Horton returned to the Football League at the age of 21 when he signed for newly promoted Third Division club Port Vale in July 1970. It was reported that his transfer fee was a pint of shandy, as Vale were struggling financially and simply haggled with the Hednesford Town chairman by plying him with alcohol, therefore his transfer fee was 'a pint of shandy'. In fact Port Vale agreed to play a pre-season friendly with Hednesford and allowed them to keep all the gate receipt money from the match. Horton had been earning £7-a-week at Hednesford, rising to £20 with win bonuses, supplemented by a £20-a-week income from building work, and so actually took a significant pay cut to turn professional at Port Vale on wages of £23-a-week.