John Farmer’s brilliant Career. Banks and Shiltons no.2

[jonso]

For the thicker of waist, short of hair and years left, of us who remember John Farmer (Still lives local) may find this amusing.

It was written by his brother, Brian Farmer, Biddulph lad, who is also an award winning journalist and had a hand in getting Ian Huntley nicked.

It’s a short piece, and amusing.

Find it here medium.com/@brianfarmer619/our-johns-brilliant-career-f51435595db4.

I think it’s just the first of a few pieces to come.

I thought I’d share it here.

[pavel]

John Farmer was a brilliant keeper, we didn’t need Shilton when Banks had his accident, we should have spent the money on a striker and then we might have won the league.

Very underrated like Alan Dodd.

[waddosnavy]

Recall that John had not been in goal for Stoke very long when we played Spurs at home. It was a very wet day, with the pitch totally waterlogged and under threat of being postponed, when a large number of fans from the Boothen ran on the pitch, were armed with garden forks by the ground staff and begin forking the pitch to make is just playable.
In due course the match got underway and John Farmer saved a Greavsie penalty. Unfortunately, later in the game Spurs got a second penalty which Greavsie put away this time. result 0-1 l

[andystokey]

Thanks for that. He was a good keeper but he did have a clanger in him in any other company it would have been normal goalkeeping form.

[Staffsoatcake]

I honestly believe he would have done a great job instead of Shilton,we may have even won the title, Shilton looked like he didn't want to be here.

[skip]

Oct 2, 2023 17:03:33 GMT Staffsoatcake said:

I honestly believe he would have done a great job instead of Shilton,we may have even won the title, Shilton looked like he didn't want to be here.

As I've always understood it, he didn't.

[march4]

Used to bump into him in the 80s and 90s when he was working as a rep. He was a lovely bloke with plenty of tales to tell.

As a keeper he was underrated. Had we signed Osgood or Franny Lee instead of Shilton, Farmer would have been perfectly good in goal and we would have won the league.

[towraytek]

Oct 2, 2023 16:46:55 GMT waddosnavy said:

Recall that John had not been in goal for Stoke very long when we played Spurs at home. It was a very wet day, with the pitch totally waterlogged and under threat of being postponed, when a large number of fans from the Boothen ran on the pitch, were armed with garden forks by the ground staff and begin forking the pitch to make is just playable.
In due course the match got underway and John Farmer saved a Greavsie penalty. Unfortunately, later in the game Spurs got a second penalty which Greavsie put away this time. result 0-1 l

I was at that game. It was around March/April 1967. When we got in (Boothen Paddock) the pitch was a sea of grey-brown with vast pools of water. As you say, fans were given garden forks to make holes to try and get the water to soak away. Inevitably, it kicked off late. And then we lost! Not the best two bob I ever spent!

[stokesaint1]

Also for us oldies, am I right in thinking John Farmer never wore gloves, or does my memory fail me yet again?

[march4]

Oct 2, 2023 17:32:57 GMT stokesaint1 said:

Also for us oldies, am I right in thinking John Farmer never wore gloves, or does my memory fail me yet again?

I think you are right. Not many keepers did wear gloves in those days.

[spitthedog]

Anyone know why John Farmer never played League football after he left Stoke at the age of 27?

Seems a very young age to play out a career at non-league level. I know he went to Northwich.
He must have been semi-pro, cant imagine they could have hired someone on a pro contract.

[OldStokie]

He was a cracking player but was unfortunate to have to play No.2 to Banks and Shilton. Yes. he made a few odd errors but show me a 'keeper who hasn't. I'll never have a bad word to say against him.

OS.

[chad]

He was a very good keeper.

[chad]

Oct 2, 2023 19:06:00 GMT spitthedog said:

Anyone know why John Farmer never played League football after he left Stoke at the age of 27?

Seems a very young age to play out a career at non-league level. I know he went to Northwich.
He must have been semi-pro, cant imagine they could have hired someone on a pro contract.

Think he went to the States

[spitthedog]

Oct 2, 2023 19:21:48 GMT chad said:

Oct 2, 2023 19:06:00 GMT spitthedog said:

Anyone know why John Farmer never played League football after he left Stoke at the age of 27?

Seems a very young age to play out a career at non-league level. I know he went to Northwich.
He must have been semi-pro, cant imagine they could have hired someone on a pro contract.

Think he went to the States

He only played 3 games in the States on a months loan.
He joined Northwich when he was 28/29.
I just wondered if he was such a good goalkeeper why no-one signed him up?

[Linx]

It was Farmer in goal when we beat Arsenal 5-0 back in the early 70s. I don’t recall whether that was after Banks’ accident, or if he was just covering a temporary injury.

[fca47]

Let in a howler away at Chelsea , I think it was, seemed to affect his confidence, never seemed the same after that. Up to that point had looked outstanding.

[lordb]

Oct 2, 2023 17:21:19 GMT march4 said:

Used to bump into him in the 80s and 90s when he was working as a rep. He was a lovely bloke with plenty of tales to tell.

As a keeper he was underrated. Had we signed Osgood or Franny Lee instead of Shilton, Farmer would have been perfectly good in goal and we would have won the league.

Seems they both turned us down

[cheadlestokie]

Oct 2, 2023 16:46:55 GMT waddosnavy said:

Recall that John had not been in goal for Stoke very long when we played Spurs at home. It was a very wet day, with the pitch totally waterlogged and under threat of being postponed, when a large number of fans from the Boothen ran on the pitch, were armed with garden forks by the ground staff and begin forking the pitch to make is just playable.
In due course the match got underway and John Farmer saved a Greavsie penalty. Unfortunately, later in the game Spurs got a second penalty which Greavsie put away this time. result 0-1 l

My memory is a little different to this although I may be wrong as the passage of time plays tricks on the remembrances.
I recall the match early in the season in 1966 and we beat Tottenham 2-0.
They had two penalties both taken by Jimmy Greaves and John Farmer saved both which Greaves put in both corners of the goal.

[jokker]

If there had been a full subs bench Farmer would have collected a winner's medal when we won vs Chelsea. He was part of the travelling party that day, along with Eric Skeels, and others. I think I read somewhere that he was tasked with collecting players¨ teeth and replacing them with fake teeth before they went out on the pitch...

[TheBra1n]

bumped into John earlier in the year in Goostrey, although I think he lives in Congleton now, had a great chat, lovely guy

[waddosnavy]

Oct 2, 2023 23:59:08 GMT cheadlestokie said:

Oct 2, 2023 16:46:55 GMT waddosnavy said:

Recall that John had not been in goal for Stoke very long when we played Spurs at home. It was a very wet day, with the pitch totally waterlogged and under threat of being postponed, when a large number of fans from the Boothen ran on the pitch, were armed with garden forks by the ground staff and begin forking the pitch to make is just playable.
In due course the match got underway and John Farmer saved a Greavsie penalty. Unfortunately, later in the game Spurs got a second penalty which Greavsie put away this time. result 0-1 l

My memory is a little different to this although I may be wrong as the passage of time plays tricks on the remembrances.
I recall the match early in the season in 1966 and we beat Tottenham 2-0.
They had two penalties both taken by Jimmy Greaves and John Farmer saved both which Greaves put in both corners of the goal.

Having checked up on dates/scores. I can confirm that Stoke beat Spurs 2-0 (Viollet 2) on a Wednesday evening on 9th Sept 1964. It was a nice autumn evening as I remember some Spurs fans at the bottom of the Boothen in T shirts.
The match I was referring to took place on 23 April 1966. The pitch was certainly worse than the horrible mess that the Baseball ground was renowned for. The match did end 0-1 with Greavsie scoring with his second penalty.

[lawrieleslie]

Oct 2, 2023 23:59:08 GMT cheadlestokie said:

Oct 2, 2023 16:46:55 GMT waddosnavy said:

Recall that John had not been in goal for Stoke very long when we played Spurs at home. It was a very wet day, with the pitch totally waterlogged and under threat of being postponed, when a large number of fans from the Boothen ran on the pitch, were armed with garden forks by the ground staff and begin forking the pitch to make is just playable.
In due course the match got underway and John Farmer saved a Greavsie penalty. Unfortunately, later in the game Spurs got a second penalty which Greavsie put away this time. result 0-1 l

My memory is a little different to this although I may be wrong as the passage of time plays tricks on the remembrances.
I recall the match early in the season in 1966 and we beat Tottenham 2-0.
They had two penalties both taken by Jimmy Greaves and John Farmer saved both which Greaves put in both corners of the goal.

I’m sure you’re right he did save 2 Greaves penalties. I also read somewhere that it was Setters who persuaded Waddington to buy Banks because he had no confidence in the young Farmer. Many ex-players have commented on the need to sign shilton when Farmer had stepped back up to the plate, so competently, after Banks's injury. . I went to Wolstanton Grammar School same time as John Farmer although he was a few years older than me. He came back to school a few times to watch sports events and award prizes etc. Wooly grammar wasn’t a footballing school in those days either but he was an all round sportsman and played cricket & basketball for the school (and county I think).

[JimmyisGod]

John went to Wolstanton Grammar school when I was there, a year above me, and it was a rugby playing school. He was a very good cricketer at school, fast bowler.

[lawrieleslie]

Oct 3, 2023 7:21:01 GMT JimmyisGod said:

John went to Wolstanton Grammar school when I was there, a year above me, and it was a rugby playing school. He was a very good cricketer at school, fast bowler.

We must have been there the same time mate. 63-69. Farmer would have been there around 60-65ish before he signed for Stoke.

[march4]

Oct 2, 2023 22:04:49 GMT lordb said:

Oct 2, 2023 17:21:19 GMT march4 said:

Used to bump into him in the 80s and 90s when he was working as a rep. He was a lovely bloke with plenty of tales to tell.

As a keeper he was underrated. Had we signed Osgood or Franny Lee instead of Shilton, Farmer would have been perfectly good in goal and we would have won the league.

Seems they both turned us down

I always wondered why.

[jimmygscfc1234]

Oct 2, 2023 21:30:03 GMT Linx said:

It was Farmer in goal when we beat Arsenal 5-0 back in the early 70s. I don’t recall whether that was after Banks’ accident, or if he was just covering a temporary injury.

That game was September 1970 and Banksy had the accident in late '72????

[mrcoke]

I'm another Old Wolstantonian, 59 to 66.

John was a great all rounder. I've been on the cricket field with him but we were in different "houses".

John was a brilliant basket ball player and played for England schoolboys. Hence the reason he could throw a football to the half way line.

I always wondered why he didn't figure in the rugby teams at school, then one Saturday after he left school, we were on a bus travelling home to Wolstanton from an away school rugby match and everyone was glued to the bus radio giving the football scores. I learned that he had started playing for Stoke that day.

I watched him regularly as a player for Stoke. The press were up to mischief in those days, just as today. Each time Banks was away playing for England , he stepped in to play. Then when Banks returned and John was dropped the press tried to stir up trouble with him about being dropped. John was quite laid back about it.

He did have a problem picking the trajectory of a long diagonal ball, but when he came to saving direct shots he was brilliant and had extremely fast reactions for a lanky guy, built to play basketball. Although by today's standards he was not that big!

If he reads this, well done and thanks, John.

[prestonstokie]

I do recall a particular game in the mid-60’s when John had conceded a goal at the Boothen End and Maurice Setters was publicly berating him and waving his arms about. Must have done wonders for his confidence. I think Calvin Palmer waded in and pushed Setters away. There was of course a bit of history between Setters and Palmer too.

[mrcoke]

Oct 3, 2023 11:00:47 GMT prestonstokie said:

I do recall a particular game in the mid-60’s when John had conceded a goal at the Boothen End and Maurice Setters was publicly berating him and waving his arms about. Must have done wonders for his confidence. I think Calvin Palmer waded in and pushed Setters away. There was of course a bit of history between Setters and Palmer too.

Was that the occasion there was a long ball centred from the ring wing (Boothen Stand) and it sailed over John's head into the top corner of the net?

A this talk of GK errors is unfair of course. We remember those because of the goal scored but forget about all the sitters the strikers miss, and there are a lot more of them.

Back in the 60s there were a number of keepers renowned for there errors.  Sprake is probably top of the list. Scottish GKs generally used to get a lot of stick. I remember being at a charity dinner with Alex Stepney and when making idle conversation, and the booze was working, I reminded him of a goal he let in at Old Trafford against Stoke when he let the ball get in by the bottom his left hand post, just past his left foot. I think if I'd made a bad smell I couldn't have had a more negative reaction. He was not best pleased to be reminded. End of conversation!