Career

He also managed Crystal Palace and was the younger brother of Albert Dawes, who also played professionally for Crystal Palace and Northampton. Between then and 1936, Dawes made 162 League appearances for the club, scoring once. Dawes went on to make a total of 223 Football League appearances for Palace before being forced to retire as a player, through injury, during the 1949-1950 season.

Dawes career was notable in that he completed a century of appearances for Crystal Palace either side of World World War World War II

After retiring as a player, Dawes was appointed as assistant to then Crystal Palace manager Ronnie Rooke.

Despite a reasonably successful 1949-1950 season and a number of close-season signings, the club had a very poor start to the 1950-1951 season. In November 1950, Rooke was relieved of his position and Dawes was appointed as joint-manager, together with chief scout Charlie Slade.

However, the partnership was unable to improve upon the season start and the club had to seek re-election in 1951. The 1951-1952 season also began poorly and Dawes and Slade were dismissed in October.

Dawes was reinstated as an amateur by the Football Association after leaving Crystal Palace and went on to play for Beckenham Town — a predecessor of the 1971 formed Beckenham Town.

After leaving football altogether, Dawes became a shopkeeper. Fred Dawes died on 12 August 1989 in Shirley, Surrey, aged 78.