Gilkes's Number

[rfctabs]

Tell me I'm not going mad and that Gilksey played number 10 when he was on the wing.

[Ian Royal]

11 whenever I saw him.


or perhaps not.

[Barry the bird boggler]

He certainly played at 11, 10, 7 and 2 in his time at the club (plus subs shirts).

[bobbybottler]

He certainly played at 11, 10, 7 and 2 in his time at the club (plus subs shirts).

3 more often than 2 Shirley?

[Ian Royal]

I've got about 5 programmes with him on. one at 2, one at 3, two at 7 and one at 13 but that was a sub obviously.

[rfctabs]

Whew!

Looks like I didn't waste £13 on shirt lettering with No 10 then.

It's just I'm sure he always had 10 on when he shot past me on the South Bank (although at that speed I could never be sure )

[JC]

I cannot be bothered to add them all up but a summary as follows giving the main number he used in a seasson
1984/85 12 !
1985/86 11 but only 9 appearances
1986/87 11 but only 7 appearances
1987/88 3
1988/89 11 and a few 10
1989/90 10
1990/91 11
1991/92 11
1992/93 7
1993/94 7
1994/95 7
1995/96 7 and a few 11
1996/97 7


So overall I would guess 7 comes out on top with 11 close behind. 10 hardly features apart from 1989/90.

[silas]

Always associate Gilkes with the number 7 shirt

[bagman]

Anybody know what number he had at Wembley for Simod Cup. He played left back, but I seem to remember him in no 11?

[JC]

Anybody know what number he had at Wembley for Simod Cup. He played left back, but I seem to remember him in no 11?

10

[rfctabs]

Excellent! That'll do me. Especially given the goal he scored.

[handbags_harris]

Whilst he played n all the numbers already stated, I'm with silas on this one, in that I will always associate Michael Gilkes with the number 7 shirt. He's the reason why I always like to play in that number whenever I can. My all-time favourite Reading player.

[PEARCEY]

Whilst he played n all the numbers already stated, I'm with silas on this one, in that I will always associate Michael Gilkes with the number 7 shirt. He's the reason why I always like to play in that number whenever I can. My all-time favourite Reading player.

My favourite Reading player too. Loved seeing him play on the wing but got twitchy seeing him play at full-back and miles away from the player he was marking...but he had the speed to cover the space.

[Southbank Old Boy]

7 is the number I remember him wearing the most, especially towards the end of his time here

[SpaceCruiser]

Anybody know what number he had at Wembley for Simod Cup. He played left back, but I seem to remember him in no 11?

He didn't play left back in the Simod Cup. He played up front alongside Mick Tait.

You must have confused it with the play-off final against Bolton where he actually played left wing-back.

[Aubery Boyce]

He ended up in the play-off final season as 7, despite as someone mentioned actually palying Left-wing-back.

He played in the Simod cup final as 10 - makeshift up front with Tait (9) due to Moran and Whitehurst being cup tied.

Before that he played a lot at left wing when Reading mainly used Traditional numbering, so was #11 alot. (2&3 were full backs, 5 &6 were Centre Backs, 9 &10 were strikers, 7 and 11 were wingers, and 4 and 8 were Central midfielders)

During Neil Smilie's time at the club he was used as a left back a fair bit so wore the 3 shirt. he would over-lap a lot down the left and be quick enough to get back to defend!!

There were obviously other occassions where he wore other numbers as people have mentioned. I'm sure iremember him playing in #2 once despite playing Left Back.

A great entertainer with unbleievable pace. A sight to behold as he knocked the ball past the fullback and sprinted past him, before delivering an inch-perfect cross into the tilehusrt end.

One of my all time favourite players and a nice bloke too.

[SpaceCruiser]

Before that he played a lot at left wing when Reading mainly used Traditional numbering, so was #11 alot. (2&3 were full backs, 5 &6 were Centre Backs, 9 &10 were strikers, 7 and 11 were wingers, and 4 and 8 were Central midfielders)

Yeah, but to confuse matters, sometimes no 4 was a centre back and no 6 was a centre midfielder. Am I wrong?

[Aubery Boyce]

Before that he played a lot at left wing when Reading mainly used Traditional numbering, so was #11 alot. (2&3 were full backs, 5 &6 were Centre Backs, 9 &10 were strikers, 7 and 11 were wingers, and 4 and 8 were Central midfielders)

Yeah, but to confuse matters, sometimes no 4 was a centre back and no 6 was a centre midfielder. Am I wrong?

i remember other teams at the itme that 5 was a centre back.

I'm sure reading mainly were 5 and 6 for CB... certainly formr 1984 when i started going. it was usually 4. Beavon , 5 Hicks, 6 Wood.

[Ian Royal]

We seemed to pick them at random a lot.

I always remember it as
1 keeper
2 rightback
3 leftback
4 defensive midfielder
5 centreback
6 centreback
7 right wing
8 attacking midfield
9 striker
10 striker
11 left winger

[Baines]

Anybody know what number he had at Wembley for Simod Cup. He played left back, but I seem to remember him in no 11?

He didn't play left back in the Simod Cup. He played up front alongside Mick Tait.

You must have confused it with the play-off final against Bolton where he actually played left wing-back.

It's rather more likely that he confused it with the rest of that season where he typically played left-back behind Neil Smillie at left midfield.

PS - Gilkes is always 3 or 11. Fcuk off with your 7s.