On This Day – 21st November
Peter Shilton joined Stoke City from Leicester City on this day in 1974 for £325,000, a world record sum at the time for a goalkeeper.
Shilton had replaced Gordon Banks as Leicester City’s number one in 1967 and the World Cup-winner moved to Stoke City. Then in 1972, Banks had to retire after a bad eye injury and Shilton took over from Banks as the first choice England goalkeeper.
Stoke manager Tony Waddington wanted Shilton as his new goalkeeper. John Farmer had taken over as Stoke’s goalkeeper after Banks’ career came to an end in October 1972. Then in November 1974, Waddington swooped in and broke the world record to bring his man to the Victoria Ground.
A week after joining Stoke, Shilton kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 win over his former club Leicester City. The victory put his new club top of the First Division.
Stoke ended the season in fifth place, four points behind champions Derby County, a club that Shilton would go on and play for later in his career.
The England goalkeeper would only stay in The Potteries for two and a half years before moving to Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest. Whilst at Forest, Shilton won the First Division Championship, two European Cups, and the League Cup.
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