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RIP Alan Skirton 15:39 - May 13 with 1128 viewsbasilrobbiereborn

Another one from my childhood gone (sigh).

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RIP Alan Skirton on 15:42 - May 13 with 1125 viewsspell_chekker

I didn't see him play, it was slightly before my time.

RIP Alan


Learning to read clusters is not something your eyes do naturally. It takes constant practice.
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RIP Alan Skirton on 15:51 - May 13 with 1118 viewsBringBackTheRedRoom

Sadly before my time as well. He scored a lot of goals for a winger, at a time when they were going out of fashion.

Condolences to Family and friends

RIP

‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’

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RIP Alan Skirton on 16:01 - May 13 with 1114 viewsspell_chekker

Taken from his Wiki page -

Alan Skirton
Full name: Alan Frederick Graham Skirton
Date of birth: 23 January 1939
Place of birth: Bath, England
Date of death: May 2019 (aged 80)
Playing position: Winger
Youth career: West Twerton Youth Club

Senior career

1956—1960: Bath City 144 apps, 44 goals
1960—1966: Arsenal 145 (53)
1966—1968: Blackpool 77 (25)
1968—1971: Bristol City: 78 (14)
1971—1972: Torquay United 38 (7)
1972: Durban City
1972—1974: Weymouth
Total: 338 (99)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Alan Frederick Graham Skirton (23 January 1939 — May 2019) was an English footballer.

Playing career

Skirton started out as a player with West Twerton Youth Club in his home city of Bath before joining Bristol City as an amateur. However, they did not retain him and he then joined hometown club Bath City in the Southern League. He soon attracted the attention of several other clubs. Arsenal won the fight for his signature, signing him in January 1959 for £5,000. Soon after signing, however, Skirton contracted pleurisy and pneumonia and was out of action for eighteen months.

He finally made his debut for Arsenal against Burnley on 20 August 1960. He played sixteen games that season, sharing the right wing position with Danny Clapton. He supplanted Clapton altogether the following season, and scored nineteen goals in 40 matches, making him the club's top scorer for that season.

After the signing of Johnny MacLeod in the summer of 1962, Skirton was switched to the left wing, where he played for the next four seasons, albeit irregularly, as Arsenal manager Billy Wright preferred to field only one out-and-out winger. The emergence of the young George Armstrong also meant Skirton's place was under threat, and Skirton shared duties with Armstrong for his final two seasons at the club.

Nevertheless, Skirton still averaged twenty appearances a season, and made history by becoming the first Arsenal player to score a goal in a European match at Highbury, against Danish club, Stævnet on 22 October 1963. However, Wright's successor, Bertie Mee, was looking to youth as the means to success for the Gunners. After playing the first two matches of the 1966—67 season, Skirton signed for Blackpool on 12 September 1966 for £65,000. He had played 153 matches for Arsenal, scoring 53 goals.

Skirton scored on his debut for Blackpool five days later in the 1966—67 season, ironically at Highbury in a 1—1 draw, although he limped off injured later in the game. After missing three games, he scored once in a 3—1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, and two more in a 3—1 win at Stamford Bridge over Chelsea. His home debut saw the Seasiders beat Newcastle United 6—0 at Bloomfield Road with Skirton scoring twice. However, his goalscoring was not so prolific in the rest of the season and he finished the season with ten league and cup goals in 28 games.

His eight league goals that season though couldn't save the Seasiders from relegation to Division Two. In the 1967—68 season, Blackpool narrowly missed out on promotion back to the top flight, finishing third on goal average behind Ipswich Town and Queens Park Rangers. Skirton scored 17 league goals that season.

After 17 games at the start of the 1968—69 season, Blackpool manager Stan Mortensen saw the emergence of Ronnie Brown on the right wing, and he allowed Skirton to return to the West Country where he joined Bristol City for £15,000 on 20 November 1968. He went on to play for Torquay United, and South African club Durban City F.C.. He ended his career at Weymouth who he helped to win the Southern League Cup in the 1972—73 season.

Post-retirement

Just before he retired from playing, Skirton became assistant commercial manager at Weymouth, before rejoining his old club Bath City as commercial manager in July 1974. On 14 September 1981 he joined Yeovil Town to take up the same position and remained there until his retirement in 2002.

He died in May 2019 at the age of 80.

Honours

Southern League Cup champion: 1972—73

Learning to read clusters is not something your eyes do naturally. It takes constant practice.
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RIP Alan Skirton on 16:40 - May 13 with 1106 viewsHannibal

He was playing his last season the year I was born so yes, before my time too.

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RIP Alan Skirton on 18:10 - May 13 with 1095 viewsLala

RIP fella

when the monkey is high you do not stare you do not stare 🥴
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RIP Alan Skirton on 18:38 - May 13 with 1091 viewsHannibal

Fella🤮

Hate that saying Lala.

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RIP Alan Skirton on 09:21 - May 14 with 1075 views3goalsfred

Really saddened by this, another Pool hero from my youth gone. Alan Skirton was a very strong imposing figure on our right wing. Thanks to spell chekker for reminding us that he scored 2 in the 6-0 drubbing of Newcastle (the late Alan Suddick played against us that day shortly before he transferred to the Pool).
Always thought he should have stayed with us for longer than his 2/3 seasons

Fred
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