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Graham Wilkins

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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)
1984Southend 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

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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

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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

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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

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Chelsea

References

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  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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