Eric Woodhouse Taylor was a football administrator who spent his entire 45-year career at Sheffield Wednesday serving as manager, secretary and eventually vice-president.
[1] Part-time football during the Second World War saw Wednesday having to make financial savings, and team manager Jimmy McMullan was told that his contract would not be renewed for 1942.
Club chairman William Turner reshuffled the remaining staff, and Eric Taylor was given the additional job of part-time manager of team affairs.
However, he made a good impression in the job and led Wednesday to the final of the North Football League War Cup in 1943, losing to Blackpool over two legs.
Their most successful period during this time coincided with Taylor’s signing of Jackie Sewell in 1951 for £34,500, then British record transfer fee, and the emergence of Derek Dooley as a prolific goalscorer.
After hearing that England were favourites to host the 1966 FIFA World Cup, he was determined to get Hillsborough to stage some of the group games in the competition.
As a result of Taylor’s groundwork, Hillsborough was chosen as one of the 1966 venues, receiving funding from the FA for ground redevelopment, including the complete rebuilding of the Leppings Lane end.