Alf Oakes
Alfred William Oakes was an English professional footballer who made 72 appearances in the Football League playing for Millwall, Birmingham, New Brighton, Wigan Borough and Barnsley. He played as an inside left.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 playing alongside former Birmingham forward Moses Lane. In February 1927, Birmingham paid a fee of £300 for Oakes' services, but he played only once for their first team, shortly after joining the club, as deputy for Joe Bradford. 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.
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. Oakes finished his football career back in non-league with Frickley Colliery and Stalybridge Celtic.
Oakes died in Bristol in 1967 at the age of 66.His son Donald was also a professional, playing for Arsenal.
