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Born in Hednesford, Staffordshire, Brian Horton was a tough defensive midfielder who started his career as a member of Walsall's youth team. He never played for the Walsall first team and dropped down to his non-League hometown club Hednesford Town, before signing for Third Division Port Vale in July 1970. Legend has it that his transfer fee was a pint of shandy, as the cash-strapped potteries club haggled with the Hednesford Town chairman by plying him with alcohol, therefore his transfer fee was 'a pint of shandy'.
A first team regular from the start under manager Gordon Lee, Horton played 40 games in 1970–71, and scored his first competitive goal in a 3–2 win against Bury at Gigg Lane. He then found his scoring form in 1971–72, as he hit eight goals in 47 appearances; he also became the club's penalty taker, with half of his goals coming from the spot. He then hit seven goals in 43 games in 1972–73, four of his strikes coming from the penalty spot. He missed a period around Christmas due to injury, and during this time his teammates struggled to find results; this ultimately cost the "Valiants", as they finished four points behind promoted Notts County. Lee changed the team's formation from 4–4–2 to 4–3–3 in 1973–74, hoping that this would allow Horton more room in the centre of the field. However Vale's form suffered, and Lee was replaced as manager by Roy Sproson in January. Vale finished the campaign one place above the relegation zone, though were seven points clear of danger. Horton played 46 games, scoring four goals.
Vale missed out on promotion by just four points in 1974–75, as Horton hit thirteen goals in 47 games, leaving him one goal behind top-scorers Ray Williams and Terry Bailey. He hit four goals in 35 games in 1975–76, as he bagged both of Vale's goals in a win over Millwall at Vale Park. Much to the disappointment of Vale supporters, he was sold to league rivals Brighton & Hove Albion in March 1976 for a fee of £30,000. In total he spent nearly six years with Port Vale, scoring a total of 37 goals in 258 games in league and cup competitions.
Brighton finished fourth in 1975–76, three points shy of promotion, and Peter Taylor departed. For his performances at both Vale and Brighton, Horton was named on the PFA Team of the Year, along with Brighton teammates Graham Cross and Peter Ward. The "Seagulls" finished second in 1976–77 under Alan Mullery, and thus were promoted into the Second Division. They then stormed to a fourth place finish in 1977–78, missing out on promotion to the First Division only because Tottenham Hotspur had superior goal difference. Undeterred, Brighton finished as runners-up in 1978–79, one point behind champions Crystal Palace and one point ahead of fourth place Sunderland. Horton was named on the PFA Team of the Year for a second time, alongside teammate Mark Lawrenson.
In 1979–80, Brighton played top-flight football for the first time in their history. They finished a respectable sixteenth, some six points clear of the drop. The 1980–81 season was a much narrower affair, but Brighton finished nineteenth, two points clear of relegated Norwich City. He left the Goldstone Ground having scored 33 goals in 218 league games.
Horton transferred to Luton Town in 1981, as the club were competing in the Second Division under the stewardship of David Pleat. He was again promoted into the top-flight, as the "Hatters" topped the Second Division table in 1981–82 by an eight point margin, some eighteen points clear of fourth place Sheffield Wednesday. He was named on the PFA Team of the Year for the third time in his career, alongside teammates Kirk Stephens, Ricky Hill, and David Moss.
Luton then went on to escape relegation on the final day of the 1982–83 season at Maine Road, following a 1–0 over Manchester City, who took their place in the relegation zone. The match became famous for the images of David Pleat dancing across the pitch in jubilation. He left Kenilworth Road at the conclusion of the 1983–84 campaign, as the club secured their top-flight status with a sixteenth place finish. He had played 118 league games for the club, scoring eight goals. His next move was to Hull City, who appointed him their player-manager.
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