Arthur Wilkie - goalkeeping record holder

[Jerry St Clair]

So, it appears Deathy is not our only claim to fame regarding goalkeeping record. There's an interesting letter in this month's When Saturday Comes which some Nobbers of a certain vintage might be interested in, regarding a record held by 1960s Reading goalkeeper Arthur Wilkie:

I was in the Tilehurst End at Elm Park in 1962, when Reading goalkeeper Arthur Wilkie injured his hand against Halifax Town. There were no substitutions in those days so Arthur, a great favourite at Elm Park, was sent out to play on the left wing while Denis "Daisy" Allen wore the green jersey. Arthur went on to score twice, a record for a goalkeeper in one match while Daisy kept a clean sheet.
Rev. Peter Philips
Swansea

[RoyalBlue]

The Reverend should realise that this hasn't got a prayer/hope in hell of being acknowledged as a proper record.

The moment Wilkie went out on pitch and Allen went in goal, Wilkie ceased to be a goalkeeper in that game. Therefore neither of the goals he scored were scored when he was the goalkeeper!

[fruits]

I was there, we won the game 4-2 against Halifax Town . Great days we never had much success but the players were real characters.If I remember correctly we paid 1,000 GBP for Denis Allen from Charlton , money was so tight at RFC ,the then manager Harry Johnston, a famous player for Blackpool and featured in the "Matthews Final" in the FA Cup Final had no more money to buy anyone else.

I remember the chant we had for Daisy, it was based on the old music hall song , "Daisy,Daisy, Give me your answer do " It went
more or less like this:

Daisy, Daisy give me your answer do,
I'm half crazy, all for the love of you
It won't be a stylish marriage
I can't afford a carriage
But you" ll look sweet upon the seat
Of a bicycle built for two

2-4-6-8 Who do we appreciate R-E-A-D-I-N-G ,READING.

Daisy died from cancer a few years ago think he was only 57, his son is the "Mad Dog".

Arthur Wilkie was an excellent goalie,think he left us to go to Chelmsford,towards the end of his career,then he emigrated to New Zealand.

[Gordons Cumming]

I was there, we won the game 4-2 against Halifax Town . Great days we never had much success but the players were real characters.If I remember correctly we paid 1,000 GBP for Denis Allen from Charlton , money was so tight at RFC ,the then manager Harry Johnston, a famous player for Blackpool and featured in the "Matthews Final" in the FA Cup Final had no more money to buy anyone else.

I remember the chant we had for Daisy, it was based on the old music hall song , "Daisy,Daisy, Give me your answer do " It went
more or less like this:

Daisy, Daisy give me your answer do,
I'm half crazy, all for the love of you
It won't be a stylish marriage
I can't afford a carriage
But you" ll look sweet upon the seat
Of a bicycle built for two

2-4-6-8 Who do we appreciate R-E-A-D-I-N-G ,READING.

Daisy died from cancer a few years ago think he was only 57, his son is the "Mad Dog".

Arthur Wilkie was an excellent goalie,think he left us to go to Chelmsford,towards the end of his career,then he emigrated to New Zealand.

Dennis Allen was 56 when he died 17 years ago.

HTH

[Jerry St Clair]

The Reverend should realise that this hasn't got a prayer/hope in hell of being acknowledged as a proper record.

The moment Wilkie went out on pitch and Allen went in goal, Wilkie ceased to be a goalkeeper in that game. Therefore neither of the goals he scored were scored when he was the goalkeeper!

Even so, it's a pretty ace story.

[East Grinstead Royal]

Arthur Wilkie was the first Reading 'keeper I ever saw. Am I right in thinking that Roy Brown took over after he'd moved on?

[BR2]

Denis Allen,one of my all-time favourite players at RFC.
Absolutely wasted playing at our level and a classy all-rounder (midfield or up front).
My mate Roger and I used to immitate how he ran-how he bred somebody like Mad Dog is a mystery but his son must have taken on his mother's character rather than his dad's.

[Broxroyal]

Denis Allen,one of my all-time favourite players at RFC.
Absolutely wasted playing at our level and a classy all-rounder (midfield or up front).
My mate Roger and I used to immitate how he ran-how he bred somebody like Mad Dog is a mystery but his son must have taken on his mother's character rather than his dad's.

He was indeed an all - rounder. Played in defence at the tail end of his career when he was older and slower. Mainly a midfielder, though, and also a free kick specialist.

[Broxroyal]

Arthur Wilkie was the first Reading 'keeper I ever saw. Am I right in thinking that Roy Brown took over after he'd moved on?

Yes. We also had Mike Dixon around that time. I preferred Dixon but Roy Bentley disagreed with me and always gave the nod to Roy Brown.
There was an article on Mike Dixon in the national press because he took up refereeing at local level to keep himself busy at weekends, as he was never in our team (the reserves always played midweek).

[Cape Town Royal]

Arthur Wilkie was the first Reading 'keeper I ever saw. Am I right in thinking that Roy Brown took over after he'd moved on?

Yes. We also had Mike Dixon around that time. I preferred Dixon but Roy Bentley disagreed with me and always gave the nod to Roy Brown.
There was an article on Mike Dixon in the national press because he took up refereeing at local level to keep himself busy at weekends, as he was never in our team (the reserves always played midweek).

I played with a Paul Dixon at youth level in the early 80's and I am sure that was Mike Dixon's son...

[West Stand Man]

I too was there.

I vaguely recall a great save by the stand-in (Dennis Allen) when a shot beat him at the near post and rebounded so sharply that he fell on it and grabbed it as it came back under his body.

[Hampshire Royal]

Mike Dixon ran a newsagents in Tilehurst.

[juanpablo]

member of my family

[Born Again Royalist]

If my old brain serves me well it tells me we sold Dennis Allen to Bornmouth in the end after some 12/15 years and got more money for him than we signed him for!!

[17Bus]

Arthur also played as a winger for the reserves a few times in his last season at Elm Park.

[Barry the bird boggler]

Is Arthur still alive? I presume he's retired now, still in NZ is he?

[Far Canal]

Arthur Wilkie was an excellent goalie,think he left us to go to Chelmsford,towards the end of his career,then he emigrated to New Zealand.

..and before he went he played on the wing for Westwood FC in Tilehurst

[Far Canal]

Arthur Wilkie was the first Reading 'keeper I ever saw. Am I right in thinking that Roy Brown took over after he'd moved on?

No, it was Mike Dixon.
I remember we were horrified at the time as MD had always been a bit crap in games where he stood in for AW, but I thought he quickly developed into a decent keeper, though I was a bit young at the time.
His standard-out game must have been away at Man City in the cup, where he kept the likes of Francis Lee and Mike Summerbee at bay and we got a 0-0 draw.
Roy Brown arrived later that year, 1968, so perhaps Mike wasn't as good as I thought.

[oldebiscuit]

I was there, we won the game 4-2 against Halifax Town . Great days we never had much success but the players were real characters.If I remember correctly we paid 1,000 GBP for Denis Allen from Charlton , money was so tight at RFC ,the then manager Harry Johnston, a famous player for Blackpool and featured in the "Matthews Final" in the FA Cup Final had no more money to buy anyone else.

I remember the chant we had for Daisy, it was based on the old music hall song , "Daisy,Daisy, Give me your answer do " It went
more or less like this:

Daisy, Daisy give me your answer do,
I'm half crazy, all for the love of you
It won't be a stylish marriage
I can't afford a carriage
But you" ll look sweet upon the seat
Of a bicycle built for two

2-4-6-8 Who do we appreciate R-E-A-D-I-N-G ,READING.

Daisy died from cancer a few years ago think he was only 57, his son is the "Mad Dog".

Arthur Wilkie was an excellent goalie,think he left us to go to Chelmsford,towards the end of his career,then he emigrated to New Zealand.

Dennis Allen was 56 when he died 17 years ago.

HTH

In the league cup game at Highbury in mid 60's (in the days before crowd segregation) and we were shouting encouragement to Dennis with 'come on Daisy' , 'go on Daisy' and so on when up pipes a Cockney voice 'facking 'ell mate, they've only gotta cow playing for em'.

[oldebiscuit]

Mike Dixon ran a newsagents in Tilehurst.

He used to collect the 'Pools' coupons around Tilehurst as well. Sadly died of cancer at the young age of 47 back in 1993.