Alan Oakes
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alan Arthur Oakes | ||
| Date of birth | 7 September 1942 | ||
| Place of birth | Winsford, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1958–1959 | Manchester City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1959–1976 | Manchester City | 564 | (26) |
| 1976–1982 | Chester City | 211 | (15) |
| 1982 | Northwich Victoria | 0 | (0) |
| 1983–1984 | Port Vale | 1 | (0) |
| Total | 776 | (41) | |
| National team | |||
| English League XI | |||
| Teams managed | |||
| 1976–1982 | Chester City | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Alan Arthur Oakes (born 7 September 1942 in Winsford) is an English footballer who holds Manchester City's all-time record for appearances. Thanks to a further six year stint at Chester (spent mainly as player-manager), Oakes played 776 Football League matches – the seventh most in history.[1]
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[edit] Permanent Fixture with Man City
Oakes signed for Manchester City on amateur terms in 1958 at the age of fifteen, signing as a professional a year later. His first-team debut came on 14 November 1959 in a 1–1 draw with Chelsea. During the early 1960s Oakes proved to be one of the few consistent performers in a struggling City side. However, it was under the tutelage of management team Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison that Oakes blossomed. He played in all but one of the matches in Manchester City's First Division winning season in 1967–68, and by the time he had added a League Cup medal in 1976, he had become part of more trophy winning sides than any other Manchester City player in history.[2]
His last appearance for Manchester City came on 4 May 1976, coming on as substitute for Mike Doyle against rivals Manchester United.
Amongst footballing figures of his era Oakes was renowned for his professionalism; the great Liverpool manager Bill Shankly described him as "exactly the kind of player youngsters should use as a model".
[edit] Moving Into Management
After 17 years, and a record 669 first-team appearances for Man City, Oakes moved to Chester in the summer of 1976. Although he initially signed just as a player, he was soon in charge of team affairs after manager Ken Roberts moved upstairs. Oakes was to be player-manager throughout the remainder of his six years with the club, where he continued to break playing appearance records.
In his first season at the club, Oakes led Chester to the last-16 of the FA Cup for the first time since 1891. He would repeat the feat three years later and lead the club to the Debenhams Cup title in 1977. In 1978, he came within a whisker of taking Chester into the top two divisions for the first time, as they finished just two points and places outside the three promotion spots in Division Three. Oakes was also the man to give the legendary Ian Rush his big break in the professional game, handing him his Chester debut in April 1979.
Oakes was widely regarded as having done a good job at Chester but the 1981–82 season saw the Blues relegated. Oakes left the club in March 1982 and perhaps surprisingly would never manage in the Football League again. After making an FA Cup appearance for Northwich Victoria against Scunthorpe United in December 1982.
Oakes became part of the coaching staff with Port Vale, serving as reserve team manager from January 1983. While at Vale Park, Oakes was forced to make one final Football League appearance during an injury crisis – his 776th match in the league. At 41 years and 60 days old Oakes was unable to prevent the injury ravaged team from losing to Plymouth Argyle 1–0.[3] Sacked in order to save money in December 1983, he was brought back to the club as a coach in August 1984. After being demoted to the position of youth coach in December 1987 he resigned in protest.[3]
In 1992, Oakes return to Chester on the coaching staff and in 1993–94 he assisted Graham Barrow and Joe Hinnigan as Chester were promoted to Division Two.
[edit] Family
Alan Oakes is the best known member of a prominent football family. His cousin Glyn Pardoe was also a member of the Manchester City side in the 1960s and 70s, and his son Michael is a professional footballer who has played for Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Cardiff FC amongst others as a goalkeeper. His nephew, Chris Blackburn, plays for Wrexham.[4]
[edit] Honours
[edit] as a player
- with
Manchester City
- European Cup Winners' Cup winner: 1970
- Football League First Division champion: 1967–68
- Football League Second Division champion: 1965–66
- FA Cup winner: 1969
- Football League Cup winner: 1970, 1976
- FA Charity Shield winner: 1968, 1972
[edit] as a player-manager
- with Chester City
- Debenhams Cup winner: 1977
[edit] References
- ^ "The players who have made most League appearances since 1888 are (as at 22 January 2006):". allfootballers.com. http://allfootballers.com/statsc.php?bid=mostleagueapps. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
- ^ *Gary James, Manchester: The Greatest City ISBN 1-899538-09-7
- ^ a b Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 217. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0. http://www.amazon.ca/Port-Vale-Personalities-Jeff-Kent/dp/0952915200.
- ^ "Aldershot complete Blackburn deal". BBC Sport. 15 May 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/aldershot/7403484.stm. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
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