John Farmer (footballer)

John Farmer (born 31 August 1947) is an English former footballer who played in the Football League for Leicester City and Stoke City.[1]

John Farmer
Personal information
Full name John Farmer[1]
Date of birth (1947-08-31) 31 August 1947 (age 77)[1]
Place of birth Biddulph, England[1]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1965–1974 Stoke City 163 (0)
1967Cleveland Stokers (loan) 3 (0)
1975Leicester City (loan) 2 (0)
1976 Northwich Victoria
Total 168 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

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Farmer was a product of Stoke City's youth system after being found playing amateur football in his local town of Biddulph.[1] He broke into the first team in 1966 at the age of eighteen and is therefore one of the youngest keepers ever to play for the club.[1] He initially began to play regularly for Stoke but when Farmer was 20 years old manager Tony Waddington signed England world cup winner Gordon Banks and Farmer lost his place as number one.[1] He however resisted the chances to switch clubs and remained loyal to Stoke providing useful back-up to Banks.[1] Farmer reclaimed his starting spot in 1972–73 as Banks was involved in a car crash which left him blind in one eye and as a result had to retire from playing top flight football.[1]

He played regularly for three seasons until another England 'keeper, Peter Shilton joined Stoke in November 1974 for a then world record fee for a goalkeeper of £325,000. Farmer then joined the club that Shilton had come from, Leicester City, and played twice for the "Foxes" before returning to Stoke.[1] He left Stoke at the end of the 1974–75 and went on to play for Northwich Victoria.

Career statistics

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Source:[2]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Stoke City 1965–66 First Division 17 0 0 0 0 0 17 0
1966–67 First Division 34 0 1 0 1 0 36 0
1967–68 First Division 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
1968–69 First Division 12 0 0 0 2 0 14 0
1969–70 First Division 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
1970–71 First Division 3 0 0 0 1 0 2[a] 0 6 0
1971–72 First Division 6 0 1 0 1 0 4[b] 0 12 0
1972–73 First Division 33 0 1 0 0 0 1[c] 0 35 0
1973–74 First Division 38 0 1 0 3 0 4[d] 0 46 0
1974–75 First Division 17 0 0 0 5 0 2[c] 0 24 0
Total 163 0 4 0 13 0 13 0 193 0
Cleveland Stokers (loan) 1967 United Soccer Association 3 0 3 0
Leicester City (loan) 1974–75 First Division 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Career total 168 0 4 0 13 0 13 0 198 0
  1. ^ Appearances in Anglo-Italian Cup and Texaco Cup
  2. ^ Appearances in Anglo-Italian Cup
  3. ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Cup
  4. ^ Three appearances in Watney Cup and one in Texaco Cup

Honours

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Stoke City

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  2. ^ John Farmer at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
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  • John Farmer at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database