Lives in Cricket No 46 - George Raikes

35 Raikes’ Meteoric Rise as a Top Quality Footballer “A smart run by Orams … the leather being sent skimming over the bar … Hereabouts Scotter and Kent were seen to be at loggerheads, and the former later charged the Suffolk man in the back, a piece of play of which the audience disapproved. Useful play on the Suffolk right gave the visitors an advantage and Fairweather was instrumental in scoring their only goal, the ball glancing off Fellows … Suffolk … were bent on equalising, and … Raikes was visited several times, and the efforts of the Norfolk forwards to regain their lost ground was neutralised by the poor play of the brothers Barwell. Twice Gostling cleared from Barwell, and then Orams headed over the bar, and … the home pack confined operations to the visitors’ half of the ground. At length Beatton ran cleverly down the line, and later … the Suffolkers appeared certain to equalise but Beatton shot badly. With only a few minutes left for play the visitors tried hard to get on equal terms, but [full] time left them defeated by an odd goal, the score standing: Norfolk County 2 goals Suffolk County 1 goal. “Orams was far and away the best forward on the ground … The shooting was decidedly weak. The halves played well throughout [and] the backs were all clever, Scotter and Marsh being the pick, while the goal-keeping of the rival ‘Blues’ left nothing to be desired.” Alas for those running Norfolk County, this was the final time that Raikes was available. There was just time for some ‘social’ football. He was able to play for Wymondham, notionally his ‘home’ club, in a 2-2 draw with CEYMS (the leading club in Norfolk before the formation of Norwich City in 1902) before featuring on the Norfolk Ramblers Tour, playing against Diss (who lost 2-3) and now, against rather than for, Wymondham (who also lost 1-3). From now on the Norfolk press was reduced to following Raikes’ career from afar, praising his ability between the sticks and lamenting his unavailability. The football column in the Eastern Daily Press was dotted with snippets such as the following: “[Raikes] is now one of the best goalkeepers of the present time” “…whilst Raikes and one or two other good men are out of the county…” “It was a fortunate thing for [CEYMS] that Wymondham [Raikes’ team] were without … Raikes … on Saturday … [with] a little of Raikes’ marvellous goal-keeping the result may very well have been reversed”. So, for the second time in Raikes’ maiden season, a journalist was sufficiently impressed that he resorted to ‘marvellous’. Silverware Should anyone have forgotten his performances in the season of 1892-93, Raikes had a tremendous season for Magdalen College in the autumn term of 1893, his performances being highly significant in the team’s triumph: Played Won Lost Drawn Goals Goals For Against 17 17 0 0 102 6 Inter-Collegiate Cup 4 4 0 0 40 2