Geoffrey Oakes
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey "Geoff" Oakes (born 20 May 1938 (age 73) in Belle Vue
, Wakefield
) is an English
former professional rugby league
footballer of the 1950s and '60s who at club level has played for Wakefield Trinity
(twice), and Warrington
, playing at , i.e. number 9, during the era of contested scrums.
's 3-27 defeat to Wigan
in the 1959-60 Rugby Football League Championship final at Odsal Stadium
, Bradford
on 21 May 1960, and the 5-14 defeat to Huddersfield
in the 1961-62 Rugby Football League Championship final at Headingley Stadium at Odsal Stadium
, Bradford
on 19 May 1962.
's 38-5 victory over Hull F.C. in the 1959–60 Challenge Cup
final at Wembley Stadium on 14 May 1960, and the 12-6 victory over Huddersfield
in the 1961–62 Challenge Cup
final at Wembley Stadium on 12 May 1962.
's 16-10 victory over Huddersfield
in the 1960–61 Yorkshire Cup
final at Headingley Stadium, Leeds
on 29 October 1960, and in Warrington
's 16-5 victory over Rochdale Hornets
in the 1965–66 Lancashire Cup
final at Knowsley Road
, St. Helens
.
In 1955 played two matches for Yorkshire Amateurs U-18 against Lancashire and Cumbria whilst with Trinity Juniors and signed for Wakefield Trinity in 1956 and remained with Trinity until 1964. Geoff made his first team appearance in 1958 against St Helens together with Harold Poynton
and Reg Parker. Played in two winning Wembley finals, two championship finals and one Yorkshire Cup. Chosen as "shadow hooker" for Great Britain.
Signed for Warrington in 1964 and whilst there won a Lancashire Cup winners medal. In 1967 returned to Wakefield and retired in 1968 after breaking a leg against St Helens, missing "water splash" final, having played in all previous rounds.
Geoff's other sporting interest is golf, and he was a former member, and past captain City of Wakefield Golf Club. Served on Leeds and District Golf Union executive committee. Played in many pro-ams around the world, winning 25 events including Monaco, Trinidad and Tobago, Acapulco and Biarritz. Professionals played alongside included Mike Slater (pro at Warringon), Hedley Muscroft, Ronan Rafferty, Paul Carrigill, Bill Ferguson and local professional Adrian Ambler. Best handicap 4.
Also became interested in Horse Riding and took part in one day hunter trials, winning at Heath, Wakefield and hunted several times with Rockwood and Badsworth hunts.
When owning the Quarry Inn, Horbury he improved his cooking skills and continues to do so in retirement!
Agbrigg
Agbrigg is a village in West Yorkshire, England. It forms part of the metropolitan district of the City of Wakefield....
, Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
) is an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
former professional rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
footballer of the 1950s and '60s who at club level has played for Wakefield Trinity
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...
(twice), and Warrington
Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
, playing at , i.e. number 9, during the era of contested scrums.
Rugby Football League Championship final appearances
Geoff Oakes played , i.e. number 9, in Wakefield TrinityWakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...
's 3-27 defeat to Wigan
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
in the 1959-60 Rugby Football League Championship final at Odsal Stadium
Odsal Stadium
Odsal Stadium is a stadium situated in Odsal, Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. The venue is used for rugby league and has been the home ground of Bradford Bulls/Bradford Northern since 1934...
, Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
on 21 May 1960, and the 5-14 defeat to Huddersfield
Huddersfield Giants
Huddersfield Giants are a professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire who play in the European Super League competition. They play their home games at the Galpharm Stadium which is shared with Huddersfield Town F.C....
in the 1961-62 Rugby Football League Championship final at Headingley Stadium at Odsal Stadium
Odsal Stadium
Odsal Stadium is a stadium situated in Odsal, Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. The venue is used for rugby league and has been the home ground of Bradford Bulls/Bradford Northern since 1934...
, Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
on 19 May 1962.
Challenge Cup final appearances
Geoff Oakes played , i.e. number 9, in Wakefield TrinityWakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...
's 38-5 victory over Hull F.C. in the 1959–60 Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
final at Wembley Stadium on 14 May 1960, and the 12-6 victory over Huddersfield
Huddersfield Giants
Huddersfield Giants are a professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire who play in the European Super League competition. They play their home games at the Galpharm Stadium which is shared with Huddersfield Town F.C....
in the 1961–62 Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
final at Wembley Stadium on 12 May 1962.
County Cup Final Appearances
Geoff Oakes played , i.e. number 9, in Wakefield TrinityWakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...
's 16-10 victory over Huddersfield
Huddersfield Giants
Huddersfield Giants are a professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire who play in the European Super League competition. They play their home games at the Galpharm Stadium which is shared with Huddersfield Town F.C....
in the 1960–61 Yorkshire Cup
Rugby league county cups
Historically, British rugby league clubs competed for the Lancashire Cup and the Yorkshire Cup, known collectively as the county cups. The leading rugby clubs in Yorkshire had played in a cup competition for several years prior to the schism of 1895...
final at Headingley Stadium, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
on 29 October 1960, and in Warrington
Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
's 16-5 victory over Rochdale Hornets
Rochdale Hornets
Rochdale Hornets RLFC is an English professional rugby league club from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. They currently play in Championship One...
in the 1965–66 Lancashire Cup
Rugby league county cups
Historically, British rugby league clubs competed for the Lancashire Cup and the Yorkshire Cup, known collectively as the county cups. The leading rugby clubs in Yorkshire had played in a cup competition for several years prior to the schism of 1895...
final at Knowsley Road
Knowsley Road
Knowsley Road was a stadium located in Eccleston, St Helens, Merseyside. It was the home of St Helens RLFC from 1890 until its closure in 2010. St Helens Town FC played their home fixtures at Knowsley Road from 2002 until 2010. For a period, the venue also hosted Liverpool FC Reserves...
, St. Helens
St Helens, Merseyside
St Helens is a large town in Merseyside, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100,000, part of an urban area with a total population of 176,843 at the time of the 2001 Census...
.
Biography
Played soccer - goalkeeper at Thornes House Grammar School. Started playing rugby at 16.In 1955 played two matches for Yorkshire Amateurs U-18 against Lancashire and Cumbria whilst with Trinity Juniors and signed for Wakefield Trinity in 1956 and remained with Trinity until 1964. Geoff made his first team appearance in 1958 against St Helens together with Harold Poynton
Harold Poynton
Harold Poynton is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1950s, '60s and '70s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and Yorkshire, and at club level for Wakefield Trinity, playing at , or , i.e. number 6, or 7....
and Reg Parker. Played in two winning Wembley finals, two championship finals and one Yorkshire Cup. Chosen as "shadow hooker" for Great Britain.
Signed for Warrington in 1964 and whilst there won a Lancashire Cup winners medal. In 1967 returned to Wakefield and retired in 1968 after breaking a leg against St Helens, missing "water splash" final, having played in all previous rounds.
Geoff's other sporting interest is golf, and he was a former member, and past captain City of Wakefield Golf Club. Served on Leeds and District Golf Union executive committee. Played in many pro-ams around the world, winning 25 events including Monaco, Trinidad and Tobago, Acapulco and Biarritz. Professionals played alongside included Mike Slater (pro at Warringon), Hedley Muscroft, Ronan Rafferty, Paul Carrigill, Bill Ferguson and local professional Adrian Ambler. Best handicap 4.
Also became interested in Horse Riding and took part in one day hunter trials, winning at Heath, Wakefield and hunted several times with Rockwood and Badsworth hunts.
When owning the Quarry Inn, Horbury he improved his cooking skills and continues to do so in retirement!