Gerry Cakebread

Gerry Cakebread
Personal information
Full nameGerald Cakebread
Date of birth1 April 1936
Place of birthActon, England
Date of death24 September 2009 (aged 73)
Playing positionGoalkeeper
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1954–1964Brentford348(0)
1965–1967Hillingdon Borough
1966–1969Taunton Town
Barnstaple Town
1976Minehead
National team
1954England Youth
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Gerald "Gerry" Cakebread OBE (1 April 1936 – 24 September 2009) was an English football goalkeeper who played in the Football League for Brentford. He remained a part-time player throughout his professional career.[1]

Club career

Brentford

Cakebread began his career as a junior at the club he supported as a boy, Brentford.[1] He was a part of the youth team which reached the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup during the 1951/52 season.[1] During his National Service, Cakebread was preferred to future England international goalkeeper Eddie Hopkinson by the selectors of the Royal Air Force representative team.[2] While still an amateur, Cakebread made his first team debut in a 1-0 Division Three South defeat to Norwich City on 23 October 1954.[3] He made two further appearances during the 1954/55 season, while working a job outside football.[1] At the end of the campaign, Cakebread declined to sign a full professional contract and instead signed semi-professional terms.[1] For the 1955/56 season manager Bill Dodgin named Cakebread his first choice goalkeeper ahead of Sonny Feehan.[1]

Over five of the next six seasons, Cakebread would go on to make over 45 appearances a season and set a club record for consecutive appearances, playing 187 games in a row between November 1958 and March 1963.[1][4] His run was ended by a leg injury, which saw him miss the rest of Brentford's 1962/63 Division Four title-winning season.[1] Cakebread returned to action for the club's record 9-0 win over Wrexham on 15 October 1963, replacing Bill Slater in the lineup.[5] After a run of five games, he lost his place to Chic Brodie and made just one further appearance during the 1963/64 season, playing what would be his final game for the club in 2-2 draw with West London rivals Queens Park Rangers on 20 March 1964.[6] Cakebread dropped into the reserve team for the 1964/65 season and won the London Challenge Cup with the side.[7] He departed Griffin Park in June 1965, having made 374 appearances, a total which sees him eighth on the club's all time list.[1]

Hillingdon Borough

After his departure from Brentford, Cakebread dropped into non-league football and signed for Southern League Division One side Hillingdon Borough.[1] He helped the club to a second-place finish and promotion to the Premier Division in the 1965/66 season.[1]

Taunton Town

Cakebread joined Western League side Taunton Town in the late 1960s and played a part in the club's 1968/69 league title success.[1]

Barnstaple Town

Cakebread had a short spell with Western League side Barnstaple Town, joining in 1969.[8]

Minehead

Cakebread signed for Southern League Division One South club Minehead on a short-term emergency deal for the final game of the 1975/76 season. Needing a draw against second-place Dartford to win the league title, Cakebread kept a clean sheet in a 2-0 win.

International career

Cakebread won caps for England at youth level. He was twice named in the U23 squad, but did not play.[9]

Personal life

Cakebread worked for the Admiralty during his football career and beyond as a draughtsman.[8][9] He was awarded an OBE in 1995 for his work on Hydrographics at the Ministry of Defence.[9]

Honours

As a player

Brentford

Taunton Town

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920-2006. Harefield: Yore Publications. p. 33. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  2. ↑ Official Brentford FC Matchday Programme versus Mansfield Town 1108/07. O Publishing. 2007. p. 46.
  3. ↑ http://www.brentfordfchistory.co.uk/matchdetails.php?id=1609
  4. ↑ http://www.brentfordfchistory.co.uk/player.php?id=114
  5. ↑ http://www.brentfordfchistory.co.uk/player.php?id=114&season_id_page=67&season_name_page=1963-1964
  6. ↑ http://www.brentfordfchistory.co.uk/matchdetails.php?id=2043
  7. ↑ Haynes, Graham (1998). A-Z Of Bees: Brentford Encyclopaedia. Yore Publications. pp. 46, 82. ISBN 1 874427 57 7.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Official Matchday Magazine Of Brentford Football Club versus Oldham Athletic 14/08/99. Blackheath: Morganprint. 1999. p. 41.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 TW8 Matchday versus Oldham Athletic 25/08/03. London: The Yellow Printing Company Limited. pp. 32–33.