Peter Foakes
Encyclopedia
Peter Foakes was an English
former football
referee in the Football League
and Premier League. During his time on the List he was based in Clacton-on-Sea
in Essex
and was by profession a teacher
.
His first few years of officiating culminated in taking charge of an FA Cup
quarter final at White Hart Lane
between Tottenham
(the eventual Cup winners) and Notts County
. He officiated regularly in the former League Division One
and was therefore an unsurprising choice for the new Premier League in 1992-93
.
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 1994-95
. 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. In April he handled the Auto Windscreens Shield Final between Birmingham City
and Carlisle United
. In front of seventy six thousand fans at Wembley, the Midlands side won with a "sudden death" goal in extra time by Paul Tait - the only instance of an English professional Cup Final ending in this now discontinued manner.
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. In this match, Bolton won 4-3 after extra-time. 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.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
former football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
referee in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
and Premier League. During his time on the List he was based in Clacton-on-Sea
Clacton-on-Sea
Clacton-on-Sea is the largest town on the Tendring peninsula, in Essex, England and was founded in 1871. It is a seaside resort that attracted many tourists in the summer months between the 1950s and 1970s, but which like many other British sea-side resorts went into decline as a holiday...
in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
and was by profession a teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
.
Career
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.His first few years of officiating culminated in taking charge of an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
quarter final at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
between Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
(the eventual Cup winners) and Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
. He officiated regularly in the former League Division One
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
and was therefore an unsurprising choice for the new Premier League in 1992-93
1992-93 in English football
The 1992–1993 season was the 113th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:This season saw the birth of the FA Premier League. This meant a break-up of the 104-year-old Football League that had operated until then with four divisions....
.
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 1994-95
1994-95 in English football
-Premiership:Blackburn Rovers ended their 81-year wait for the league title thanks to the strike partnership of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton which scored a total of more than 50 league goals. Manchester United would have made it three league titles in a row if they had been able to turn a 1-1 draw...
. 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
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
quarter final tie between Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
and Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
in early 1995. In April he handled the Auto Windscreens Shield Final between Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
and Carlisle United
Carlisle United F.C.
Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....
. In front of seventy six thousand fans at Wembley, the Midlands side won with a "sudden death" goal in extra time by Paul Tait - the only instance of an English professional Cup Final ending in this now discontinued manner.
He was back at Wembley at the end of May to finish his career with an even more significant game, as Bolton
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
took on Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
in the Division One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
play-off
Football League Play-Offs
The Football League play-offs are an annual series of football matches to determine some of the promotion places within the Football League. Essentially, each division of the league offers a certain number of automatic promotion places to the top two or three clubs. A further promotion place is...
Final for a place in the Premier League. In this match, Bolton won 4-3 after extra-time. 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.
External links
- Peter Foakes Referee Statistics at soccerbase.com (1992-93 only)
- Tribute to Peter Foakes, and obituary: the Football LeagueThe Football LeagueThe Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
Official website