[1] He was retained for the following season, as backup for Arthur Wharton,[3] and was in goal for the club's record league defeat, 10–1 away to Liverpool in the Second Division in February 1896.
The Liverpool Mercury reported that in the latter part of the match, already nine goals to the bad, "Wilkinson, whose play hitherto had been of a very wishy-washy character, was cheered for several fine clearances".
[1] Lincoln City gave first starts to Wilkinson, Fred Howard and William Ross on 8 November 1897 at home to Newton Heath.
[7] He and Lincoln teammates Arthur Hulme and William Ross were three of numerous new signings for Gravesend United for the 1898–99 Southern League season.
The club's committee was keen to dispense with the services of "the men with drinking reputations, who proved such failures last season", though there is no indication that any of the three came into that category.