Horace Baker (footballer)

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Horace Baker
Personal information
Full name Horace Anthony Baker[1]
Date of birth (1910-09-01)1 September 1910[1]
Place of birth Fenton, England[1]
Date of death 1 March 1974(1974-03-01) (aged 63)[1]
Place of death Creswell, England[1]
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[2]
Position(s) Outside-right
Youth career
Longton Hall
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1932–1934 Port Vale 10 (1)
1934–1936 Tranmere Rovers 23 (10)
1936–1937 Shrewsbury Town
1937–1938 Southport 20 (3)
Shrewsbury Town
Total 53 (14)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Horace Anthony Baker (1 September 1910 – 1 March 1974) was an English footballer who played at outside-right for Port Vale, Tranmere Rovers, Shrewsbury Town and Southport. He younger brother, Frank, was also a professional footballer.

Early and personal life[edit]

Horace Anthony Baker was the son of a former Fenton Town player and four of his brothers also played football, including the youngest Frank, who went on to play for Stoke City.[2] Baker worked as a bus conductor prior to World War II and was working as a spot-welder when he died of a heart attack during his sleep on 1 March 1974.[2]

Career[edit]

Baker played for Longton Hall, before joining Port Vale as an amateur in March 1932, signing professional forms two months later.[1] He made seven Second Division appearances in the 1932–33 season, scoring one goal in a 4–0 win over Notts County at the Old Recreation Ground on 20 March.[1] He featured just three times in the 1933–34 season, and was given a free transfer to Tranmere Rovers in May 1934.[1][3] Tranmere finished sixth and third in the Third Division North in 1934–35 and 1935–36; Baker played 23 league games at Prenton Park, scoring ten goals. He later played for Shrewsbury Town, scoring 30 goals in the Birmingham League from outside-right.[2] He went on to sign with Southport, where he scored on his league debut against Accrington Stanley.[2] He lost his first-team place to Albert Stapleton after a 5–0 defeat at Crewe Alexandra.[2] He later returned to Shrewsbury Town.[1][3]

Career statistics[edit]

Source:[4]

Club Season Division League Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Port Vale 1932–33 Second Division 7 1 0 0 7 1
1933–34 Second Division 3 0 0 0 3 0
Total 10 1 0 0 10 1
Tranmere Rovers 1934–35 Third Division North 19 8 2 2 21 10
1935–36 Third Division North 4 2 0 0 4 2
Total 23 10 2 2 25 12
Southport 1937–38 Third Division North 20 3 4 2 24 5

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 15. ISBN 978-0952915201.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Player Details". SFC FPA. 9 November 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  3. ^ a b Upton, Gilbert; Wilson, Steve (November 1997). "Players' Data". Tranmere Rovers 1921–1997: A Complete Record. pp. 101–108. ISBN 978-0-9518648-2-1.
  4. ^ Horace Baker at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)