Paul Baker
Encyclopedia
David Paul Baker is an English former professional footballer.
as a youngster, and was subsequently spotted playing for Bishop Auckland
, turning professional with Southampton
in June 1984 at a cost of £4,000 to the south coast side. He failed to break into the first-team at Southampton, moving on a free transfer to Carlisle United
on 2 July 1985. On 31 July 1987, after 71 league appearances (11 goals) for Carlisle, Baker moved to Hartlepool United
, again on a free transfer, where he played 197 games (scoring 67 goals) and was a vital part of the squad that achieved promotion in 1990/1, forming a partnership with Joe Allon
.
Baker moved north of the border to join Motherwell
in August 1992 for £77,500. After only 9 games at Motherwell, he moved on to Gillingham
on 7 January 1993 for a fee of £40,000. During his time at Priestfield he scored one of the goals in a 2–0 win over Halifax Town which secured the club's League status on the last day of the season. An overall tally of 16 goals in 62 games for the Kent side prompted York City
to take him back north, this time for a fee of £15,000 in October 1994. Baker was on the bench for York when they beat Manchester United
3-0 at Old Trafford in the League Cup
in 1995, where he was eventually brought on, lasting a mere seven minutes before being sent off for a second bookable offence. After 48 games (18 goals) for the Bootham Crescent side, he moved to Torquay United
on 19 January 1996 for a fee of £25,000. Whilst he had settled in on the playing side, he wanted a move to the north of England and after almost joining Rochdale
, who couldn't meet his wage demands, he moved to Scunthorpe United
on 3 October 1996 for £15,000. He had made 30 league appearances, scoring 8 goals.
His stay at Scunthorpe was also a short one, and on 27 March 1997, after 21 league appearances in which he scored 9 goals, he moved back to Hartlepool United
, as player-coach. Another 35 league games followed, in which he scored 9 goals. In the 1998 close season he declined an offer to become Torquay's player/manager, and once Mick Tait
was sacked as Hartlepool manager in January 1999, his time at Victoria Park
looked to be drawing to a close. He even went on trial at Plymouth Argyle
in February 1999, playing for Argyle reserves in their 3–2 win over Swansea City
at Home Park
in the South West Trophy on the 16th of that month. His lack of match fitness, after 2 broken legs and a fractured ankle in the previous 2 years, seemed to be Kevin Hodges
' main reason for not signing him for Argyle.
Baker returned to Hartlepool, playing for their reserve side on 17 February, one night after playing at the opposite end of the country. His desire to play first-team football was eventually rewarded when he was surprisingly recalled to Hartlepool's first-team squad for the rest of the season, often being used as a late substitute. In the close-season of 1999, Baker was released by Hartlepool and looked like dropping down to the Conference
after an extended trial period with newly relegated Scarborough
. However, on 27 August 1999, Baker signed for Carlisle United
, making 17 league appearances (2 goals) until he was released the following summer. In July 2000, he signed for Northern League
side Bedlington Terriers
, later moving to Durham City in January 2001 in exchange for former England U-18 goalkeeper Adam Clementson. He left Durham in November 2001 to join Blyth Spartans.
’s academy. He was appointed manager of Angrove Northern League
side Newcastle Benfield
in September 2005 and guided them to the final qualifying round of the FA Cup
for the first time in their history in the 2006-07 season. He resigned in December 2007.
In March 2008 he was appointed as assistant manager, under Tommy Cassidy
at Newcastle Blue Star
. Later that month he was appointed as Blue Star manager, but left in May 2008 to take a scouting role with Glenn Roeder
's Norwich City
.
Playing career
A centre-forward, Baker was a member of the famous Wallsend Boys ClubWallsend Boys Club
Wallsend Boys Club is an English youth football club based in Wallsend, North Tyneside. The club is well-known for producing professional footballers, with 65 players from the club having gone on to play professionally.-History:...
as a youngster, and was subsequently spotted playing for Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland F.C.
Bishop Auckland Football Club are an English football team based in Bishop Auckland, County Durham. They are one of the most successful amateur sides, having won the old FA Amateur Cup on 10 occasions , and losing finalists on a further 8. They currently play in the Northern League Division One. ...
, turning professional with Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
in June 1984 at a cost of £4,000 to the south coast side. He failed to break into the first-team at Southampton, moving on a free transfer to Carlisle United
Carlisle United F.C.
Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....
on 2 July 1985. On 31 July 1987, after 71 league appearances (11 goals) for Carlisle, Baker moved to Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
, again on a free transfer, where he played 197 games (scoring 67 goals) and was a vital part of the squad that achieved promotion in 1990/1, forming a partnership with Joe Allon
Joe Allon
Joseph Ball Allon is a former English footballer. A striker, he scored 112 goals in 300 league games between 1984 and 1998....
.
Baker moved north of the border to join Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
in August 1992 for £77,500. After only 9 games at Motherwell, he moved on to Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
on 7 January 1993 for a fee of £40,000. During his time at Priestfield he scored one of the goals in a 2–0 win over Halifax Town which secured the club's League status on the last day of the season. An overall tally of 16 goals in 62 games for the Kent side prompted York City
York City F.C.
York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Conference National, the fifth tier of English football. Founded in 1922, they joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their history in the lower divisions...
to take him back north, this time for a fee of £15,000 in October 1994. Baker was on the bench for York when they beat Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
3-0 at Old Trafford in the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
in 1995, where he was eventually brought on, lasting a mere seven minutes before being sent off for a second bookable offence. After 48 games (18 goals) for the Bootham Crescent side, he moved to Torquay United
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
on 19 January 1996 for a fee of £25,000. Whilst he had settled in on the playing side, he wanted a move to the north of England and after almost joining Rochdale
Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...
, who couldn't meet his wage demands, he moved to Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
on 3 October 1996 for £15,000. He had made 30 league appearances, scoring 8 goals.
His stay at Scunthorpe was also a short one, and on 27 March 1997, after 21 league appearances in which he scored 9 goals, he moved back to Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
, as player-coach. Another 35 league games followed, in which he scored 9 goals. In the 1998 close season he declined an offer to become Torquay's player/manager, and once Mick Tait
Mick Tait
Michael 'Mick' Tait was an English footballer and later a manager at the end of his playing career. His 760 league games puts him 13th in the list of English footballers. His clubs were Oxford United, Carlisle United, Hull City, Portsmouth, Reading, Darlington and Hartlepool United as well as...
was sacked as Hartlepool manager in January 1999, his time at Victoria Park
Victoria Park, Hartlepool
Victoria Park is a 7,856 capacity football ground in Hartlepool, County Durham, England and it is the home of Hartlepool United.The four sides of the ground are known as the Town End Terrace , the Niramax Stand , the Cyril Knowles Stand and the Rink End Victoria Park is a 7,856 capacity football...
looked to be drawing to a close. He even went on trial at Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
in February 1999, playing for Argyle reserves in their 3–2 win over Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
at Home Park
Home Park
Home Park is an all-seater football stadium in the Central Park area of Plymouth, England, and is the home of Football League Two club Plymouth Argyle. The ground, given the nickname the Theatre of Greens by the club's supporters, has been Argyle's permanent residence since 1901...
in the South West Trophy on the 16th of that month. His lack of match fitness, after 2 broken legs and a fractured ankle in the previous 2 years, seemed to be Kevin Hodges
Kevin Hodges
Kevin Hodges is a retired English footballer and manager who played as a midfielder, and now works as a coach. He spent the majority of his playing career with Plymouth Argyle of the Football League, where he is the club's all-time appearance record holder...
' main reason for not signing him for Argyle.
Baker returned to Hartlepool, playing for their reserve side on 17 February, one night after playing at the opposite end of the country. His desire to play first-team football was eventually rewarded when he was surprisingly recalled to Hartlepool's first-team squad for the rest of the season, often being used as a late substitute. In the close-season of 1999, Baker was released by Hartlepool and looked like dropping down to the Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
after an extended trial period with newly relegated Scarborough
Scarborough F.C.
Scarborough Football Club was an English football club based in the seaside resort of Scarborough, North Yorkshire. They were one of the oldest football clubs in England, formed in 1879, before they were wound up on 20 June 2007, with debts of £2.5 million.In the 2006–07 season...
. However, on 27 August 1999, Baker signed for Carlisle United
Carlisle United F.C.
Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....
, making 17 league appearances (2 goals) until he was released the following summer. In July 2000, he signed for Northern League
Northern League (football)
The Northern League is a football league in North East England for semi-professional and amateur teams. Having been founded in 1889, it is the oldest surviving football league in the world after the Football League....
side Bedlington Terriers
Bedlington Terriers F.C.
Bedlington Terriers F.C. are a football club based in Bedlington, England. They were established in 1949 and joined the Northern Alliance in 1980 and joined the Northern League when it expanded to two divisions 3 years later...
, later moving to Durham City in January 2001 in exchange for former England U-18 goalkeeper Adam Clementson. He left Durham in November 2001 to join Blyth Spartans.
Managerial career
In November 2002 Baker became manager of Blyth Spartans, leaving in September 2004 and has also worked at Newcastle UnitedNewcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
’s academy. He was appointed manager of Angrove Northern League
Northern League (football)
The Northern League is a football league in North East England for semi-professional and amateur teams. Having been founded in 1889, it is the oldest surviving football league in the world after the Football League....
side Newcastle Benfield
Newcastle Benfield (Bay Plastics) F.C.
Newcastle Benfield F.C. is a football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. For the 2011–12 season, they are members of the Northern League Division One.- History :...
in September 2005 and guided them to the final qualifying round of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
for the first time in their history in the 2006-07 season. He resigned in December 2007.
In March 2008 he was appointed as assistant manager, under Tommy Cassidy
Tommy Cassidy
Thomas Cassidy is a former Northern Ireland international footballer who played for Newcastle United and is now a football manager....
at Newcastle Blue Star
Newcastle Blue Star F.C.
Newcastle Blue Star F.C. was a football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It was established in 1930 and joined the Wearside League in 1973. In 1978, it won the FA Vase. Having won promotion to the Northern Premier League Premier Division at the end of the 2008/09 season via the...
. Later that month he was appointed as Blue Star manager, but left in May 2008 to take a scouting role with Glenn Roeder
Glenn Roeder
Glenn Victor Roeder is an English football manager and former player, most recently in charge at Norwich City. As a player, Roeder represented England B on 7 occasions...
's Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
.