Career
During his time on the List he was based in Clacton-on-Sea in Essex and was by profession a teacher. Foakes did not become a Football League linesman until the age of thirty seven in 1984. However, it then took him just three more years to graduate to the full Referees List.
He officiated regularly in the former League Division One and was therefore an unsurprising choice for the new Premier League in 1992-1993.
Over the next two years he handled a number of matches at Premier level However, he was approaching retirement age and was not included on the reduced Premier League list of referees for season 1994-1995.
He reverted exclusively to the Football League where he had a strong profile of games. The Football League also granted him a Coca Cola Cup quarter final tie between Swindon Town and Millwall in early 1995.
He was back at Wembley at the end of May to finish his career with an even more significant game, as Bolton took on Reading in the Division One play-off Final for a place in the Premier League.
Reading had been leading 2-0 and then missed a penalty before Bolton"s comeback. After retiring from the List he continued teaching and became one of the Football League"s regional coordinators of refereeing. He died suddenly in September 2006.