Alf Oakes

Alf Oakes
Personal information
Full nameAlfred William Oakes
Date of birth22 July 1901
Place of birthBewdley, England
Date of death25 December 1967 (aged 66)
Place of deathBristol, England
Playing positionInside left
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1922–1923Chesham United?(?)
1923–1925Millwall6(2)
1925–1926Reading0(0)
1926Rhyl Athletic?(?)
1926–1927Worcester City?(6)
1927–1928Birmingham1(0)
1928–1929Rhyl Athletic?(?)
1929–1931New Brighton54(15)
1931Wigan Borough[A]11(4)
1931–1932Frickley Colliery?(?)
1932–1933Stalybridge Celtic?(?)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Alfred William "Alf" Oakes (22 July 1901 – 25 December 1967) was an English professional footballer who made 72 appearances in the Football League playing for Millwall, Birmingham, New Brighton and Wigan Borough. He played as an inside left.[1]

Playing career

Oakes was born in Bewdley, Worcestershire. He made his debut in the Football League with Millwall in the Third Division South. After two seasons at Millwall where he played six times in the league, he spent the 1925–26 season with Reading, but without playing for the league side. A brief spell with Rhyl Athletic preceded a few months at Worcester City[1][2] playing alongside former Birmingham forward Moses Lane.[3] In February 1927, Birmingham paid a fee of £300 for Oakes' services, but he played only once for their first team,[2] shortly after joining the club, as deputy for Joe Bradford.[4] At the end of the 1927–28 season Oakes returned to Rhyl Athletic. A year later he made a more successful return to the Football League, scoring 15 goals from 54 games for New Brighton in the Third Division North.[1][2]

He began the 1927–28 season with Wigan Borough. After twelve matches, the club folded and its results were expunged from official records. Oakes had played in all but one of those twelve, including the club's last ever Football League match, a 5–0 defeat at Wrexham on 24 October 1931, and scored four goals.[A][5] Oakes finished his football career back in non-league with Frickley Colliery and Stalybridge Celtic.[1]

Oakes died in Bristol in 1967 at the age of 66.[2]

Notes

A. a b Wigan Borough folded during the 1931–32 season following the match on 24 October 1931, a 5–0 defeat at Wrexham in which Oakes played.[6] Although the team's results from that season were expunged, Joyce includes the players' appearances in his totals.[1]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData (Tony Brown). p. 198. ISBN 978-1-899468-67-6.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 114. ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9.
  3. "Worcester City Season 1926–1927". Worcester City FC Archive. Retrieved 16 May 2009.
  4. Matthews, p. 169.
  5. Ramsdale, Bernard. "Wigan Borough Players A to Z (part two)". Ye Olde Tree and Crown. Retrieved 16 May 2009.
  6. Ramsdale, Bernard. "The story of Wigan Borough". Ye Olde Tree and Crown. Retrieved 16 May 2009.