[2] A coal miner by trade, he played football for Maltby Victoria and Maltby Main Colliery Welfare before turning professional with First Division club Birmingham in August 1924.
[3] He played only once for Birmingham's first team, standing in for George Liddell in a 3–2 defeat away to Burnley on 2 February 1925,[4] and joined Third Division South club Brighton & Hove Albion in May 1926.
[3] Sykes played 16 league games in two seasons with Brighton before signing for Lincoln City in June 1928.
[2] He remained with Lincoln for three seasons, playing 44 games in all competitions, of which 42 were in the Third Division North.
This biographical article related to association football in England, about a midfielder born in the 1900s, is a stub.