He began his professional career with Liverpool in January 1957 but only played one game before being sold on to Port Vale for a £2,000 fee in August 1961.
He made a club record 208 consecutive appearances for the "Valiants" before being sold on to Doncaster Rovers for £5,000 in September 1965.
[1] He made his debut in 1–1 draw with Northampton Town at the County Ground on 2 September 1961, the first of a club record 208 consecutive appearances.
[1] He was dropped on 8 September 1965, bringing to an end to his run of 208 consecutive games, and after protesting against this decision he was sold to Doncaster Rovers for £5,000 that month, in a move that outraged Vale supporters.
Manager Bill Leivers resigned in February 1966 and Nicholson worked closely with caretaker-managers Jackie Bestall and Frank Marshall as they led Doncaster to the Fourth Division title in 1965–66;[4] they only finished ahead of Darlington on goal average.