New book relives Shilton's torrid Argyle reign

MORE than 17 years have passed since England legend Peter Shilton walked through the Home Park gates as the surprise new manager of Plymouth Argyle.

Pilgrims fans will remember all too well how the goalkeeper's reign ended in farce and failure. His rows with then chairman Dan McCauley were dragged into the national tabloids and the club were relegated to the fourth tier of English football for the first time in their history.

Hardly happy memories, but a book chronicling the unbelievable events of Shilton's short-lived managerial career is due for release this coming autumn.

'Peter Shilton's Nearly Men: A Plymouth Argyle Story' tells the tale of one of the most turbulent spells in the club's history.

Author Paul Roberts has interviewed more than 70 former players, directors and journalists, including McCauley, Shilton's assistant John McGovern, big-money signing Peter Swan and terrace idols Steve Castle, Paul Dalton, Steve McCall and Mark Patterson.

The 12-chapter book begins during David Kemp's unsuccessful reign as Argyle boss, and charts the shock arrival of Shilton, relegation from the old Division Two, the heart-breaking play-off loss to Burnley and the very public falling out between Shilton and McCauley.

As well as a special chapter about the eventful career of popular striker Dwight Marshall, Roberts also examines the short life of Alan Nicholls – the outstanding young Argyle keeper who was tragically killed in 1995.

"It was a forgettable era in terms of overall success," says Roberts. "But even a team of Hollywood scriptwriters would have struggled to come up with the story of Shilton's time at Argyle.

"The team he built played some of the finest attacking football Home Park has ever seen, but the Burnley play-off defeat and the disastrous signing of Peter Swan saw things collapse spectacularly.

"McCauley and Shilton were in the tabloids almost every week, and Shilton's gambling problem became common knowledge.

"It was an unbelievable era, and one that could only be told through the eyes of those who were at the heart of the action at the time."

'Peter Shilton's Nearly Men' is released on October 24.

Marshall will be signing copies in the New George Street branch of Waterstone's before Argyle's home game against Ipswich Town that day.