Joe Baker

[theonlywayisup]

......how good was he?

Any good stories about him to tell? Who today was similar to Joe Baker in his prime?

Didn't know until recently that his brother also played for Hibs! Anyone remember him too?

[cabbageandribs1875]

just before i started watching the cabbage, can't remember if gerry was at ER same time as joe


might be some info here

http://users.quista.net/fraserp/Season87-88/bakers.htm

[Twiglet]

Not a footballing one, but...
My mum was telling me a story a few months go about Joe Baker (at least she thinks it was him). My uncle was working in Leith somewhere and was cycling home one day for lunch. On the way he was knocked down. He ended up in hospital. Somehow Joe Baker found out he'd been knocked down and was a Hibby and went and visited him in the hospital.

[Jonnyboy]

just before i started watching the cabbage, can't remember if gerry was at ER same time as joe


might be some info here

http://users.quista.net/fraserp/Season87-88/bakers.htm

Joe had gone to Torino before Gerry arrived at ER.

To answer the OP I'd say no-one now or since could lace Joe's boots.

I put an article on here re Joe a while back but cannae finds it to offer a link grrrrrrrrrrr :greengrin

[cabbageandribs1875]

Joe had gone to Torino before Gerry arrived at ER.

To answer the OP I'd say no-one now or since could lace Joe's boots.

I put an article on here re Joe a while back but cannae finds it to offer a link grrrrrrrrrrr :greengrin


i've not got all the facts here john, did joe not have two stints at us ? back to google i think :greengrin


edit:just read he did, but only made 20 appearances 2nd time around

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Baker


102 goals in 117 games(1st stint) now that's a LOT

[Jonnyboy]

i've not got all the facts here john, did joe not have two stints at us ? back to google i think :greengrin


just read he did, but only made 20 appearances 2nd time around

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Baker

Ditch google my friend

http://www.fitbastats.com/hibs/player.php?playerid=690

http://www.fitbastats.com/hibs/player.php?playerid=712

:greengrin

[cabbageandribs1875]

Ditch google my friend

http://www.fitbastats.com/hibs/player.php?playerid=690

http://www.fitbastats.com/hibs/player.php?playerid=712

:greengrin


thanks john, links now 'favourited' :aok:

[Jonnyboy]

thanks john, links now 'favourited' :aok:

:aok: It's a brilliant site, packed full of Hibs data :agree:

[The Harp]

I think even the great Lawrie Reilly reckoned Joe was a better player than he was - and that's saying something. If you consider that Lawrie had top class forwards playing alongside him, and with the best will in the world, the same couldn't be said of Joe's team mates.
Still remember Joe scoring all our goals in the quarter finals of the Cup v the Yams in a 4-3 win at Tynie in '58. And netting 9 goals in a 15-1 win v Peebles Rovers in the cup in '61. The previous season his brother Gerry had scored 10 for St Mirren against Glasgow University - but although an excellent player, and a good servant to Hibs, he wasn't in the same class as his younger brother.
Not only was Joe a superbly talented footballer, he came across as a genuinely nice, unassuming guy (who will ever forget him kissing the ER turf during the Hands Off Hibs rally?:not worth)

RIP Joe

[gillythehibby]

Being 44 I never saw him play. My old man's favourite player tho and we both met the man at his testimonial dinner at the sheraton years ago. Gentleman :aok:

[Finbar]

I was at the game with my dad on Monday night and he kept saying how Eoin Doyle reminded him of Joe Baker. Something about the way he moves. Seriously.

[Part/Time Supporter]

Getting picked for England while a) being a teenager* and b) playing in the Scottish league is just ridiculous. In terms of career profile it's quite similar to Michael Owen - extremely prolific as a teenager / early 20s, but then largely fizzled out, although still a useful player, in his late 20s. Torino was probably a bad move in terms of his career (both club and international).

*he's still in the top 25 in terms of youngest player to play for England. The other strikers in that category are Owen, Rooney, Greaves, Tommy Lawton and Cliff Bastin.

http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamHist/TrivPlyrsYoung.html

[marinello59]

My first ever Hibs game was a pre-season friendly at Elgin City. My Dad isn't a Hibs fan but he was a big fan of Joe Baker, the whole Scottish lad playing for England thing had impressed him greatly. So the fact that Joe Baker was going to be playing was the clincher in getting him to take me to the game. Joe lasted about five minutes as he was carried off after a clash of heads with one of the Elgin defenders. (JB was a hard player so as you can imagine it was quite a clash.) But..............at least I can say I did see him play for us.:greengrin

[CyberSauzee]

I remember a week or so after Joe passed away, I was working in Canary Wharf at the time. Bob Wilson had a book signing there, I passed the shop just as it was finished, but thought I would go in as Bob was on his own and he had played alongside Joe. I asked him his thoughts on Joe's sad passing, and Bob told me a story not about Joe the footballer, but about Joe the person (as it seems all who knew Joe well do). When the Wilson's had their first child, there were complications and extended stays in hospital. Bob said the first person to turn up at their bedside was none other than Joe. "He looked after me at Arsenal" said Bob, "couldn't do enough for me or my wife. But that was Joe."

[thebakerboy]

Joe was my first hero as an 11/12 year old Hibby and a lovely guy. The 4 goals in the cup tie against them was a highlight especially when he told us he missed the ball and punched one of the goals in with his fist. He also gave us some pin badges from away games in Europe id. Roma , a great player and nice man.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

[Geo_1875]

Only saw him when he came back but was still a different class. And he drew a crowd as well.

[Speedy]

I'm too young to have seen him but my dad (65) reckons he's the best he's seen.

He had a good record at Sunderland and has one of the best records at arsenal.

[basehibby]

Had a look and found a few clips of Joe in his prime for Hibs and England - the first one is a real gem - Hearts v Hibs 1959 with 2 goals from Joe and Gordon Smith (No 7) turning out for the Yams!!! the rest are also well worth a look - Check em out....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBBqcZ55l2w

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/england-beat-ireland-aka-england-v-ireland

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IimuBaMuej0&feature=related

PS - had the pleasure of meeting Joe once in has later years and you honestly could not meet a nicer guy - a true gent as well as a real star :not worth:flag::flag:RIP Joe

PPS - found this one as well - also featuring Bertie Mee of in-song-talking-to-Bob-Shanklee fame

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/soccer-survey

[Baker9]

......how good was he?

Any good stories about him to tell? Who today was similar to Joe Baker in his prime?

Didn't know until recently that his brother also played for Hibs! Anyone remember him too?

Gerry is alive and well (as of last November) and helps out at Motherwell's hospitality. He looks as if he could still play at 70+. After meeting him I left a copy for him at Fir Park of Pat Stanton's book about his favourite players. He mentions Joe of course but also gives Gerry a mention and questions who was the quicker of the two. I put that question to Gerry. He said that he and Joe used to run in the professional sprints around Edinburgh and the Lothians but when it came to the big ones and the big entry fees Gerry did the running and Joe 'managed' him.

[Baker9]

Getting picked for England while a) being a teenager* and b) playing in the Scottish league is just ridiculous. In terms of career profile it's quite similar to Michael Owen - extremely prolific as a teenager / early 20s, but then largely fizzled out, although still a useful player, in his late 20s. Torino was probably a bad move in terms of his career (both club and international).

*he's still in the top 25 in terms of youngest player to play for England. The other strikers in that category are Owen, Rooney, Greaves, Tommy Lawton and Cliff Bastin.

http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamHist/TrivPlyrsYoung.html

The Arsenal and Nottingham Forest fans who still revere him would argue with the 'fizzled out'. 'Fizzled out' should not appear in connection with Joe's career.

[Leithenhibby]

Joe Baker was my first game at ER V Aberdeen 2-1 "the cabbage" :wink:


I think I read somewhere that JB scored more goals than Thierry Henry over the same period of games for the Gunners .. :not worth ...Not a lot else to add after that, "fact of the day" :greengrin


http://www.flickr.com/photos/19817653@N04/7097733855/in/photostream/lightbox/

[fit o' the walk]

Simply the greatest goal scorer i ever seen at Hibs........."LEGEND"

[Sas_The_Hibby]

I was at the game with my dad on Monday night and he kept saying how Eoin Doyle reminded him of Joe Baker. Something about the way he moves. Seriously.

Is your dad related to George Harrison by any chance? :wink: :greengrin

[Sas_The_Hibby]

I saw him second time round in his first game back against Aberdeen, IIRC, when he scored with a header. I THINK Aberdeen hadn't conceded a goal in umpteen matches but Stanton and Baker put paid to that. Might be getting mixed up with another match though! :confused:

[Leithenhibby]

I saw him second time round in his first game back against Aberdeen, IIRC, when he scored with a header. I THINK Aberdeen hadn't conceded a goal in umpteen matches but Stanton and Baker put paid to that. Might be getting mixed up with another match though! :confused:

You are right enough, but Im not sure if "Bakerboy" scored with the head!! 80% would say yes. King Pat was a header from a corner into the "cooshed" end/ down the slope, whatever you choose. :wink:

[fit o' the walk]

I saw him second time round in his first game back against Aberdeen, IIRC, when he scored with a header. I THINK Aberdeen hadn't conceded a goal in umpteen matches but Stanton and Baker put paid to that. Might be getting mixed up with another match though! :confused: No your correct,on all accounts,Joe wore a pair of white boots that day.:not worth

[Killiehibbie]

Between Baker and Reilly in my all time dream team and Baker gets the nod, I just wish i'd seen them both playing live. Hard to believe that next week the current players can do something these Greats never managed. My favourite wee story was the one about the taxi driver calling the police regarding some deranged young 'Scotman' trying to pass himself off as part of the England squad.

[--------]

Getting picked for England while a) being a teenager* and b) playing in the Scottish league is just ridiculous. In terms of career profile it's quite similar to Michael Owen - extremely prolific as a teenager / early 20s, but then largely fizzled out, although still a useful player, in his late 20s. Torino was probably a bad move in terms of his career (both club and international).

*he's still in the top 25 in terms of youngest player to play for England. The other strikers in that category are Owen, Rooney, Greaves, Tommy Lawton and Cliff Bastin.

http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamHist/TrivPlyrsYoung.html


Actually, there was a strong body of opinion in England that Joe should have been in their World Cup squad in 1966.

One of the strongest reasons for my utter dislike and contempt for Alf Ramsey as a football manager was his preference for that huddie Roger Hunt over Joe, who IIRC was at Forest at the time and scoring consistently. We played Forest in a pre-season friendly around that time (I think it might have been July/August '67), and Joe was still a class act. Gave BBJ a run for his money and no quarter asked.

His secong goal in that game at Tynecastle just sums him up - first to the ball, perfect balance, perfect timing, lethal finish.

he suffered badly in a car crash while he was in Italy, and he was never quite as quick after that. But he had a very sharp football brain, and his timing and positioning were impeccable. He was the sort of guy who would score goals whenever he played - I remember my dad coming back in a daze from the game at Tynie when Hearts' "Terrible Trio", Alfie Conn, Willie Bauld and Jimmy Wardhaugh (all great players themselves) had each scored against us. Hibs had won 4-3, though, with Joe scoring all 4. The Evening Dispatch headline that night was "Terrible Trio 3, Baker Boy 4".

He's a legend here at ER, but he's also still very fondly remembered at Torino, Arsenal and Forest as one of their great players. Not many footballers are held in THAT sort of regard at four different clubs.

If Ma Baker had just held it in for another few weeks (or Pa had pounted her up the road to her mum's in Larkhall), we would have had Denis Law and Joe Baker as the strikers in the Scotland team for most of the 1960's. Now THAT would have been something to see.

[Seanair]

Story about Joe (open to correction on some details)

Hibs playing Barcelona at ER in Fairs Cup on a Wednesday night in February 1961. Joe travels by train from his home in darkest Lanarkshire and gets off at the then Caley Station at the West End. Plans to get a bus down to ER but huge crowd on way to match brings traffic to a standstill, so Joe decides it will be quicker to walk (carrying his boots).
Arrives at ER 15 minutes before kick-off with manager tearing his hair out. Scores first goal for Hibs after 10 minutes. Hibs win 3-2 (7-6 on aggregate). What a night!

[thebakerboy]

Getting picked for England while a) being a teenager* and b) playing in the Scottish league is just ridiculous. In terms of career profile it's quite similar to Michael Owen - extremely prolific as a teenager / early 20s, but then largely fizzled out, although still a useful player, in his late 20s. Torino was probably a bad move in terms of his career (both club and international).

*he's still in the top 25 in terms of youngest player to play for England. The other strikers in that category are Owen, Rooney, Greaves, Tommy Lawton and Cliff Bastin.

http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamHist/TrivPlyrsYoung.html
Sorry I do not think his career fizzled out
Torino 19 games 7 goals (in Italy at that time amazing)
Arsenal 144 games 93 goals (played more games for Arsenal than Hibs )
Notts Forest 118 games 41 goals
Sunderland 40 games 12 goals (injury probs for a while)
Raith 49 games 34 goals (last club)
Hibernian 137 games 114 goals ( just a fantastic record)
England 8 games 3 goals

He was simply the best goal scorer I have ever seen and he was only 5fl. 7 in. tall. He scored in about 3/4 of all the games he played and he played till he was 34.

[--------]

Sorry I do not think his career fizzled out
Torino 19 games 7 goals (in Italy at that time amazing)
Arsenal 144 games 93 goals (played more games for Arsenal than Hibs )
Notts Forest 118 games 41 goals
Sunderland 40 games 12 goals (injury probs for a while)
Raith 49 games 34 goals (last club)
Hibernian 137 games 114 goals ( just a fantastic record)
England 8 games 3 goals

He was simply the best goal scorer I have ever seen and he was only 5fl. 7 in. tall. He scored in about 3/4 of all the games he played and he played till he was 34.


:agree: Pretty astounding when you write it all out like that, isn't it?

[--------]

Story about Joe (open to correction on some details)

Hibs playing Barcelona at ER in Fairs Cup on a Wednesday night in February 1961. Joe travels by train from his home in darkest Lanarkshire and gets off at the then Caley Station at the West End. Plans to get a bus down to ER but huge crowd on way to match brings traffic to a standstill, so Joe decides it will be quicker to walk (carrying his boots).
Arrives at ER 15 minutes before kick-off with manager tearing his hair out. Scores first goal for Hibs after 10 minutes. Hibs win 3-2 (7-6 on aggregate). What a night!


Barca of course knew him from the first leg, and tried to boot him out of the game. They just couldn't handle him at all - and we need to remember that they had just a couple of months earlier become the first team to beat Real Madrid over two legs in the European Cup - ever. They were THAT good.

I wasn't there - I wanted to be but my mother put her foot down - it was a school night and I had my 11-plus exam coming up very shortly (as if I was in any danger of failing it - humph!) but my dad was there and I got the result and the story from him when he got home. Hibs won with Bobby Kinloch penalty late in the game - dad said we should have had at least three penalties earlier for fouls on Joe but the referee was having trouble seeing certain things that night. The only way they could stop him scoring was to foul him, and for most of the game they got away with it. Finally they clattered Joe once too often, the ref blew and pointed to the spot, and all hell broke loose. The Barca players surrounded him and wouldn't let the penalty be taken. Bobby grabbed the ball, put it down on the spot, and sat on it, waiting out the stramash. It took 6-7 minutes to get the penalty set up, whereupon Bobby slotted it home to set off more hysterics from Barca.

The game finished with the referee being chased up the tunnel by the Barca players, who then wrecked the away dressing-room. I believe that the police were called to quiet them down. Barca agreed to play Hibs again in a friendly later in the year which drew a big crowd. Barca won that one 3-1 with IIRC two late goals.

The point being that there was absolutely no doubt that Joe Baker was good enough to be a real star at the very top level of the game. I don't think we've ever had as good a player as Joe was - he was magnificent. He didn't win as many medals as Gordon Smith, but I don't think anyone who saw them both would be able or willing to say which was the better player.

[thebakerboy]

Barca of course knew him from the first leg, and tried to boot him out of the game. They just couldn't handle him at all - and we need to remember that they had just a couple of months earlier become the first team to beat Real Madrid over two legs in the European Cup - ever. They were THAT good.

I wasn't there - I wanted to be but my mother put her foot down - it was a school night and I had my 11-plus exam coming up very shortly (as if I was in any danger of failing it - humph!) but my dad was there and I got the result and the story from him when he got home. Hibs won with Bobby Kinloch penalty late in the game - dad said we should have had at least three penalties earlier for fouls on Joe but the referee was having trouble seeing certain things that night. The only way they could stop him scoring was to foul him, and for most of the game they got away with it. Finally they clattered Joe once too often, the ref blew and pointed to the spot, and all hell broke loose. The Barca players surrounded him and wouldn't let the penalty be taken. Bobby grabbed the ball, put it down on the spot, and sat on it, waiting out the stramash. It took 6-7 minutes to get the penalty set up, whereupon Bobby slotted it home to set off more hysterics from Barca.

The game finished with the referee being chased up the tunnel by the Barca players, who then wrecked the away dressing-room. I believe that the police were called to quiet them down. Barca agreed to play Hibs again in a friendly later in the year which drew a big crowd. Barca won that one 3-1 with IIRC two late goals.

The point being that there was absolutely no doubt that Joe Baker was good enough to be a real star at the very top level of the game. I don't think we've ever had as good a player as Joe was - he was magnificent. He didn't win as many medals as Gordon Smith, but I don't think anyone who saw them both would be able or willing to say which was the better player.

Strangely enough when I was in the museum at the Nou Camp I could not find any mention of this game anywhere , every other European competition they entered was mentioned except that one. They were also playing in the European Cup in the same season ( Fairs Cup ran over 2 seasons I think).

[The Harp]

Good post Doddie, as always. One of my best nights as a Hibee with 50,000 inside ER. Still remember Sammy Baird doing cartwheels on the pitch while the Barca players were preventing the spot kick to be taken. The referee was Johannes Malka from Germany and he was indeed chased up the tunnel. He locked himself in his changing room - as the Spaniards rained kicks on the door in an attempt to break it down. The stud marks on the door remained there for many years as a souvenir of the occasion until the facilities were upgraded some years ago.
Never to be forgotten.

[stu in nottingham]

Sorry I do not think his career fizzled out
Torino 19 games 7 goals (in Italy at that time amazing)
Arsenal 144 games 93 goals (played more games for Arsenal than Hibs )
Notts Forest 118 games 41 goals
Sunderland 40 games 12 goals (injury probs for a while)
Raith 49 games 34 goals (last club)
Hibernian 137 games 114 goals ( just a fantastic record)
England 8 games 3 goals

He was simply the best goal scorer I have ever seen and he was only 5fl. 7 in. tall. He scored in about 3/4 of all the games he played and he played till he was 34.

I think those figures tell the true story.

What happened at Forest was that after a very successful time (and securing hero status which he STILL has in Nottingham over forty years later) he suffered a serious injury and was never quite the same player again in my opinion. This was reflected by the fact that Forest paid Arsenal £65,000 for him but sold him on three years later to Sunderland for only around £30,000.

Joe was injured by Brian Labone the Everton and England centre half in the semi-final of the FA Cup. If that hadn't happened Forest would have been serious double contenders at the end of that season. Without their ace spearhead they still managed to finish runners-up to Man Utd and Best, Law and Charlton.

There was a belief at the time that his most productive days were closing otherwise there would have been a riot in Nottingham! He was quite simply known as 'The King' in Nottingham

What he meant to me:
Joe and Me (http://stuartfrew.wordpress.com/2007/09/03/joe-and-me/)

In Nottingham's fair city where the girls are so pretty,
I first set my eyes on sweet molly malone,
As she wheeled her wheelbarrow, throught the streets wide and narrow, crying,
JOE JOE JOE BAKER!

Zigger-Zagger, Zigger-Zagger
JOE BAKER!





[*=center]​http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/images/localpeople/ugc-images/275790/Article/images/13490219/3228716.png

[--------]

Strangely enough when I was in the museum at the Nou Camp I could not find any mention of this game anywhere , every other European competition they entered was mentioned except that one. They were also playing in the European Cup in the same season ( Fairs Cup ran over 2 seasons I think).

I wonder why? :devil:

It's one of the more annoying aspects of the present situation that I look down the fixture lists for the CL and Europa and see team after team that we gave a horsing to back in the days when men were men and Pat Stanton was the best player in Scotland - no. Britain, no, the world .... :wink:



Good post Doddie, as always. One of my best nights as a Hibee with 50,000 inside ER. Still remember Sammy Baird doing cartwheels on the pitch while the Barca players were preventing the spot kick to be taken. The referee was Johannes Malka from Germany and he was indeed chased up the tunnel. He locked himself in his changing room - as the Spaniards rained kicks on the door in an attempt to break it down. The stud marks on the door remained there for many years as a souvenir of the occasion until the facilities were upgraded some years ago.
Never to be forgotten.

Should have ben 50,001, mate. I've never quite forgiven my mother for missing that night - scarred me for life, it has, turned me into the bitter twisted misanthrope I am today.

Speaking of Joe B - when he came back for his second short spell, I suggested to my father that he might want to come to see him. Dad refused - he wanted to keep his memory of the Baker Boy as he had been as a young man.

Joe was much, much slower - he was 34 by then, and injuries, including the effects of the car crash in Italy - were beginning to take their toll, but he was still very dangerous. I came home from his first game back - the one against Aberdeen we won 2-1 - I said to my father, "Well, your hero scored". To which the reply was, "Of course he scored - that's what he does".

He scored 8 in 15 that season, and 9 in 18 + 1 sub the next season. Which is 17 from 34 appearances, at 34 years old, in a team that was very much in transition. Dave Ewing (do I hear a chorus of 'Dave WHO?') was the manager - not one of our better appointments IIRC, and really only a caretaker until Ned T could arrive from Aberdeen. But you could still see the quality.

[MGmick]

I wonder why? :devil:

It's one of the more annoying aspects of the present situation that I look down the fixture lists for the CL and Europa and see team after team that we gave a horsing to back in the days when men were men and Pat Stanton was the best player in Scotland - no. Britain, no, the world .... :wink:

Speaking of Joe B - when he came back for his second short spell, I suggested to my father that he might want to come to see him. Dad refused - he wanted to keep his memory of the Baker Boy as he had been as a young man.

Joe was much, much slower - he was 34 by then, and injuries, including the effects of the car crash in Italy - were beginning to take their toll, but he was still very dangerous. I came home from his first game back - the one against Aberdeen we won 2-1 - I said to my father, "Well, your hero scored". To which the reply was, "Of course he scored - that's what he does".

He scored 8 in 15 that season, and 9 in 18 + 1 sub the next season. Which is 17 from 34 appearances, at 34 years old, in a team that was very much in transition. Dave Ewing (do I hear a chorus of 'Dave WHO?') was the manager - not one of our better appointments IIRC, and really only a caretaker until Ned T could arrive from Aberdeen. But you could still see the quality.

I saw Joe in his comeback against Aberdeen too. It was a real occasion. They had a very good side with Scotland's goalie behind a very tight defence. We had, as it turned out, the seeds of the Tornado's and this legendary figure coming back. I wasn't quite 10 years old and it was the biggest crowd I'd been part of in the old North Enclosure.

Doddie, I think you're top of the list of .netters I'd love to have a pint with. You're knowledge of the joy (and misery) of being a Hibby is up there with JC's and really like your input on the recent thread about God (the one we've watched not your gaffer) but the clincher is our shared opinion of one Joseph (scrote) Harper.
All the best and hope to join you moaning about how it's been over 52 weeks since we last won the Scottish Cup next May.

[--------]

I saw Joe in his comeback against Aberdeen too. It was a real occasion. They had a very good side with Scotland's goalie behind a very tight defence. We had, as it turned out, the seeds of the Tornado's and this legendary figure coming back. I wasn't quite 10 years old and it was the biggest crowd I'd been part of in the old North Enclosure.

Doddie, I think you're top of the list of .netters I'd love to have a pint with. You're knowledge of the joy (and misery) of being a Hibby is up there with JC's and really like your input on the recent thread about God (the one we've watched not your gaffer) but the clincher is our shared opinion of one Joseph (scrote) Harper.
All the best and hope to join you moaning about how it's been over 52 weeks since we last won the Scottish Cup next May.

Nice of you to say so.

I've been anoraking through the stats and as far as I can make out Lawrie Reilly has scored the most hat-tricks for Hibs in senior games - 18. Gordon Smith is next with 17, and Joe comes in third with 15. (Fitbastats doesn't list the one against Barca in the 4-4 at the Camp Nou.)

However, if he'd stayed at ER as long as the other two, he'd have been way past them for sure.


BTW - anyone guess who comes NEXT in the hat-trick list? :devil:

Just so's we're clear - it AIN'T Lardass.

And we can count out the "An Unknown" (I assume he's a first cousin of 'Newman' and 'Trialist' who used to play so many games in the reserve team in the old days) who seems to have been scoring for fun back in the 1870's and 80's.

[lapsedhibee]

BTW - anyone guess who comes NEXT in the hat-trick list? :devil:

Just so's we're clear - it AIN'T Lardass.


Gordon and O'Rourke's stats must be pretty good. One of them? :dunno:

[--------]

Gordon and O'Rourke's stats must be pretty good. One of them? :dunno:


Yup. Wee Seamus with ten - including two in the European Cup-Winners' Cup. AG scored 5.

It's now 2 years since Colin Nish scored our last hat-trick against Motherwell in the 6-6 draw, and it was two years before that Fletcher scored our last but one - against Gretna ...

Let's hope they're like Corporation buses - none come along for ages, and three or four arrive one after the other in a bunch.

Next Saturday would be nice.

[PPZPOL]

My Dads favourite Hibs player of all time, and he's seen a few decent ones.

Does anyone know where I would get a photo of JB kissing the turf at the Hands Off Hibs rally?

[IberianHibernian]

Too young to have seen JB in his first spell at ER but his comeback game against Aberdeen in 1971 is still one of my all - time favourite Hibs matches . In some ways similar to George Best`s home debut in that there was a big crowd ( both times about 25,000 ) for a non - Derby or OF game but difference was number of old / lapsed Hibbies who were there to see JB play - it is the only time in 44 years of watching Hibs that I have seen adult Hibbies crying at ER - when he scored I was surrounded by very emotional Hibbies - apart from being a great player , he was obviously recognised as someone who knew what Hibernian FC meant to fans .

[--------]

Too young to have seen JB in his first spell at ER but his comeback game against Aberdeen in 1971 is still one of my all - time favourite Hibs matches . In some ways similar to George Best`s home debut in that there was a big crowd ( both times about 25,000 ) for a non - Derby or OF game but difference was number of old / lapsed Hibbies who were there to see JB play - it is the only time in 44 years of watching Hibs that I have seen adult Hibbies crying at ER - when he scored I was surrounded by very emotional Hibbies - apart from being a great player , he was obviously recognised as someone who knew what Hibernian FC meant to fans .


He came from Larkhall, and when he was a boy a certain big team from Govan got interested in him.

Unfortunately, when they got a bit better acquainted with the lad, they discovered he kicked with the wrong foot, if you get my meaning. So they backed off and didn't sign him, and we signed him instead.

There were advantages for the rest of us in the old Ibrox policy of no left-footers in the team .... :devil:

When he played for England, Ron Greenwood was in charge of the team. Greenwood was a retired RAF Wing Commander, and spoke with a very posh accent. Joe spoke broadest Lanarkshire; for most of the time Greenwood hadn't the faintest clue what he was talking about. That may have had something to do with the fact that he only had 8 caps for them.

When he arrived at the hotel for his first game at Wembley, they wouldn't let him in. They thought he was on a wind-up. Finally, they got a team official to come down to reception, and even he reckoned Joe was at it. I believe it was only when a couple of the players heard the rumpus and realised what was up that they were convinced that Joe was their new centre-forward.

His brother Gerry, another very fine forward, was born in the USA and played for them.

[iwasthere1972]

Too young to have seen JB in his first spell at ER but his comeback game against Aberdeen in 1971 is still one of my all - time favourite Hibs matches . In some ways similar to George Best`s home debut in that there was a big crowd ( both times about 25,000 ) for a non - Derby or OF game but difference was number of old / lapsed Hibbies who were there to see JB play - it is the only time in 44 years of watching Hibs that I have seen adult Hibbies crying at ER - when he scored I was surrounded by very emotional Hibbies - apart from being a great player , he was obviously recognised as someone who knew what Hibernian FC meant to fans .

Ditto.

Remember the game as if it was yesterday. Also remember the Jambos saying we were daft resigning Joe Baker.

I was in the cowshed and have fond memories of that particular day. I'm sure it was hot and sunny as well.

[stu in nottingham]

When he played for England, Ron Greenwood was in charge of the team. Greenwood was a retired RAF Wing Commander, and spoke with a very posh accent.


Walter Winterbottom, Doddie?

[cabbageandribs1875]

My Dads favourite Hibs player of all time, and he's seen a few decent ones.

Does anyone know where I would get a photo of JB kissing the turf at the Hands Off Hibs rally?


i've got it somewhere but cant seem to find it just now :(

here's another one of him, it's at the HoH rally, Dunbar end in the background(obviously)



http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg827/scaled.php?server=827&filename=wbaker1a.jpg&res=landing

[WindyMiller]

He came from Larkhall, and when he was a boy a certain big team from Govan got interested in him.

Unfortunately, when they got a bit better acquainted with the lad, they discovered he kicked with the wrong foot, if you get my meaning. So they backed off and didn't sign him, and we signed him instead.

There were advantages for the rest of us in the old Ibrox policy of no left-footers in the team .... :devil:

When he played for England, Ron Greenwood was in charge of the team. Greenwood was a retired RAF Wing Commander, and spoke with a very posh accent. Joe spoke broadest Lanarkshire; for most of the time Greenwood hadn't the faintest clue what he was talking about. That may have had something to do with the fact that he only had 8 caps for them.

When he arrived at the hotel for his first game at Wembley, they wouldn't let him in. They thought he was on a wind-up. Finally, they got a team official to come down to reception, and even he reckoned Joe was at it. I believe it was only when a couple of the players heard the rumpus and realised what was up that they were convinced that Joe was their new centre-forward.

His brother Gerry, another very fine forward, was born in the USA and played for them.

Don't think it was Greenwood Doddie, he came after Ramsey IIRC.

[theonlywayisup]

Thanks for all the responses. He sounds like a fantastic football player.

[Scouse Hibee]

Didn't know anything about Baker so Googled him and see he was born in Liverpool :not worth Also when capped by England became the first player to be capped without ever playing for an English team. Owen Hargreaves was the next.

[Black Kyle]

Think this is correct - on his return to ER he scored a hat trick wearing white boots in a 3-2 win against Aberdeen, whose goalie, Bobby Clark, hadn't lost a goal in over 10 games. I was in the North Stand that day prior to a transfer to the corner flag next to the Shed.

[PPZPOL]

[QUOTE=cabbageandribs1875;3223142]i've got it somewhere but cant seem to find it just now :(

here's another one of him, it's at the HoH rally, Dunbar end in the background(obviously)


Thanks cabbageandribs1875, great image of the man and obviously the club meant alot to him as well.

[O'Rourke3]

Too young to see him the first time round but was there the day he came back, captained the Hibees and scored a goal :not worth. My favourite story is the one he told when he was called up for England and was due to play Scotland. Got in a London taxi headed for Wembley. Taxi driver heard the accent and said, well I hope you lot get beat today. No you don't replied Joe, I'm playing for England. Driver didn't beleive him.....

[blackpoolhibs]

Think this is correct - on his return to ER he scored a hat trick wearing white boots in a 3-2 win against Aberdeen, whose goalie, Bobby Clark, hadn't lost a goal in over 10 games. I was in the North Stand that day prior to a transfer to the corner flag next to the Shed.

He scored one, Stanton scored the other i think. We won 2-1, he did wear white boots, thats all i remember about the game apart from the big crowd. :thumbsup:

[iwasthere1972]

He scored one, Stanton scored the other i think. We won 2-1, he did wear white boots, thats all i remember about the game apart from the big crowd. :thumbsup:

:agree: http://www.fitbastats.com/hibs/game.php?gameid=3161

According to this the match was played in January. Must have been a mild winter as I have recollections of it being a warm summery type of day.

Programmes were only 6d (two and a half pence). Can't work out who the Hibs player is but might be Eric Stevenson...magic winger. On the other hand I reckon it's John Hazel as he came on as a sub in the game prior to that against Celtic away from home.

http://programmesofyesteryear.co.uk/teams/hibernian/hibernian-vs-aberdeen-1970-1971

[fit o' the walk]

Strangely enough when I was in the museum at the Nou Camp I could not find any mention of this game anywhere , every other European competition they entered was mentioned except that one. They were also playing in the European Cup in the same season ( Fairs Cup ran over 2 seasons I think). I remember waiting up to try and get the result of the away game on the radio,wasn't until midnight when we got the score Barcelona 4(aww!! naw!) Hibernian 4,yessssssssssssssss!! and the return leg at Easter Rd,is part of our history,in fact police with dogs actually had to come onto the pitch to try and control the Barca players.

[confused]

......how good was he?

Any good stories about him to tell? Who today was similar to Joe Baker in his prime?

Didn't know until recently that his brother also played for Hibs! Anyone remember him too?

How good was he ?? THE BEST !
Good stories ? Every goal was a best seller !
Gerry Baker, faster than joe but , a shadow of his brother , ( still better half the rubbish i've had to endure since then )

[fit o' the walk]

How good was he ?? THE BEST !
Good stories ? Every goal was a best seller !
Gerry Baker, faster than joe but , a shadow of his brother , ( still better half the rubbish i've had to endure since then )How good was he? Agreed--THE BEST,when you consider Hooper scored 28 league goals for Celtic,a Title winning team,Joe scored 42 league goals one season in a Hibs team that won nothing........

[IberianHibernian]

Think this is correct - on his return to ER he scored a hat trick wearing white boots in a 3-2 win against Aberdeen, whose goalie, Bobby Clark, hadn't lost a goal in over 10 games. I was in the North Stand that day prior to a transfer to the corner flag next to the Shed.Only scored one in 2v1 win against Aberdeen but I think he got a hatrick a week later in cup against Forfar at ER ( 8v1 win ) .