Biography
Goalkeeper Andy Oakes joined Hull City in December 1998, signed by manager Warren Joyce who recognised that the teenager he knew from the apprentice ranks when he played for Burnley and the young man showing good form in the Northern Premier League were one and the same. City paid Winsford United a modest five figure sum for Oakes and quickly put him into the first team ahead of the willing but error-prone local-born keeper Steve Wilson.
During the next six months Joyce engineered the remarkable Great Escape season that transformed a broken City side six points adrift at the foot of the table at Christmas and staring at a future in the lower leagues, into a cohesive squad that won numerous games and pulled clear of the trap door with a couple of games to spare. Oakes played a key role in that recovery, although so did Wilson – Andy started 20 games following his debut in December 1998 and Willo started eight. Oakes was a fine shot stopper who commanded his box and demonstrated strong ball distribution skills. By the end of the season it became apparent that clubs from further up the Football League were circling and Oakes left City in June 1999 after only seven months at the club.
Andrew Mark “Andy” Oakes was born in the Northwich, a town at the heart of the Cheshire salt industry, and was raised in the adjacent village of Barnton on the Trent & Mersey Canal. He spent his teenage years attending Hartford High School in Northwich and playing football at various age levels for Mid-Cheshire Boys. In May 1993 he joined the YTS apprentice scheme at League Division 2 side Burnley but when his two year deal expired he was released. In July 1995 he returned to Cheshire and signed for Northern Premier League side Witton Albion, immediately impressing with his match-saving agility and making eleven appearances in his first season.
In August 1996 he transferred to Mid-Cheshire League side Barnton, his hometown club, and earned a regular first team start while working at a local chicken farm. As well as assisting Barnton to a long unbeaten run, Andy was also registered as a backup player for Conference National side Macclesfield Town and in November 1996 he was called upon to start for the Silkmen in an FA Cup tie against League Division 3 side Rochdale. He returned to Barnton after this brief moment of relative stardom and ended the 1996/97 season with a League winners’ medal. In July 1997 he moved to Northern Premier League side Winsford United and started the season in impressive form, conceding only a handful of goals, saving two penalties in his first seven starts and receiving plaudits from the Winsford hierarchy as being the “find of the season”. His form continued for another year, eventually encouraging Hull City to sign him in December 1998.
In June 1999 Premier League side Derby County paid a £465,000 fee for Andy’s services and he was quickly loaned the Port Vale to gain experience, thanks to another Hull City connection – the Valiants were managed by ex-Tiger Brian Horton. This move was not a success as he made no first team starts so he returned to Derby. After nearly two seasons as Derby’s second choice keeper he made his Rams debut in a February 2001 Premier League match against Sunderland, keeping a clean sheet and playing six more times that season. In January 2002 Oakes was handed the first team shirt on a regular basis but the season ended in a record-breaking low points tally, and relegation for Derby County and Andy was returned to the backup ranks. For the next two and half years Andy returned to life of second choice keeper, warming up with the giant Estonian netminder Mart Poom most weeks and occasionally starting when injury required it. He spent the 2004/05 season on loan at Premier League side Bolton Wanderers but made only one appearance in November 2004 and returned to Derby ahead of a March 2005 transfer – Andy made 46 appearances for the Rams in nearly six years.
In March 2005 Oakes joined League One side Walsall and for a season and under Saddlers’ manager Paul Merson he was a first team regular again, although he did miss a three month chunk of the 2005/06 season due to injury as Walsall hurtled to the bottom of the League One table. Relegation to the fourth tier prompted Oakes to leave Walsall in the 2006 close season, he made 39 senior appearances for the club.
In August 2006 Oakes joined League One Swansea City but he made only 5 appearances for the Swans during the 2006/07 season. In July 2007 he switched to League Two side Darlington and spent two seasons with the Quakers but was largely a reserve player and made only 18 appearances. He decided to hang up his gloves in the 2009 close season – in an eleven year Football League career Andy made 129 senior appearances in all competitions.
In April 1994 Andy made his only international appearance, playing for England Under-17s against an ESFA XI.
In 2010 Oakes started working in the pensions and investments industry as a pensions advisor.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 11 January 1977, Northwich
Hull City First Game: 19 December 1998, Swansea City H (League Division 3), 21 years, 342 days old
Hull City Final Game: 8 May 1999, Swansea City A (League Division 3), 22 years, 117 days old
Clubs
Burnley (1993-1995), Witton Albion (1995-1996), Barnton (1996-1997), Macclesfield Town (1996), Winsford United (1997-1998), Hull City (1998-1999), Derby County (1999-2005), Port Vale (1999, loan), Bolton Wanderers (2004-2005, loan), Walsall (2005-2006), Swansea City (2006-2007), Darlington (2007-2009)
Hull City Record
Career: 20 apps, 0 goals
Andy Oakes| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998/99 | 19 (0) | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 (0) | 0 |