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Full Name
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Thomas Taylor
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Date of Birth
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29th Jan 1932
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Place of Birth
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Barnsley
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Position
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Forward
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Height
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6ft 4
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United debut
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7/3/1953
vs Preston N.E (H)
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.....
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Taylor's United Record 1953-1958
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Appearances
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Goals
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League
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166
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112
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FA Cup
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9
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5
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League Cup
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n/a
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n/a
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Europe
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14
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11
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Total
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189
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128
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Taylor's International Record
1953-1958
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19 Caps for
England - 16 Goals
1957 1st Div
League Championship
1956 1st Div
League Championship
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Tommy Taylor ran through brick walls to score goals and woe
betide any centre half who got in the way. He could out-jump
the opposition to create chances and steal the winner.
Taylor only played 19 times for England but there would have
been many more had it not been for the tragedy at Munich
that robbed him of his life at only 26. One of England's
all-time great goal-scorers, a look at his games-to goals
record shows he averaged well over a goal every two games.
His greatest ability was for aerial combat, in which he was
the best in the land. Towering above other players Taylor
could propel the ball with his forehead like a bullet and
with supreme accuracy as well.
A physical giant of a player, he had excellent ball control
and movement which made him and partner up front, Dennis
Viollet, the Yorke and Cole of the 1950s. Taylor was also a
brave and committed player who had buckets of stamina and
drive to keep going for the whole 90 minutes.
Tommy began his football playing for a local coal mining
team at the Colliery where he worked. At the age of 16,
local scouts spotted his ability and gave him a chance with
local side, Barnsley. After impressive displays up front for
The Tykes, Tommy was brought to Old Trafford for what was a
record fee of £29,999 - Matt Busby did not want him burdened
with a £30,000 noose and gave the extra pound to a tea lady.
Like a Dwight Yorke or Eric Cantona, United had got one hell
of a bargain. |
Taylor got off to a
flier of a start and became a firm favorite of the fans and
team-mates, scoring twice on his debut. By the end of the
1952/53 season he had 7 goals in just 11 games. With Taylor,
United and the Busby Babes swept to two League titles in
1956 and 57 in a manner that captured the hearts and
imaginations of football fans across Britain. Taylor also
scored in the 1957 FA Cup final when United were denied the
"Double" because of a terrible refereeing decision that left
them with 10-men for most of the game.
In his 19 full international appearances he scored an
amazing 16 goals. Many saw him as England's direct
replacement for Bolton legend Nat Lofthouse. When Inter
Milan made a whopping offer of £65,000 for Taylor in 1957,
Busby refused to part with the him, as money just couldn't
buy what Taylor was worth. When Taylor was killed at Munich
in Feburary 1958 he was only 26, at the peak of his career.
Nowadays, whenever the all-time greats are talked about, the
name Tommy Taylor does not often appear, but in the history
of Manchester United, he was a great player. One of the best
forwards the club has ever seen, his career will be
remembered in United history for a long time to come. |
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All pictures in the
profiles can be enlarged by clicking on the smaller version.
Stats do not include friendlies, Charity Shield or World Club tournaments.
Number in brackets ( ) represents appearances as substitute in addition to
starting appearances.
This information is kindly taken from
McCleery's
Manchester United Zone
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