Swedes 2 Turnips 1 read the Sun headline on June 18th 1992. It came the morning following England's defeat to Euro 92 hosts Sweden in the group stage of the tournament.
Turnip was a word which the Sun would use to villify Taylor throughout his England career.
England lost 2-0 to Netherlands in October 1993, their penultimate game of USA 94 qualifying. The result meant England would not qualify for the World Cup.
Six weeks later, Taylor resigned as England manager and the Sun depicted him as a turnip on their front page.
The hurt sustained by the Sun's campaign against him stayed with Taylor.
20 years on from England's loss to the Netherlands, a game immortalised by the documentary An Impossible Job, he told the Telegraph of his contempt for Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie.
The operation on my knee, goodness it hurt. It was the sort of pain people say they wouldn’t wish on their worst enemies. I’m different, I would.
That is why, today, the Sun is being accused of hypocrisy over their back page tribute to Taylor who died on Thursday of a suspected heart attack aged 72.
24 years ago they were calling him a turnip, today they are calling him a legend.
Much criticism of the Sun was preempted. People knew what was coming.
In life, a turnip. In death, a legend.
The Sun's reverse ferret on Graham Taylor pic.twitter.com/4OWDN2Mv77— Julian Druker (@Julian5News) January 12, 2017
The Sun treated Graham Taylor disgracefully but will print gushing tributes to him tomorrow.
RIP Graham Taylor. pic.twitter.com/N67u81AGLK— James Melville ❄️ (@JamesMelville) January 12, 2017
Can't wait for The Sun's heartwarming eulogising on Graham Taylor, who didn't rise to their spiteful baiting.
— phil . i . am (@P_h_i_1) January 12, 2017
