Career
He played as a forward. Oakes was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. He played football for Hereford Thistle before joining Small Heath of the Football League Second Division in 1896, making his debut in a 3–1 victory at Blackpool on 23 January 1897.
He played regularly for the remainder of the 1896-1897 season and the next, but appeared only rarely for the first team over the next two seasons, and left for non-league football with Gloucester City.
