PETER SHILTON: I couldn't save myself from gambling away my millions
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Dad won £100 on a horse race on the last day of their holiday in Mablethorpe. Peter was in the arcade at the time. Dad had been given tips on horses and had already had five winners. He put £10 each way on horse running at 12 to 1.
Gambling is rife in football. In the early 1970s Kevin Keegan, Malcolm Macdonald, Emlyn Hughes and Mick Channon played a lot of cards. Kevin was addicted to gambling. He had accounts with Ladbrokes, William Hill and Coral. Every Christmas, he would get a hamper and VIP privileges. He lived a nice lifestyle but the money disappeared as quickly as he earned it. The limits didn't stop him having big losses but at least he had to settle up before he could bet again. His accounts had a credit limit of between £9,000 and £10,00. When he reached that limit, his betting had stopped until he paid it off.
Peter Shilton lost all his money in gambling. He was desperate and called an agent to fast-track payment for a job he'd just done. Steph was standing behind him and she heard the conversation. She decided to move into the spare room for the night. Peter knew he couldn't lose her. He decided the only way out was to walk away from gambling and stop gambling altogether. Adapted from Saved: Overcoming A 45-year Gambling Addiction by Peter Sh Milton and Steph Shiltons, published by Ad Lib on September 16 at £20.
