Alan Skirton’s path in football began in his hometown of Bath, where he played for West Twerton Youth Club before joining Bristol City as an amateur. However, his time there was short-lived, leading him to sign for Bath City in the Southern League. His performances on the wing soon caught the attention of bigger clubs, with Arsenal ultimately securing his signature in January 1959 for £5,000. Unfortunately, a bout of pleurisy and pneumonia sidelined him for eighteen months before he could make his mark at Highbury.
PART ONE
When Skirton finally debuted against Burnley on 20 August 1960, he found himself sharing the right-wing role with Danny Clapton. The following season, he firmly established himself, scoring 19 goals in 40 appearances to become Arsenal’s top scorer. With the arrival of Johnny MacLeod in 1962, Skirton moved to the left flank, where he continued to contribute, though his role became less certain as manager Billy Wright often preferred a more balanced formation with only one out-and-out winger. The emergence of George Armstrong further complicated his standing, leading to a rotation between the two for his final seasons at Arsenal.
Despite this, Skirton still managed to play regularly and earned a place in club history by becoming the first Arsenal player to score in a European match at Highbury, netting against Danish side Staevnet on 22 October 1963. However, as Arsenal sought younger talent under new newly appointed manager Bertie Mee. Skirton found himself on the move, signing for Blackpool in September 1966 for a transfer fee of around £65,000 after just two games that season. In total, he played 153 matches for Arsenal, amassing 53 goals.
His time at Blackpool began with a poetic twist, as he scored on his debut in a 1–1 draw at his previous club, Arsenal, though an injury forced him off later in the match. He returned to action shortly after, scoring in wins over Spurs and Chelsea. His home debut at Bloomfield Road was particularly memorable, with his new team thrashing Newcastle United 6–0 as Skirton struck twice. However, his scoring rate dipped as the season wore on, finishing with 10 goals in all competitions. Blackpool suffered relegation that year, and while they narrowly missed an immediate return to Division One, finishing third in 1968, Skirton hit 17 League goals.
PART TWO
By the start of the 1968–69 season, the emergence of Ronnie Brown saw Alan Skirton’s opportunities diminish and Blackpool boss Stan Mortensen allowed him to return to the West Country, where he re-joined Bristol City for a bargain fee of £15,000 in November 1968. His time at Ashton Gate, under the shrewd stewardship of Alan Dicks, saw him notch up 78 Second Division appearances for The Robins, contributing a creditable 14 goals during the process. Yet, despite his best efforts, Bristol City remained a mid-table team during his tenure, never quite threatening promotion but neither courting relegation, a paradox that surely tested the patience of their ambitious support. His career later took him to Torquay United and South African outfit Durban City, before concluding at Weymouth, where he helped the side lift the Southern League Cup in 1973.
As his active playing days wound down, Alan Skirton transitioned into commercial management, initially with his old club Weymouth, then returning to another former club in Bath City in 1974. In 1981, he moved on to Yeovil Town, where he worked until retiring in 2002, bringing his involvement in football full circle.
Skirton´s impact on football was not just about scoring goals and delivering assists but also about his enduring presence in the round ball game, both on and off the pitch. A dangerous and dynamic winger with an eye for the back of the net and an ability to adapt, his time in the sport remains a point of pride for the clubs that he served so well. And, perhaps most amusingly, he had the rare distinction of scoring against Arsenal at Highbury both for and against The Gunners—a claim that very few players can make with a straight face.