Jack Wilkinson (footballer, born 1931)

Jack Wilkinson (17 September 1931 – 10 April 1996) was an English footballer who played as a centre-forward in the Football League for eight years. He scored 81 goals in 158 league games, a record of a goal every two appearances.

Jack Wilkinson
Personal information
Full name Jack Wilkinson[1]
Date of birth (1931-09-17)17 September 1931[1]
Place of birth Middlewich, England[1]
Date of death 10 April 1996(1996-04-10) (aged 64)
Place of death Winsford, England
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[2]
Position(s) Centre-forward
Youth career
1948–1950 Middlewich Athletic Rangers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1950–1953 Witton Albion
1953–1956 Arsenal 1 (0)
1956–1957 Sheffield United 29 (16)
1957–1959 Port Vale 80 (39)
1959–1961 Exeter City 48 (26)
1962–1963 Wellington Town
1963–1964 Witton Albion
1964–1965 Murgatroyd's
1965–1966 Winsford United
Total 158+ (81+)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He moved from Witton Albion to Arsenal in October 1953, but featured only once for the "Gunners" before moving on to Sheffield United in March 1956. He switched to Port Vale in June 1957, and helped the "Valiants" to the Fourth Division title in 1958–59. He was sold on to Exeter City for a £2,500 fee in October 1959, before entering non-league football in 1961 with Wellington Town.

Playing career

Wilkinson played for Middlewich Athletic Rangers and Witton Albion before moving into [the League football with Tom Whittaker's Arsenal in October 1953.[3] He was a reserve to Cliff Holton.[4] He made just one competitive appearance, in a First Division game against Leicester City on 19 February 1955 which Arsenal drew 1–1. Despite consistently scoring for Arsenal's reserves he was never given another first team opportunity at Highbury, and transferred to Sheffield United in March 1956 for £5,000.[5] Joe Mercer's "Blades" were relegated out of the top-flight with a last place finish in 1955–56, and could only manage a seventh-place finish in the Second Division in 1956–57. Wilkinson scored 16 goals in 29 league games during his time at Bramall Lane.[6]

Wilkinson thereafter signed with Norman Low's Port Vale in June 1957, a move which suited him as his home with wife and two children was in nearby Middlewich.[1][6] He scored a total of 19 goals in 44 appearances in the 1957–58 season. However his goals could not prevent the "Valiants" finishing within the lower half of the Third Division South table and thereby become founding members of the inaugural Football League Fourth Division.[1] He then scored 21 goals in 34 games in Port Vale's campaign of 1958–59, wherein Vale stormed to promotion as the Fourth Division's inaugural champions. Some of the other members of Vale's highly effective front-line for that season included Harry Poole, Stan Steele and Noel Kinsey.[1] Having scored just once in six league games at the start of the 1959–60 season, he was sold to Exeter City for a £2,500 fee in October 1959.[1] Wilkinson was flown down to St James Park by helicopter to sign with the club, and went on to score on his debut for the "Grecians".[7] He also helped Frank Broome's side post a ninth-place finish in the Fourth Division of the 1959–60 season. The club had to apply for re-election in the 1960–61 season, and despite boasting a record of 26 goals in 48 league games for Exeter, Wilkinson moved on to non-league sides Wellington Town and Murgatroyd's, and served Winsford United as a player-coach.[4]

Statistics

Source:[8]

Club Season Division League FA Cup Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Arsenal 1954–55 First Division 100010
Sheffield United 1955–56 First Division 12600126
1956–57 Second Division 1710001710
Total 2916002916
Port Vale 1957–58 Third Division South 4117324419
1958–59 Fourth Division 3321103421
1959–60 Third Division 610061
Total 8039428441
Exeter City 1959–60 Fourth Division 2916313217
1960–61 Fourth Division 191010201
Total 4826415227
Career total 158818316684

Honours
Port Vale

References
  1. Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 309. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  2. "Clipping Heroes #9: New signings". onevalefan.co.uk. 27 June 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  3. "Jack Wilkinson | Arsenal.com". www.arsenal.com. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  4. Matthews, Tony (2007). Who's who of Arsenal. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing. p. 302. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  5. Harris, Jeff (1995). Hogg, Tony (ed.). Arsenal Who's Who. Independent UK Sports. p. 242. ISBN 978-1-899429-03-5.
  6. Fielding, Rob (1 May 2019). "Cult hero 64: Jack Wilkinson". onevalefan.co.uk. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  7. Kent, Jeff (December 1991). Port Vale Tales: A Collection Of Stories, Anecdotes And Memories. Witan Books. p. 107. ISBN 0-9508981-6-3.
  8. Jack Wilkinson at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  9. Kent, Jeff (1990). "Fame and Fortune (1950–1959)". The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 171–196. ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.
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