Wilfred Skinner

Wilfred James Skinner, PPA (31 May 1934 – 2 August 2003) was a Singaporean athlete who represented Singapore in football and hockey.

Skinner was best known as a goalkeeper for the Singapore national football team.

At club level, he also played as a forward in addition to his goalkeeping duties for Police Sports Association.

He played bare-footed for Katong Boys' Club which won the 1950 Singapore Boys' Football Cup.

The Cup win earned Skinner a pair of boots and a place in Saint Andrew's second football team, where he played as a right winger.

He had to play in goal after the team's goalkeeper did not turn up for a match, and his performance earned him promotion to the first team after only two games with the second team.

He also represented the Combined Schools team for five years under honorary coach Choo Seng Quee.

Skinner joined Rovers Sports Club's newly formed junior team in 1951.

He was awarded Combined Schools Colours in 1952, 1953 and 1954.

A year later, he played for Rovers 'A', the second team, which ended runners-up in the 1952 SAFA Third Division.

On 2 May 1953, Skinner made his senior debut for Rovers in a 3–0 win over Pulau Brani United in the First Division.

Rovers finished as 1953 First Division runners-up and 1954 SAFA Challenge Cup winners

He won the 1954 SAFA Challenge Cup with his first club, Rovers Sports Club, and the 1969 President's Cup with Police.

In December 1954, Skinner joined the Police Force and played for Police Sports Association after leaving school.

He was also utilised in a centre or wide forward role throughout his playing career with Police.

He won the 1957 Oehlers Cup and the 1958 Singapore Hockey Association Division One title with Police.

Skinner also represented the Singapore state team which participated in Malayan competitions and was part of the Malaya Cup winning teams of 1960, 1964 and 1965.

He is widely considered as one of the best goalkeepers to play for Singapore.

At state level, he established himself as centre-half for Singapore and was national team skipper in the early 1960s and at the 1962 Asian Games.

On 26 June 1960, Skinner received an ovation from the 12,350-strong Jalan Besar crowd for his role in Singapore's 2–1 victory over Malaya Cup holders Selangor; he considered this win to be his most memorable match in a 1988 interview.

Singapore went on to lift the Cup that year.

In November 1960, SAFA president Soh Ghee Soon confirmed that Skinner "requested" his withdrawal from the Singapore team that would tour Hong Kong and Saigon as he could not train with the team due to his hockey commitments.

Skinner quit the Malaya Cup team after he alleged he was unfairly dropped by Soh.

He resolved his differences with the SAFA and rejoined the team in late December.

Skinner missed the following season after he left for a four-month training at the Detectives' Training School in Calcutta under a Colombo Plan scholarship in March 1961.

Singapore won the FAM Cup in 1963 but Skinner did not play in the final.

He featured in both finals as Singapore won the Malaya Cup in 1964 and 1965.

Skinner won the Razak Cup, the Malayan inter-state competition, with Singapore in 1965.

Skinner joined the Police Force after leaving school and rose to the rank of Deputy Superintendent.

Following the 1965 Cup win, he announced his intention to step down from the state team but retracted his decision and was included in the 1966 squad.

Skinner won the inaugural President's Cup under coach Choo Seng Quee in January 1969.

Skinner also represented the Singapore state team which participated in Malayan competitions including the Malaya Cup.

On 18 July 1974, Skinner was awarded the bronze Pingat Pentadbiran Awam state medal.

After 20 years of service in the Police Force, Skinner resigned in late 1974 and emigrated to Canada.

In a list of Singapore's 50 Greatest Athletes of the Century by The Straits Times in 1999, he was ranked 32nd and was the only goalkeeper in the list.

Skinner also represented Police and the Singapore state team in hockey.

In 2003, he had a heart attack and entered into a coma for two weeks.

He died at the age of 69 on 2 August 2003.

Skinner represented Saint Andrew's School in football, hockey and cricket.

He grew up near the beach in Kakikal Lane, Katong and would practise diving after imaginary balls on the beach in the mornings and evenings.