Kevin Pilkington

Kevin William Pilkington (born 8 March 1974 in Hitchin) is an English footballer. He plays as a goalkeeper for League Two Notts County, and is noted for his shot stopping abilities. He is very consistent in the lower leagues, having hit close to 200 games for both Mansfield Town and Notts County.

Playing career

He started his footballing career at Manchester United, signing as an apprentice on leaving school in 1990 and featuring in their FA Youth Cup triumph in 1992, after which he signed a professional contract. He found himself to be the third choice behind Peter Schmeichel and one of Gary Walsh, Tony Coton or Raimond van der Gouw.

Pilkington's senior debut for United came at the age of twenty, when, on 16 November 1995, he came on as a substitute for an injured Schmeichel in a 3-0 win over Crystal Palace in the Premier League at Old Trafford. His first start came on 2 December, United drew 1-1 with Chelsea, Dennis Wise getting the better of Pilkington. He played a further two league games that season. In February 1996 he joined Third Division Rochdale on a six week loan.

He played no part in United's 1996–97 season, instead he joined Rotherham United on a three month loan in January 1997. He played seventeen games for the Second Division club, keeping just two clean sheets in a sub-par team that finished the season seventeen points adrift of safety from relegation.

Pilkington played two games of United's disappointing 1997–98 campaign. On Boxing day he kept goal in a 2-0 defeat of Everton, though two days later he conceded three at Highfield Road, Coventry City winning 3-2. He spent just over a week on loan with Celtic in April, never making the field for the Scottish giants.

He signed with Port Vale on a free transfer in June 1998. Unable to dislodge the veteran Paul Musselwhite in the 1998–99 season, young Pilkington played nine games in mid-season, Vale losing all but two of them.

Again playing second fiddle in 1999–2000, he played sixteen games, keeping three clean sheets. He was at Vale Park for the end of an era, following John Rudge's dismissal, he was first choice keeper under Brian Horton from March onwards, but was released at the end of the season.

Following a briefs spell with non-league Aberystwyth Town, Pilkington joined Second Division Wigan Athletic in early September 2000. After six days he dropped down to Mansfield Town in the fourth tier. He played just three games for the Stags that season, before summer signing Michael Bingham from Blackburn Rovers was recruited as competitions for the #1 jersey.

The first choice keeper in 2001–02, he played almost fifty games as the club achieved promotion in third place. Early in the season, Pilkington conceded a goal in bizarre circumstances, during a League Cup First Round defeat to Notts County. Opposition keeper Steve Mildenhall put a free kick into Pilkington's net from inside of his own half of the field. In a first half to forget, County's Daniel Allsopp also scored a 31st minute hat-trick.

After recovering from a broken wrist in September, he played 36 games the next season, as Mansfield came straight back down.

Pilkington played a massive 55 competitive games in 2003–04. He kept a clean sheet in the 2004 play-off final, though Huddersfield Town won 4-1 on penalties.

In 2004–05, Pilkington was busy once again, keeping goal on 46 occasions. At the end of the campaign he was out of contract. Offered a one year deal, Carlton Palmer was confident of his signature. However, with the new deal paying less than his previous contract he rejected the offer, despite Palmer "95% sure he will sign". He signed with League Two rivals Notts County.

In his first season at Meadow Lane, he played 48 games. In a difficult season, the experienced keeper helped the Magpies defence compensate for their woeful scoring record. A clean sheet he kept against Oxford United on 18 March proved vital as Oxford finished 23rd, three points behind County. Had Pilkington conceded a goal that day then it eventually would have been Notts County who would have lost their Football League status for the first time in the league's history. He dislocated a shoulder in April, which caused him to miss the final few games.

Notts County were a lot more comfortable the following season, Pilkington making 40 appearances, all but one of them in the league. Boss Steve Thompson had some explaining to do when he dropped Pilkington in favour of Saul Deeney for a brief period in December.

In 2007–08 the club again narrowly avoided relegation into the Conference, as County finished six points ahead of Pilkington's former club Mansfield Town in 23rd place. He played 35 games and said he was in the best form of his life, when in mid-February he suffered a broken leg. At the end of the season he signed a new two year contract.

He started the 2008–09 season as second choice keeper behind Russell Hoult. Following an injury to Hoult, Pilkington made 26 appearances as his club struggled yet again. The ten points above 23rd place Chester City concealed the fact that without point deductions for other teams they would once again have finished six points above the relegation zone.

Honours

with Manchester United
FA Youth Cup winner: 1992
Premier League champion: 1995-96
Premier League runner-up: 1997–98

with Mansfield Town
Football League Third Division third place promotion winner: 2001–02

Translation

The phrase "Kevin Pilkington" occurs as such in the following languages: English, Portuguese.