Graham Wilkins

Graham Wilkins
Personal information
Full name Graham George Wilkins[1]
Date of birth (1955-06-28) 28 June 1955 (age 69)
Place of birth Hillingdon, England
Position(s) Full-back
Youth career
1965–1972 Chelsea
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1972–1982 Chelsea 137 (1)
1982–1984 Brentford 38 (0)
1984 → Southend United (loan) 3 (0)
Southall
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Graham George Wilkins (born 28 June 1955) is an English retired professional football full-back who made over 130 appearances in the Football League for Chelsea. He also played league football for Brentford and Southend United.

Career

Wilkins was born in Hillingdon. Able to play on either flank as a full-back, he began his career at Chelsea at the age of 10 and signed his first professional contract in 1972.[2][3] He remained a bit-part player until the 1976–77 season, when he made 29 appearances to help the Blues to promotion back to the First Division.[4][5] Wilkins remained at Stamford Bridge until July 1982, by which time he had made 151 appearances and scored one goal.[4] He dropped down to the Third Division to join West London neighbours Brentford on a free transfer,[3] but with the Bees he experienced "the worst two years of my life. I dislocated my shoulder, had seven teeth kicked out, ruptured my cruciate ligaments and that was it".[2] Wilkins' final appearances as a professional came late in the 1983–84 season, on loan at Third Division club Southend United.[3]

Personal life

Wilkins was the son of footballer George Wilkins and the eldest of four Hillingdon-born brothers who played professional football.[6] He later worked at Heathrow Airport.[6]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Chelsea 1972–73[4] First Division 1 0 0 0 0 0 — 1 0
1973–74[4] 4 0 1 0 0 0 — 5 0
1974–75[4] 1 0 0 0 1 0 — 2 0
1975–76[4] Second Division 13 0 0 0 0 0 — 13 0
1976–77[4] 26 0 0 0 3 0 — 29 0
1977–78[4] First Division 21 0 3 0 0 0 — 24 0
1978–79[4] 28 1 1 0 0 0 — 29 1
1979–80[4] Second Division 18 0 0 0 1 0 — 19 0
1980–81[4] 14 0 0 0 2 0 — 16 0
1981–82[4] 11 0 1 0 1 0 — 13 0
Total 137 1 6 0 8 0 — 151 1
Brentford 1982–83[7] Third Division 25 0 2 0 2 0 3[a] 0 29 0
1983–84[7] 13 0 1 0 1 0 — 15 0
Total 38 0 3 0 3 0 3 0 47 0
Southend United (loan) 1983–84[8] Third Division 3 0 — — 1[b] 0 4 0
Career total 178 1 9 0 11 0 4 0 202 1
  1. ^ Appearances in Football League Group Cup
  2. ^ Appearance in Football League Trophy

Honours

Chelsea

References

  1. ^ "Graham Wilkins". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Foot in both camps: Graham Wilkins". www.chelseafc.com. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  3. ^ a b c Croxford, Lane & Waterman 2011, p. 340.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Graham Wilkins". 11v11.com. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Football Club History Database – Chelsea". fchd.info. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  6. ^ a b Henderson, Charlie; Bevan, Chris (23 February 2007). "Were you there ..." BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
  7. ^ a b Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2011). The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties. Sunbury, Middlesex: Legends Publishing. pp. 424–425. ISBN 978-1906796716.
  8. ^ "SUFCdb | Player Profile". www.sufcdb.co.uk. Retrieved 21 January 2018.


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