Full name Gerald Cakebread Name Gerry Cakebread Place of birth Acton, England Role Football player | Place of death Taunton, England Position Goalkeeper Playing position | |
Date of birth (1936-04-01)1 April 1936 Date of death 24 September 2009(2009-09-24) (aged 73) Died September 24, 2009, Taunton, United Kingdom | ||
Gerald Cakebread OBE (1 April 1936 – 24 September 2009) was an English football goalkeeper who played in the Football League for Brentford. He remained a part-time player throughout his professional career. Cakebread was posthumously inducted into the Brentford Hall of Fame in May 2015.
Contents
- Brentford
- Hillingdon Borough
- Taunton Town
- Barnstaple Town
- Minehead
- International career
- Personal life
- As a player
- As an individual
- References
Brentford
Cakebread began his career as a junior at the club he supported as a boy, Brentford. He was a part of the youth team which reached the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup during the 1951–52 season. During his National Service, Cakebread was preferred to future England international goalkeeper Eddie Hopkinson by the selectors of the Royal Air Force representative team. While still an amateur, Cakebread made his first team debut in a 1–0 Division Three South defeat to Norwich City on 23 October 1954. He made two further appearances during the 1954–55 season, while working a job outside football. At the end of the campaign, Cakebread declined to sign a full professional contract and instead signed semi-professional terms. For the 1955–56 season manager Bill Dodgin named Cakebread his first choice goalkeeper ahead of Sonny Feehan.
Over five of the next six seasons, Cakebread would go on to make over 45 appearances a season and set a club record for consecutive appearances, playing 187 games in a row between November 1958 and March 1963. His run was ended by a leg injury, which saw him miss the rest of Brentford's 1962–63 Division Four title-winning season. Cakebread returned to action for the club's record 9–0 win over Wrexham on 15 October 1963, replacing Bill Slater in the lineup. After a run of five games, he lost his place to Chic Brodie and made just one further appearance during the 1963–64 season, playing what would be his final game for the club in 2–2 draw with West London rivals Queens Park Rangers on 20 March 1964. Cakebread dropped into the reserve team for the 1964–65 season and won the London Challenge Cup with the side. He departed Griffin Park in June 1965, having made 374 appearances, a total which places him eighth on the club's all-time list. Cakebread was posthumously inducted into the Brentford Hall of Fame in May 2015.
Hillingdon Borough
After his departure from Brentford, Cakebread dropped into non-league football and signed for Southern League Division One side Hillingdon Borough. He helped the club to a second-place finish and promotion to the Premier Division in the 1965–66 season.
Taunton Town
Cakebread joined Western League side Taunton Town in the late 1960s and played a part in the club's 1968–69 league title success.
Barnstaple Town
Cakebread had a short spell with Western League side Barnstaple Town, joining in 1969.
Minehead
Cakebread signed for Southern League Division One South club Minehead on a short-term emergency deal for the final game of the 1975–76 season. Needing a draw against second-place Dartford to win the league title, Cakebread kept a clean sheet in a 2–0 win.
International career
Cakebread won caps for England at youth level. He was twice named in the U23 squad, but did not play.
Personal life
Cakebread worked for the Admiralty during his football career and beyond as a draughtsman. He was awarded an OBE in 1995 for his work on Hydrographics at the Ministry of Defence.
As a player
Brentford
Taunton Town