Elton John’s best partner.

Not Bernie Taupin, not David Furnish but former England manager Graham Taylor, who died yesterday. For ten years between 1977 and 1987, theirs was one of football’s the most unlikely and successful partnerships. Elton John, a lifelong Watford fan, bought the club and hired Graham Taylor as manager. Taylor guided Watford from the Fourth to the First division in just five years. In 1983, they finished runners-up to Liverpool and the following year, reached the FA Cup final. After Watford, Taylor enjoyed further success with Aston Villa before a rather less distinguished stint as England manager. After that, Watford took him back and he re-paid their loyalty with back-to-back promotions and a return to the top flight. Elton John led the tributes to this kind, well-loved and thoroughly decent man. No doubt Sir Reg is looking back on Watford’s glory days of the 80s when this, rather appropriately, was a big hit.