Taylor was an apprentice with Bolton Wanderers and turned professional in October 1973,[3] with the "Trotters" lying in the Second Division under the stewardship of Jimmy Armfield.
[1] Upon his return to Burnden Park, he helped new boss Ian Greaves to take Wanderers to a fourth-place finish in 1975–76 – they were just one point off Bristol City and West Bromwich Albion, who were both promoted.
He could not prevent Mick Jones's "Stags" from occupying one of the Third Division relegation places in 1979–80, and did not stay on for long at Field Mill.
He scored a hat-trick past Millwall in a 5–0 win at Turf Moor on 27 September 1980, and finished as the club's top scorer in 1980–81 with 17 goals in 47 games.
Harry McNally did not keep Taylor on at Springfield Park, and he instead started the 1984–85 campaign in the Fourth Division with Eric Webster's Stockport County.
His stay at Edgeley Park was brief, and Taylor joined up with Vic Halom at Rochdale in November 1984 and scored 14 goals in 33 games in 1984–85.
He hit six goals in 54 games in 1987–88 and featured in the 1988 Football League Trophy final at Wembley, which ended in a 2–0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
[4] After over four years out of the game, Taylor was appointed manager of Northern Premier League Division One side Mossley in August 1993.