Role: Former

Michael Gilkes

Wide midfield player who joined the club following his release from Millwall.

Retained his pace in his later career but also made intelligent use of the ball and had a tremendous work rate, setting the perfect example to the younger players. Went on to join the coaching staff at the club becoming number two to Eddie Denton before moving back into professional coaching.

Gilkes played more than 550 times as a professional and made his name with the Reading side that nearly won promotion to the Premier League in the early 1990s. A fast, tricky winger, he made over 400 appearances in all competitions for the Berkshire club as they went from the old Fourth Division to the very edge of the top flight. They finished second in the new Division One in 1995 (only missing out on automatic promotion due to the streamlining of the FA Premier League from 22 clubs to 20) and reached the playoff final, surrendering a 2–0 lead held until the 75th minute before losing 4–3 in extra time to Bolton Wanderers. At the Rumbelows Cup Final in 1992 at Wembley Stadium he came third in the Rumbelows Sprint Contest.

Gilkes spent nearly thirteen years with the Royals, scoring 52 goals, before he was sold to Wolves in March 1997, managed by Mark McGhee who had departed from Reading to Wolves 16 months earlier.

He spent two seasons at Molineux before manager Keith Stevens signed him for Millwall. His time at the Molineux was less successful than it was at Elm Park, scoring just once in 38 league appearances, though he did come close to reaching the Premier League with them just as he had done at Reading. He joined Wolves just weeks before the end of the 1996–97 season, as they were edged out of the automatic promotion places to Barnsley and lost to Crystal Palace in the playoffs. A year later they finished ninth, missing out on the playoffs, but enjoyed a run to the FA Cup semi finals where they narrowly lost to Arsenal.

In a vote to compile the Royals' best-ever eleven, Gilkes was voted the best left-winger with 80.6% of the vote. Gilkes played at the Madejski Stadium in the Royals Legends game on 1 May 2006. Since retiring from the game, Gilkes has swapped his tracksuit for a business suit in order to carve out a successful career as a Mortgage Consultant for a Reading based Estate Agent.

Gilkes joined the firm back in November 2008 and is now a fully qualified mortgage consultant working out of the Reading branch. He was recruited by his former boss Mick Gooding – the popular midfielder who went on to manage the club from 1994–96. Mr Gooding is now responsible for the day-to-day running of the Estate Agency.

Gilkes in now Head Coach of Southern league Division One South & west side Hungerford Town F.C. alongside newly appointed manager Bobby Wilkinson. Gilkes is also a personal trainer. Gilkes has re-joined Reading F.C. as a Part-time Academy Coach.

Statistics

First Appearance:	01-09-2001 vs Lewes
First Goal:	11-12-2001 vs Bracknell Town
Position:	Midfielder
Total STFC Appearances:	82
Total STFC Goals:	11

Matches Played

Match Date	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Goals	Cards	Report
23-03-2004	Corinthian Casuals	4-1	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
19-11-2003	Slough Town	1-4	Cheshunt	Ryman League Cup	-	-	Report
15-11-2003	Horsham	1-4	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
03-05-2003	Berkhamsted Town	3-1	Slough Town	League		-	Report
28-04-2003	Slough Town	2-1	Wembley	League	-	-	Report
21-04-2003	Slough Town	0-2	Yeading	League	-	-	Report
19-04-2003	Leyton Pennant	0-2	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
15-04-2003	Slough Town	2-0	East Thurrock United	League	-	-	Report
12-04-2003	Slough Town	1-1	Uxbridge	League	-	-	Report
08-04-2003	Wivenhoe Town	1-2	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
05-04-2003	Harlow Town	2-2	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
01-04-2003	Aveley	1-1	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
29-03-2003	Thame United	1-1	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
22-03-2003	Slough Town	5-1	Tilbury	League		-	Report
18-03-2003	Slough Town	0-3	Wingate & Finchley	League	-	-	Report
15-03-2003	Hemel Hempstead Town	2-2	Slough Town	League		-	Report
08-03-2003	Slough Town	1-1	Aveley	League	-	-	Report
08-02-2003	Slough Town	3-0	Arlesey Town	League	-	-	Report
04-02-2003	Slough Town	2-0	Thame United	League	-	-	Report
28-01-2003	Slough Town	2-2	Hertford Town	League	-	-	Report
25-01-2003	Slough Town	3-0	Oxford City	League	-	-	Report
18-01-2003	Wealdstone	3-2	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
14-01-2003	Great Wakering Rovers	2-2	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
04-01-2003	Northwood	5-1	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
26-12-2002	Yeading	0-2	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
21-12-2002	Slough Town	5-1	Leyton Pennant	League		-	Report
17-12-2002	Slough Town	1-1	Wealdstone	League	-	-	Report
14-12-2002	Hornchurch	3-2	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
09-11-2002	Slough Town	0-1	Hemel Hempstead Town	League	-	-	Report
02-11-2002	Lewes	6-4	Slough Town	FA Trophy		-	Report
26-10-2002	Slough Town	3-2	Canvey Island	FA Cup	-	-	Report
22-10-2002	Slough Town	4-0	Wivenhoe Town	League	-	-	Report
19-10-2002	Oxford City	1-1	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
15-10-2002	Wingate & Finchley	2-3	Slough Town	League		-	Report
12-10-2002	Slough Town	4-2	Hampton & Richmond Boro'	FA Cup	-	-	Report
28-09-2002	AFC Totton	2-2	Slough Town	FA Cup	-	-	Report
24-09-2002	Arlesey Town	1-0	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
21-09-2002	Slough Town	1-0	Barton Rovers	League	-	-	Report
14-09-2002	St. Leonards	1-2	Slough Town	FA Cup		-	Report
10-09-2002	Slough Town	1-1	Harlow Town	League	-	-	Report
06-09-2002	Uxbridge	0-1	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
31-08-2002	Thame United	1-2	Slough Town	FA Cup	-	-	Report
26-08-2002	Slough Town	2-1	Northwood	League	-	-	Report
24-08-2002	Marlow	2-3	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
20-08-2002	East Thurrock United	0-2	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
17-08-2002	Slough Town	1-1	Hornchurch	League	-	-	Report
27-04-2002	Slough Town	0-1	Bognor Regis Town	League	-	-	Report
20-04-2002	Staines Town	0-1	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
06-04-2002	Dulwich Hamlet	0-0	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
01-04-2002	Windsor & Eton	3-3	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
30-03-2002	Slough Town	3-0	Bromley	League	-	-	Report
23-03-2002	Slough Town	1-2	Ford Utd	League	-	-	Report
19-03-2002	Maidenhead United	3-2	Slough Town	B&B Senior Cup	-	-	Report
16-03-2002	Aylesbury United	4-0	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
09-03-2002	Slough Town	0-0	Whyteleafe	League	-	-	Report
02-03-2002	Thame United	3-0	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
23-02-2002	Slough Town	3-0	Uxbridge	League	-	-	Report
16-02-2002	Harlow Town	1-4	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
12-02-2002	Slough Town	2-1	Barking & East Ham Utd	League		-	Report
09-02-2002	Slough Town	3-1	Tooting & Mitcham Utd	League	-	-	Report
02-02-2002	Northwood	1-1	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
22-01-2002	Slough Town	3-0	Windsor & Eton	League		-	Report
19-01-2002	Carshalton Ath	2-1	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
12-01-2002	Slough Town	6-0	Wealdstone	League	-	-	Report
05-01-2002	Worthing	0-3	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
01-01-2002	Yeading	0-0	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
29-12-2001	Slough Town	1-2	Oxford City	League	-	-	Report
22-12-2001	Slough Town	0-1	Hitchin Town	Ryman League Cup	-	-	Report
15-12-2001	Walton & Hersham	1-1	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
11-12-2001	Slough Town	1-0	Bracknell Town	B&B Senior Cup		-	Report
08-12-2001	Slough Town	2-1	Northwood	League	-	-	Report
04-12-2001	Bracknell Town	1-1	Slough Town	B&B Senior Cup	-	-	Report
27-11-2001	Wembley	4-6	Slough Town	Ryman League Cup	-	-	Report
23-10-2001	Slough Town	4-0	Harlow Town	League	-	-	Report
02-10-2001	Slough Town	1-1	Thame United	League	-	-	Report
29-09-2001	Whyteleafe	0-2	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
25-09-2001	Uxbridge	3-1	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
22-09-2001	Slough Town	1-1	Carshalton Ath	League	-	-	Report
11-09-2001	Barking & East Ham Utd	0-1	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
08-09-2001	Wealdstone	2-1	Slough Town	League	-	-	Report
04-09-2001	Slough Town	0-1	Worthing	League	-	-	Report
01-09-2001	Lewes	3-0	Slough Town	FA Cup	-	-	Report