sir David Bassett is not happy with the defense at corners. A fine display of tactical genius and teamwork is then displayed by the management team of DB and Geoff Taylor.

DB: Now Jock, the first corner, you’ve gone wandering out and it’s just gone over your head. Your man’s gone out and Oldfield’s gone beyond. So we’ll make a change on the corners, Hilly, you’ll pick up, er, Kelly, Barnesy’s man, you’ll pick Kelly up on the corners OK? (points at a player out of shot) You’ll then pick North up, the five, OK? Jock, you’ll do the zone, OK?

GT: Can we just sort that out as well, like the last one, Chris was picking up Wrighty, there was Deano and Bob picking up with two, and we had no zone man. If our zone gets pulled out like Jock Bryson now, Mark, you’ve got to be across in the hole in the three. (to Mark Morris) Do you understand? No you don’t obviously.

Argument starts.

DB: We talking at a corner?

GT: Yeah.

DB: (points at Mark Morris) No he’s marking at a corner.

GT: Who’s he marking?

DB: He’s marking, er, he’s at the near post with Oldfield and James, him and Deansy there.

GT: (looking bemused): Alright.

DB: (points at Mark Morris again) So it’s him marking with, er, Deansy.

GT: We still need a zone in there.

DB: Yeah, Wilf’s the zone, in the corner.

GT: (more bemused): What, in the front?

DB: No, Jock’s the zone, near post zone, Chrissy’s on the edge. Jock’s come off, I’ve taken Hilly to mark instead of Jock, that’s the only difference.

GT looks even more bemused and they engage in some low level muttering.

DB: (now confused as well – GT muttering all the while now): Well Wrighty’s in the edge of the box, Chrissy Wilder’s……….well that’s right……….Well if he’s out there……….Wilf will have to……… (more low level muttering)

GT: What I’m saying is that the 6 yard man has got to be in front if he’s out.

DB: Yeah, Jock’s got to get out, yeah.
Click to expand...
Classic.

Good knock that GT RIP.

UTB
 

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