Career
Darlington
As a youngster with Darlington, the Middlesbrough-born Skelton was a regular goalscorer for the junior teams, and interest was reported from clubs including Blackburn Rovers and Leeds United as well as from Celtic, with whom he had a trial in April 1999. Celtic"s city rivals Rangers also showed an interest, but an ankle injury prevented further progress. He returned to Scotland for further trials after his recovery, but no move ensued.
He appeared in four Conference matches without scoring.
In October, his improved scoring form for Darlington"s reserves earned him inclusion in the first-team squad for the visit to Cardiff City in Division Three. With Cardiff a goal up, Skelton came on for his Football League debut as an 82nd-minute substitute, but Darlington were unable to prevent the home side increasing their lead.
He made no more first-team appearances for the club and, to the reported surprise of supporters, was released at the end of November when his latest monthly contract expired. Non-league football
He signed for Whitby Town of the Northern Premier League, with whom he spent what remained of the season.
He moved on to Blyth Spartans, also of the Northern Premier League, for 2001-2002, but by March 2002 was back with Whitby.
In November 2002, he signed for Northern League club Billingham Town, and scored 19 goals to help them reach the highest league finish in their history, third in the Northern League First Division. Early the next season, he returned to the Northern Premier with Spennymoor United, newly promoted to the First Division, but he stayed there only a month before being released back to Billingham. He broke his ankle in the following pre-season, and was only able to return in the last few weeks of the campaign as Northallerton clinched promotion to the First Division.
Skelton missed much of the season with injuries, and returned to the Northern League second tier with Guisborough Town in the 2007 close season.
He moved to Marske United for 2008-2009, helping them reach the quarter-finals of the 2009 FA Vase fifth place in Northern League Division Two in 2008-2009 and fourth in 2009-2010. After a first foray into the Wearside League with Redcar Athletic for 2010-2011, Skelton rejoined Marske United, newly promoted to the first tier of the Northern League, for 2011-2012.
He soon left for the second tier with former club Thornaby, but returned to Marske United in March 2012. He started the next season back with Redcar Athletic in the Wearside League.