Swindon Sport news, Wiltshire Sport results - From the Swindon Advertiser.
Get involved! Send photos, video, news & views. Text SWINDON NEWS to 80360 or email us
 |
 |
 |
CENTRE BACKS SHAUN Taylor and Colin Calderwood have been reunited at the heart of Town’s defence - in the club’s greatest all-time team. The duo helped guide Swindon to the Premier League with a Wembley play-off win in 1993 and have been voted the County Ground’s two top centre-backs by readers of the Swindon Advertiser, seeing off fellow legends Stan Harland and Frank Burrows in the process.  Taylor topped the poll by just one per cent ahead of his former colleague,
with Harland third and Burrows fourth.Taylor was a relatively late bloomer, playing Western League football with Bideford until he was 23. After a stint at Exeter, Taylor switched to the County Ground for £200,000 in 1991. His all-action style made him an instant hit and, alongside Calderwood, he spearheaded Town’s charge to the Premier League with an amazing 13 goals from defence in the 1992/93 promotion season. Following Calderwood’s departure, Taylor was made captain, and while he was unable to save the club from successive relegations, his endeavour earned him an unprecedented three Advertiser Player or the Year awards. Now back at Exeter as a coach, Taylor, 46, said: “I’d really like to thank the fans for voting for me - it’s a great honour. “I’d have to say it was my best time in football. There were plenty of highs but a few lows as well. “I came to the club from the lower leagues with Exeter and it was a massive step up for me playing with better players and to be fair Colin was one of the first to welcome me and make me feel at home and we built a good partnership.  “The poll was quite close but all due respect to Colin, he went on
to play for Scotland and had a great career.”Signing for a tribunal-set £27,500 from Mansfield in 1985, Calderwood was club captain at 21 and led Town to back-to-back promotions from the old fourth division. Ill-fated play-off glory against Sunderland in 1990 was exorcised three years later in the 4-3 Wembley win over Leicester. It would prove to be a parting gift as Ossie Ardilles took Calderwood to Tottenham that summer and he went on to star for Scotland at the 1993 World Cup. “Shaun and I were good friends and built up a successful partnership but I think we’re probably a bit fortunate to win the vote to be honest because we are still quite fresh in the memory,” said 44-year-old Calderwood, who is now part of the management team at Newcastle United. “I remember coming to the club and everyone used to talk about Kenny Stroud and what a good player he was, and there were others before him. “It’s great that the Swindon fans chose us - I went on to represent my country but the proudest moment of my career was helping Town get into the Premier League.” Taylor and Calderwood join former teammates Fraser Digby and Paul Bodin in the fans’ dream team, along with 1969 League Cup winning right-back Rod Thomas. Our search for Town’s greatest-ever left-midfielder starts next week. HOW YOU VOTED SHAUN TAYLOR - 38.7% COLIN CALDERWOOD - 37.4% STAN HARLAND - 10.1% FRANK BURROWS - 6.2% IAN CULVERHOUSE - 1.3% MAURICE OWEN, GLENN HODDLE, MEL NURSE, GORDON GREER - 1% Votes also cast for: Kenny Stroud, Alan Reeves, Mark Aizlewood, Scott Cuthbert, Garth Hudson What the fans said: What a player; what a man. Shaun was a colossus,a rock of the team.He was willing to lay his body on the line every time he played. God I wish he could still play for us now. DENNIS CAREY Shaun epitomised the spirit of the club and was simply the bravest player we have ever had. NEIL EVANS Fearless in defence, fearless in attack. He will always be remembered as the best in the position I have ever seen. JOHN MESSENGER Shaun Taylor was the bravest defender i've ever seen, he scored many
valuable goals for the Town including the diving header at Wembley. Integral in our rise from the bottom to the top division, Calderwood's
sale was one of main reasons we let in 100 goals in the Premier League. |
 |
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
