Graham Taylor was a 'football person' - what this basically means is he was a great bloke.
Football people love the game with a passion bordering on obsession, finding as much interest in a reserve match in Cleethorpes as they do an 'El Classico' showdown in Spain.
And with the English Premier League currently built on mercenary millionaire flights of fancy (mystery chairmen, non-English-speaking managers and overpaid prima-donna players), his ilk are becoming a rarer breed.
Former England manager Graham Taylor dies aged 72
The sudden death of Taylor is an inherently sad one - and particularly upsetting for this media 'hack'. I interviewed him when he returned to Watford for a second spell as boss, post-England, in the late 1990s.
For those of you who don't know, GT will go down in history as one of the most vilified international managers, subjected to the kind of juvenile, puerile criticism that the perpetrators have since admitted was way beyond the pale.
His England chalice was a tad poisoned by the success of Bobby Robson, who oversaw England's epic (although fortunate) journey to the 1990 World Cup semifinal and a heartbreaking penalty defeat to Germany - I think Paul Gascoigne shed a few tears, I can't quite remember!
The benevolent Robson had also been hammered by the press corps, but was later anointed a saint following that glorious Italian summer.
But Taylor bravely assumed the role, because he believed the England gig was the biggest and best job in the game ... unfortunately it turned into a nightmare.
Failure to get out of the group stages of Euro 92 was followed by a disastrous exit from the 1994 USA World Cup, in qualification.
During that three-year, four month tenure, Taylor was depicted as a turnip on the front page of the The Sun. 'Swedes 2-1 Turnips' was the witty headline.
'Norse Manure' was a memorable turn of phrase after defeat to Norway. Attacks became very personal and affected Taylor's family deeply.
And what was his major failing, he was too honest. In press conferences, he would try to be affable and answer the baying hounds the best way he could.
A gentleman, he gave the media constant access. But tactically he was out of his depth, had terrible luck with injuries and was the first England boss to be caught up in the emerging 24-hour news media, thanks to Sky TV's creation of the Premier League.
It was a perfect storm of bullying, hype, humiliation and an inevitable resignation.
He also appeared in one of the most remarkable sports documentaries ever made, 'Cutting Edge: The Impossible Job.
Never before, or probably again, have the cameras had such up close and personal access to this unbearable hot-bed of pressure.
Hilarious at times, it just shows that Taylor surrounded himself with idiots (Phil Neal, seriously?) and was overly preoccupied with the opinions of the media he required a far thicker skin.
But this should not be the legacy of Graham Taylor. He enjoyed remarkable success in English football, taking little old Lincoln to promotion in his first job.
And his Watford journey is the stuff of sporting fairy-tale, as they rose from the fourth division to second in the top-flight and an FA Cup final in just 10 years.
Promotions continued with Aston Villa before he returned for another successful spell at Watford - which is where my story comes to an end.
I was a green, nervous, agency reporter, with my little Dictaphone, interviewing a legend of the game.
Dressed smartly in a suit, he answered my questions patiently. He didn't have to, but that was his way.
A tireless worker for many charities, Graham Taylor was a wonderfully kind, generous man, who changed the lives of thousands and loved football as much as I do.
I write this with a tear in my eye - and just want to say a special thank you. R.I.P Mr Taylor.
