George Baker, the regular centre forward in the 1958-59 Argyle promotion team, has died. He was 88 and had been ill for some months. Taken in isolation, his 83 games and 17 goals in the first team do not tell the full story of his contribution at Home Park and to Welsh football.
After his debut on 23 October 1954, his only appearance that season, he went on to play 17 games over the next two seasons. Like many of his generation, his availability was hampered for two seasons because he had been called up for National Service. It was also a difficult period for the club. In deep financial trouble, in 1955-56 they were relegated from the Second Division and the 1956-57 season had been the club's worst ever.
But on Christmas Day, 1957, manager Jack Rowley sprang a surprise and picked him in a deep-lying centre forward role at Newport. Back in his native South Wales with his family watching from the sidelines, he scored in a 2-0 victory. Importantly, it brought together a forward line of Anderson, Carter, Baker, Gauld and Penk. For the rest of the 1957-58 season and throughout the following season, if those five were fit, they played. He played in 32 of the 46 games in the promotion season.
He struggled with a knee injury and in the summer of 1960, after 83 first team outings and 17 goals, he left for Shrewsbury, where he made another 65 appearances, scoring five times. It was a novel transfer, inasmuch that Argyle manager Jack Rowley sold Baker to his brother Arthur. At both Argyle and Shrewsbury, supporters did not always understand his deep-lying role. But if you read the match reports from Spectator and Pilgrim, the Argyle reporters at the Independent and the Herald, one phrase appears very frequently - 'scored from a pass by Baker'.
The picture below shows him scoring at Saltergate in the promotion season.
Although from South Wales, Wrexham is writ large across George's life. On the morning of 22 November 1958, George married his childhood sweetheart, Moira Bromley, at the pld Register Office above North Road station. That afternoon he turned out for Argyle in a home game - against Wrexham. The knee injury that would eventually end George's Football League career came in the return game at Wrexham on 11 April 1959, nearly a year after the highpoint of his football career.
On 23 April 1958 he was picked for the first ever Welsh under 23 game. It was against England and George helped the Welsh to a shock 2-1 victory at Wrexham. England had never lost a game in UK at under 23 level and they had fielded a powerful side. What an apt day to see St George slain by the dragon, with the Welsh under 23 side running out 2-1 winners. And this was no pushover, cobbled together Young England side. For a start, two of the most prolific scorers the game has ever known, Brian Clough and Jimmy Greaves, led the attack and both full back Don Howe and winger Alan A’Court went on to play in the senior side at the World Cup in Sweden. Alan Hodgkinson and Maurice Setters were also named in the final 22 to travel to Sweden. This fixture remains the only time Wales has beaten England at either under 23 or under 21 level.
So far, so good for George. But his luck was about to change. He was overjoyed and proud to be named in the Wales senior squad selected to travel to Stockholm for the 1958 World Cup, a competition where all of the Home Nations qualified. He had to rush to get a passport but come the day of the races he, and three of his colleagues, were in for a severe shock. They reported to Cardiff airport, only to be told that their places on the plane had been taken by the wives of four Welsh FA Officials. The players were told they were on stand-by and that they must keep themselves fit in case they were called in to cover injuries. (As it happens Hodgkinson and Setters were also left at home by England)
It is always a sad occasion when a former player passes away but in this particular case I had been in regular touch with George for some 15 years. And if you were friends with George a friendship with Moira, his daughter Lyn and granddaughters Jenna and Kelly was part of the deal. I am glad they were all with him yesterday as those five were as good a unit as Anderson, Carter, Baker, Gauld and Penk were.
After his debut on 23 October 1954, his only appearance that season, he went on to play 17 games over the next two seasons. Like many of his generation, his availability was hampered for two seasons because he had been called up for National Service. It was also a difficult period for the club. In deep financial trouble, in 1955-56 they were relegated from the Second Division and the 1956-57 season had been the club's worst ever.
But on Christmas Day, 1957, manager Jack Rowley sprang a surprise and picked him in a deep-lying centre forward role at Newport. Back in his native South Wales with his family watching from the sidelines, he scored in a 2-0 victory. Importantly, it brought together a forward line of Anderson, Carter, Baker, Gauld and Penk. For the rest of the 1957-58 season and throughout the following season, if those five were fit, they played. He played in 32 of the 46 games in the promotion season.
He struggled with a knee injury and in the summer of 1960, after 83 first team outings and 17 goals, he left for Shrewsbury, where he made another 65 appearances, scoring five times. It was a novel transfer, inasmuch that Argyle manager Jack Rowley sold Baker to his brother Arthur. At both Argyle and Shrewsbury, supporters did not always understand his deep-lying role. But if you read the match reports from Spectator and Pilgrim, the Argyle reporters at the Independent and the Herald, one phrase appears very frequently - 'scored from a pass by Baker'.
The picture below shows him scoring at Saltergate in the promotion season.
Although from South Wales, Wrexham is writ large across George's life. On the morning of 22 November 1958, George married his childhood sweetheart, Moira Bromley, at the pld Register Office above North Road station. That afternoon he turned out for Argyle in a home game - against Wrexham. The knee injury that would eventually end George's Football League career came in the return game at Wrexham on 11 April 1959, nearly a year after the highpoint of his football career.
On 23 April 1958 he was picked for the first ever Welsh under 23 game. It was against England and George helped the Welsh to a shock 2-1 victory at Wrexham. England had never lost a game in UK at under 23 level and they had fielded a powerful side. What an apt day to see St George slain by the dragon, with the Welsh under 23 side running out 2-1 winners. And this was no pushover, cobbled together Young England side. For a start, two of the most prolific scorers the game has ever known, Brian Clough and Jimmy Greaves, led the attack and both full back Don Howe and winger Alan A’Court went on to play in the senior side at the World Cup in Sweden. Alan Hodgkinson and Maurice Setters were also named in the final 22 to travel to Sweden. This fixture remains the only time Wales has beaten England at either under 23 or under 21 level.
So far, so good for George. But his luck was about to change. He was overjoyed and proud to be named in the Wales senior squad selected to travel to Stockholm for the 1958 World Cup, a competition where all of the Home Nations qualified. He had to rush to get a passport but come the day of the races he, and three of his colleagues, were in for a severe shock. They reported to Cardiff airport, only to be told that their places on the plane had been taken by the wives of four Welsh FA Officials. The players were told they were on stand-by and that they must keep themselves fit in case they were called in to cover injuries. (As it happens Hodgkinson and Setters were also left at home by England)
It is always a sad occasion when a former player passes away but in this particular case I had been in regular touch with George for some 15 years. And if you were friends with George a friendship with Moira, his daughter Lyn and granddaughters Jenna and Kelly was part of the deal. I am glad they were all with him yesterday as those five were as good a unit as Anderson, Carter, Baker, Gauld and Penk were.
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