Tommy Taylor is renowned as one of Manchester United’s finest ever center-forwards, having achieved a remarkable amount in a short career which was tragically curtailed by the Munich air crash in 1958. John Kennedy is a passionate United fan who recognized that Taylor had led a far more interesting life than many of the young players who were sadly lost that day, and wanted to write a biography to ensure that the Barnsley man was not forgotten.
Kennedy’s book consists of a series of recollections from Taylor’s contemporaries, combined with newspaper headlines and a range of photographs, some of which had never previously been published. The contents are arranged chronologically, and document Taylor’s career, alongside personal details that keep the reader engaged. Kennedy has spoken to Tommy’s fellow players, but the uniqueness of this book really stems from the intimate details gleaned from the striker’s family and friends. Of course, with this book having been written so long after the events it describes, there is a possibility of some memories have become a little distorted. Kennedy refers to this in his Introduction, noting that not every detail in the book may be correct. Nonetheless, this is a fascinating collection of the historical source material, combining a ‘Roy of the Rovers’ rise with a variety of moving human interest stories.
Kennedy begins by providing some historical background concerning the area where Taylor grew up. Coal was the only major fuel source in Britain between the Wars, and Yorkshire contained the most important coalfields. It was therefore inevitable that a high proportion of people living in the white rose county would be employed by the mining companies. The tough work bred camaraderie among the workforce, who would often socialize together. Football matches, in particular, were big occasions in the community. An interest in football ran in Tommy Taylor’s family, as his grandfather Thomas played for Barnsley, and his father Charles played for a number of local clubs as a center-half. His mother Violet initially found employment as a surface worker for one of the mining companies but did not enjoy this. She eventually managed to get a job as a cleaner (with room provided) in Smithies Working Men’s Club near Barnsley, where Tommy’s grandfather was the Steward. The entire Taylor family lived in the building, which enabled Violet to meet Charles, who would eventually become her husband.
Charles and Violet Taylor were married in 1921. Charles continued to work as a miner, whilst Violet was employed as a cleaner at the Woodman Inn a few yards from their home. Their first child sadly died at the age of three, but they had six more children, of whom Tommy was the fifth. He was born on 29 January 1932 and quickly became known as ‘Tucker’, as in ‘Little Tommy Tucker’ from the nursery rhyme. He earned a reputation for being cheeky and mischievous which would stay with him into adult life.
Tommy was average academically. Kennedy quotes his brother Bill Taylor as noting: ‘We weren’t budding Einsteins in our family…’. Tommy did not pass the 11-plus examination, so he was sent to Raley Secondary Modern School. Raley was not a top school from an academic standpoint, but it did offer very good sports facilities, which made it ideal for Tommy. Cricketer and umpire Dickie Bird was a contemporary of Tommy’s at Raley, and both enjoyed playing football there. Taylor began to play for the school team and was soon selected for Barnsley Boys, whom he represented between the ages of 12 and 14. He was small for his age, but, as his headmaster noted, his energy and enthusiasm ensured his selection.
Oddly, Tommy did not own a pair of football boots during much of his time at Raley, relying upon borrowing a pair when he needed to. It is not clear whether this was a financial issue, but either way, it eventually caused friction with the school. When he turned up for a school match in his final year without boots, Tommy was told to play in his clogs. He refused to do this, so he was sent home and was not selected for the school team again. Subsequently, his younger brother Bill, who was blameless, and a good player, was not selected either, which led Tommy to bear a grudge against the teacher involved.
At 14, Taylor left school to work at Wharncliff Colliery as a surface worker. Kennedy emphasizes that at this stage Tommy did not even consider the idea of a career as a professional footballer. The only football he played during the next two years was when having a kick-about with his friends. This situation changed purely by chance when the team based at the Woodman Inn, Smithies United, were short of players for a local cup game. Tommy’s uncle asked him to play, and he agreed. He acquitted himself well for someone who had not played for two years, and after playing two games he was approached by scouts from Barnsley and Hull. Tommy felt that Hull would be too far to travel, but he accepted the offer of a trial at Barnsley, at which he did well enough to be offered a place on the groundstaff. He signed on the dotted line, and Smithies was paid the princely sum of £10.
When Taylor signed for Barnsley in 1948 they were a mid-table second division side, with a reputation for developing and recruiting good players but being unable to mold them into a successful team. Players like George Robledo, Danny Blanchflower, and Jim Baxter came and went without any tremendous success for the team. Nonetheless, Oakwell was undoubtedly an ideal environment for a raw talent like Tommy to learn about the game. Youth Team Trainer Johnny Steele reminisces that the young man was always a great header of a ball, but he did not have ‘quick feet’, and needed to work on his turns. Nonetheless, he recalls Taylor’s enthusiasm and natural ability with fondness. It was not all glamour for young players on the groundstaff, of course, and Tommy had to do his share of cleaning and painting jobs. His football was improving, and after playing for the ‘B’ team in his first year, he moved up to the ‘A’ team for his second season.
Taylor signed professional forms with Barnsley on 25 July 1949. The next obstacle on the horizon for his burgeoning career was National Service, for which he was called up in May 1950. He could have avoided this by signing up for a part-time apprenticeship at the pit, but he did not want to go back there, preferring to serve his time in the army. Taylor was stationed at Oswestry, and benefited from the army physical training, putting on two stone in, largely muscular, weight, whilst also growing two inches in height. He was now becoming quite an imposing figure and was able to play in some fairly high standard football, representing both his regiment and Northern Command, as well as playing for Barnsley when available. Taylor made his league debut for Barnsley on 7 October 1950 in a 3-1 win over Grimsby, and when selected again for the following home game against Queens Park Rangers he scored an impressive hat-trick. This was a very positive beginning to Tommy’s league career, although his appearances were severely limited by army commitments in that season.
The 1951/52 season was a difficult one for Taylor. Playing in a game against the North Staffordshire Regiment, which he would later describe as the roughest in which he ever participated, he suffered a serious knee injury which many felt could end his playing career. He underwent two operations and was out of action for 11 months in all. Eventually, a consultation with a specialist in Newcastle and a determined approach to rehabilitation enabled him to put the injury behind him. Having written off 1951/52, and emerged from the army, Tommy was finally able to focus on getting himself fit and ready for the 1952/53 season.
Barnsley did not start 1952/53 well, and the manager, Angus Seed, began to make changes. After a poor team performance at Sheffield United, Tommy was dropped to the reserves for a midweek match against Manchester United’s second string. Tommy dominated the United defense that day and scored a hat-trick, which had the dual impact of winning back his place in the first team and alerting United to his potential. He continued to play well after this, scoring 19 goals in 28 games, but for the club, things were going from bad to worse, with Seed unable to halt their slide towards the third tier. With financial difficulties mounting, it was inevitable that Barnsley would seek to cash in on Taylor, who was now perceived as their prize asset. Seed died in February, and within weeks the club had decided to put Taylor on the transfer list. A bidding war quickly broke out, and eventually only Cardiff and Manchester United remained in contention. Although Cardiff raised their bid to a record £35,000, Taylor felt that South Wales was too far from home, and negotiations with United took priority.
Kennedy describes the negotiations for Taylor’s transfer in some detail. He was not initially keen to leave Barnsley, but eventually became resigned to the situation. He agreed to sign if he was allowed to train at Oakwell, and would be given match tickets for his family. United manager Matt Busby and his assistant Jimmy Murphy were anxious to secure the Yorkshireman’s services and were happy to agree to this. This just left the small matter of the fee. Barnsley Chairman Joe Richards indicated that £30,000 would complete the deal, and Busby eventually agreed, subject to the proviso that he would knock £1 off to avoid burdening Taylor with the pressure of being a £30,000 player. The other £1 was given to club employee Lily Wilby, who had served the tea during the negotiations.
In March 1953, Taylor arrived in Manchester to begin the next phase of his career. It was a slightly different scenario to the arrival of a big-money signing today, as he traveled by train, with his boots in a brown paper bag. He initially lived at a large house in Stretford run by a Mrs. Watson, along with several other young United players. He made a successful debut, scoring two goals in a 5-2 victory over Preston. This was the start of a transitional period for United, as some of their older players were reaching the end of their careers, but Tommy quickly established himself in the team. He also became firm friends with Jackie Blanchflower, and according to Kennedy, these two were often at the heart of any nights out the young players might have.
At the end of his first season at United, Tommy was delighted to be selected for England’s tour of North and South America. This involved games against Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and the USA. Whilst the tour itself was not considered a roaring success, Tommy’s promising performances were viewed as a highlight. Positive though this was for his career, the tour had a less beneficial effect on his personal life. Before leaving for the trip, Tommy had proposed to his girlfriend Norma Curtis, but she had turned him down because she was only 17 at the time, and preferred to wait until she was 18. They had then attempted to keep in touch by letter, but with Tommy moving from place to place, he had not received her replies. A few false rumors, and the fact that, in the absence of her letters, he thought she was losing interest, caused them to have an argument on his return, which resulted in them breaking up.
Despite the fact that United was not firing on all cylinders, Taylor made a positive start to 1953/54. By late October, Busby had introduced more of the highly promising youngsters into the first team, and the era of the ‘Busby Babes’ had begun. On 21 November, Tommy scored his first hat-trick for United against Blackpool at Old Trafford. Kennedy quotes Bob Ferrier of the Daily Mirror as writing: ‘In this young footballer you will find the best of Lofthouse and Allen, currently the two ‘name’ players in the England center-forward position’. Several other quotes emphasize the extent to which Taylor’s reputation was growing. He ended the season with 22 goals from 35 appearances, and the team finished in an encouraging fourth place. One unfortunate development cast a shadow, in that Taylor incurred an ankle injury against Arsenal in late March, causing him to miss the remainder of the season.
The ankle injury sustained at Highbury proved difficult to treat, but Taylor was still able to go to the World Cup with England despite being somewhat hampered. He was able to make a positive contribution to their group matches but was left out for the quarter-final with Uruguay, which ended in a 4-2 defeat.
Despite undergoing an operation, Tommy was still in some discomfort from the ankle at the start of 1954/55 and had to miss the first four matches. Eventually, a specialist found and removed a piece of floating bone, and the big striker was on the road to a full recovery. He gradually regained his best form, although England did not select him again for some time. Despite missing 12 games, Taylor still finished as United’s top scorer with 20 goals.
Taylor began 1955/56 full of optimism, but as Kennedy recounts, he suffered an injury in the first game which would keep him out of the following seven fixtures. Nonetheless, when he returned, the team was already going well, and they continued this form throughout the season. They clinched the championship against Blackpool on 7 April, in front of a packed Old Trafford. Tommy was once again top goalscorer, finishing the season with 25 from 33 matches.
Following his successful 1955/56 season, Tommy found himself back in the England set-up, albeit often playing out of position. The highlight was the friendly against Brazil on 9 May, in which the United man scored twice in a 4-2 victory.
United’s young team had been surprising champions in 1955/56, but no-one was surprised to see them start the following season in commanding fashion. They maintained their consistency despite entering the European Cup for the first time and dominated the league from start to finish. Tommy scored 22 goals in 32 league games to maintain his traditional high scoring ratio. The European campaign represented the unknown territory but turned out to be a great adventure. After crushing Anderlecht in the first round, United edged past Borussia Dortmund in round 2. The quarter-final matches with Athletic Bilbao, Kennedy suggests, may have been the greatest matches in which the Busby Babes ever participated. A battling 5-3 defeat in Spain left them with a lot to do, but in front of a packed house at Old Trafford United managed to turn the tie on its head with a glorious 3-0 victory, in which Taylor scored and set up the winner.
Victory over Bilbao set up a European Cup semi-final with champions leg in Spain brought a 3-1 defeat which caused some controversy due to Madrid’s physical approach, and indeed Taylor expressed concern about one or two of the challenges to which he had been subjected. The second leg brought a 2-2 draw, and, while not disgraced, United would have to wait until next season for another chance of European glory.
United still had a chance of the double, but six minutes into the cup final, goalkeeper Ray Wood was left concussed by a reckless challenge from Aston Villa’s Peter McParland. With no substitutions allowed, Jackie Blanchflower went in goal, but the game had been tilted against United. Despite a determined performance and a goal from Taylor, United was beaten 2-1.
In 1957, a big-money offer was made by Inter Milan to take Tommy to Italy. Kennedy amusingly recounts how an angry Busby told the young striker to go into hiding to avoid press speculation. United eventually blocked any potential transfer. Also in that year, Tommy met a girl from Stretford called Carol Philipson. They hit it off and became engaged on Christmas Eve.
The following season began with Busby ambitious for three consecutive championships and a European Cup win. United started pretty well, but Wolves were top of the league, inspiring Busby to introduce promising youngsters like Bobby Charlton, as well as newly-signed goalkeeper Harry Gregg. In Europe, a comfortable win over Shamrock Rovers, followed by a tighter tie with Dukla Prague, saw them through to a quarter-final with Red Star Belgrade. At this stage, United was in contention in all three major competitions, and the future looked very bright. A 2-1 victory over the Yugoslavs at Old Trafford set up a tricky second leg.
When they reached Belgrade, United was struck by the shortages in Tito’s dysfunctional economy, but the game itself proved to be a tough battle. Taylor performed well in difficult conditions, and United managed to hold on for a 3-3 draw and a 5-4 aggregate victory. After an evening of celebration, it was time for the fateful flight home, which stopped off at Munich to refuel in snowy conditions. Kennedy quotes Albert Scanlon’s memories of the attempts to take off from Germany. Players were actually swapping seats because they thought that it was safer at the back, which is how Tommy and David Pegg ended up there. Tragically, it was actually the rear section that broke away and burst into flames, killing Tommy at the scene along with around half of the other people on the plane.
Kennedy ends with a moving description of Tommy’s funeral, followed by a ‘where are they now?’ section about Tommy’s relatives, of whom, sadly, few have lived into a happy and healthy old age. The book concludes with tributes from eminent contemporaries and his impressive career statistics. The reader is left with the feeling of having been shown a family scrapbook. Whilst perhaps not a classic piece of writing, this is a genuinely absorbing and informative piece of work.
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- Sir Matt Busby: The Father of Manchester United.
- Roy Keane: The Autobiography
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- My Manchester United Years by Bobby Charlton.
- Gentleman John: The biography of Johnny Carey. Manchester United and Ireland Legend by Cavanagh MBE, Mr Roy and Mr Carl Abbott.
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- Robbo – My Autobiography: An extraordinary career by Bryan Robson.
- Red, White & Blackmore by Clayton Blackmore, Wayne Barton, et al.
