Links With The Past: Gerry Taggart's League Cup Winners Medal
In 1999 he was in the Foxes’ side which was defeated in the last minute at Wembley by Tottenham Hotspur and a year later he was in the victorious Leicester City side which lifted the trophy when Matt Elliott’s two goals defeated the Championship side Tranmere Rovers 2-1.
This gold League Cup winners medal, with its green presentation box and medal ribbon, was presented to Gerry after the 2000 Final. It was manufactured by Vaughtons of Birmingham, who in, addition to making the medals for the 1908 White City Olympics, have also been making medals for the Football League since 1911.
The Roman numerals for 40 are XL and these appear at the top of the medal to commemorate the fact that this was the 40th League Cup Final since its inauguration in 1960. An image of the League Cup appears on the front of the medal, with ‘Winners 1999/2000’ engraved on the reverse side.
The 1999/2000 season was Gerry’s best season at Filbert Street. Signed by O’Neill in July 1998, his first season at Leicester was hampered by injuries. The following season though he came into his own. He made 44 league and cup appearances, helped Leicester City to eighth place in the Premier League, was Leicester City’s Player of the Year and captained Northern Ireland.
Gerry’s League Cup medal, which he has kindly loaned to the Club’s Heritage Collection, was one of the items in the Leicester City Heritage display in the King Power MahaNakhon building in Bangkok last July. It has also been on display at King Power Stadium.