Justin Skinner

*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.

Justin Skinner

Appearances: 55+1 Goals: 2

Date / Year of birth: 17th September 1972

Position: Left-back

Season of first appearance: 2006/07

Season of last appearance: 2007/08

Also played for: Wimbledon (2,0), AFC Bournemouth (16,0), Wycombe Wanderers (4+1,0) Aylesbury United, Gravesend & Northfleet and Dorking Wanderers

Gritty 5' 7" full-back born in Dorking, Surrey who started his career as a trainee at Wimbledon and progressed through the Dons youth ranks. On 29.7.91 Justin played in a 3-0 friendly win at Margate and during the 1992/93 campaign he graduated to Wimbledon's senior squad.

On 26.9.92 Justin made his first team debut for the Dons at left-back in a 3-2 win over Liverpool at Anfield in the Premier League. He played the full 90 minutes in front of a crowd of 29,574 but didn't' feature in the senior side again during the season.

After spending most of the 1993/94 campaign in Wimbledon's reserves Justin was loaned to AFC Bournemouth in March 1994 and made 16 Division 2 (later League One) appearances there without scoring before returning to Wimbledon at the end of the season.

In August 1994 he was sent out on loan again, this time to Wycombe, and played five times for them (once as sub) in Division 2 during a month with the club.

After returning to Wimbledon Justin made 24 Football Combination appearances for the Dons reserves during the remainder of the 1994/95 campaign, scoring once

On 16.10.95 he made his first senior appearance for over three years when he featured in a 1-0 defeat against West Ham in the Premier League at Wimbledon's adopted home at Selhurst Park. He was booked in the first half and replaced by Marcus Gayle at the interval. It was Justin's final first team outing for the Dons and he was released at the end of the 1995/96 season.

In the summer of 1996 Justin signed for Isthmian League Premier Division club Aylesbury and played regularly for them during the 1996/97 campaign. In March 1997 he was sent off for fighting in a match at Yeovil. Justin stayed with the Ducks for 1997/98 and by the end of the season he'd made a total of 72 appearances (two as sub) and scored once.

Justin joined Gravesend & Northfleet in the summer of 1998 and made 13 appearances in the Isthmian League Premier Division before leaving the club midway through the 1998/99 campaign and dropping out of senior football.

Justin didn't play anywhere during the 1999/00 or 2000/01 seasons but in August 2001 he rejoined Gravesend & Northfleet and played a key role as they won the Isthmian League title during 2001/02. On 6.5.02 Justin came on as a 28th minute substitute as the Fleet took on Margate in the Kent Senior Cup Final at Hartsdown Park and the Isle of Thanet Gazette said he was "central to pretty much all of Gravesend's goals" as they cruised to a 5-0 victory.

In its report on Gravesend's 4-2 defeat at Margate in the Conference on 1.1.03 the Isle of Thanet Gazette said Justin was the "Fleet's most impressive player" and he continued to be a fixture in the Gravesend side for the next three and a half years. He won the 'Players' Player of the Year' award for the 2004/05 campaign and at the start of May 2006 Justin was honoured with a testimonial match when a Gravesend past and present side took on a Wimbledon 'Crazy Gang' team. By the end of 2005/06 he'd made 180 appearances for the Fleet (six as sub), scoring eight goals, but shortly after the season finished Justin was released.

Towards the end of May 2006 he signed for Margate around the same time as several of his former Gravesend team-mates and player-manager Robin Trott told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "Skinns isn't the tallest but we don't need him to be. He's 30 but he's got the energy to play like a 22-year-old." Justin was actually approaching his 34th birthday by then.

The Thanet Times' report on a 4-0 friendly win over Ashford at Hartsdown Park on 29.7.06 said Justin looked "one hell of a full-back" and shortly before the 2006/07 campaign began Robin Trott told the Isle of Thanet Gazette that Justin was "A decent player, dogged but not the tallest, and he won't be overawed by the occasion. Will give you his all and has a sweet left foot."

Justin made his debut at left-back in a 5-2 win at Worthing in the Isthmian League Premier Division on 19.8.06 and he was a regular in the number three shirt for the first few weeks of the season. The Thanet Times he "showed quality at left-back" in a 0-0 home draw with AFC Wimbledon on 23.9.06 and by then Justin had started nine of Margate's first 11 games. After the Wimbledon match he missed three games due to a knee ligament injury before returning to action in a 2-1 home defeat against Potters Bar in the FA Cup on 14.10.06 and Justin was a regular again after that.

On 27.1.07 he was sent off for what was deemed to be a dangerous tackle in a 3-2 defeat at Hampton & Richmond but the Thanet Times felt that Justin won the ball and said the Hampton player involved "didn't help the Gate defender's cause. Lying prostrate, a trip to hospital looked on the cards but a minute later he was up and running like Linford Christie"

After a 1-0 win over Carshalton at Hartsdown Park on 6.2.07 Justin had to serve a three match ban before resuming his duties in the number three shirt as Margate lost 2-0 at home to Boreham Wood on 10.3.07. He was almost ever-present after that and on 20.3.07 Justin scored in a 5-1 win over Leyton at Hartsdown Park. The Isle of Thanet Gazette said he was "phenomenal in defence and attack" and Robin Trott told the paper "Skins had an absolutely fantastic game. He had a really bad foot - it was swollen and he'd burst blood vessels. Any other player wouldn't have played but I'm grateful that he did." By the end of the 2006/07 season Justin had made 39 appearances (one as sub) and scored once.

In July 2007 he signed a new contract and on the eve of the 2007/08 campaign Robin Trott spoke to the Isle of Thanet Gazette about Justin, saying "For his age, his running is brilliant. He's got a great left foot, gets stuck in and is a decent bit of experience in the back four."

Justin was a fixture in the number three shirt for the first few weeks of the new season and on 15.9.07 he scored as Margate won 3-0 at Chatham in the FA Cup. The Thanet Times described his right-footed effort into the top corner as a "blinding 25-yard strike" and "an absolute beauty" whilst adding "to be fair, the left-back has always had a decent right peg on him, but this was some hit".

On 22.9.07 Justin had a bad day as Margate lost 2-0 at home to Hendon in the Isthmian League Premier Division. He had a first half penalty saved and was then sent off in the last few minutes after the referee had decided he'd stamped on an opposing player. Justin played in the next two matches but after a 4-3 over Fisher at Dulwich in the FA Cup on 29.9.07 he served a four-game ban.

He returned to the side in a 2-1 win over Leyton at Hartsdown Park on 16.10.07 and Justin then started each of the next five matches up to and including an FA Trophy tie at Leamington on 3.11.07. He had to go off injured during the second half as Margate drew 1-1 and the game ended up being Justin's last for the club. He was initially found to have a piece of floating bone in his foot but Justin was then diagnosed with suspected arthritis in his ankle which required an operation. He had the surgery in January 2008.

At the start of April 2008 Justin announced he'd be retiring end of season and Robin Trott told the Thanet Times "He had the operation on his ankle and it was still aching. The specialist has told him not to have another operation because if it goes wrong he'll be left with a limp. He's had a great career, Skins. He's been a prolific left-back and a player we've sorely missed this season. We've missed him big-time, for his distribution and his tenacity on and off the ball. He's short but he's not a little man. The club would like to thank him for everything he's put in down here. We wish him the very best for the future." Justin had made 17 appearances and scored once during 2007/08.

In the summer of 2008 he joined Sussex County League Division 3 club Dorking Wanderers as coach but Justin also ended up playing regularly for them throughout the 2008/09, despite his retirement a few months earlier.

In November 2008 he was sent off in a match at Clymping and on 28.3.09 Justin scored from the halfway line as Dorking won 5-1 at Hurstpierpoint. Manager Marc White said "It was an absolute quality goal from Justin and showed the class he's got. It was definitely the highlight of the afternoon."

Justin was still coaching at Dorking during the 2011/12 season and continued to make occasional appearances as a player beyond his 39th birthday. On 5.11.11 he came on as a substitute in a 1-0 home win over Little Common and was sent off within minutes for what a press report described as "raising his hands to an opponent". Marc White said "It was not impressive from the coach but he has apologised for it."

SEASON (CLUB)

FULL (MAX)

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2006/07 (MFC)

38 (50)

1

1

ISTHMIAN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (6TH OF 22)

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SEASON (CLUB)

FULL (MAX)

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2007/08 (MFC)

17 (53)

0

1

ISTHMIAN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (9TH OF 22)

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2QR

2R

SF