It is nearly forty years since he signed for the club from Netherfield where he had been a prolific scorer at Northern Premier League level. Indeed, Keith was the NPL’s top scorer at the end of the 1972-73 campaign netting 29 goals for the Kendal club.

Cockermouth based Keith made his Football League debut in Workington’s Fourth Division fixture at Rotherham United on 8th December, 1973 and marked the occasion by scoring our goal in a 1-1 draw. He scored again the following week, his home debut, helping Reds to a 3-1 victory over Exeter City.

By the end of the 73-74 season, Keith had made twenty five first team appearances scoring four goals. The following campaign, he netted five more league goals in thirty one appearances and also scored a few goals for the reserves in a handful of games.

Released at the end of the 74-75 season, Keith linked up with Hartlepool but his stay in the north east was brief although he did manage one goal in half a dozen appearances.

He returned to Borough Park for Reds first season in the Northern Premier League but only managed a couple of goals in twenty six starts.

In total, Skilly made 83 starts (plus a further ten substitute appearances) for Reds scoring eleven goals in the process.

He was a prominent player for Haig Colliery for three seasons but the latter years of his career were spent with hometown club, Cockermouth, where he scored countless goals in the Workington Sunday League.

(Below is Reds’ 1977 team with Keith Skillen on the back row, extreme right).