Thomas William Baker (17 August 1905 – 30 March 1975), sometimes known as Billy Baker, was an English professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
who played as a
goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
in the
Football League for
Brentford,
Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England.
Southport lies on the Iris ...
,
Northampton Town
Northampton Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Northampton, England. The team plays in , the fourth tier of the English football league system.
Founded in 1897, the club competed in the Midland ...
and
Rochdale
Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...
.
Career
A
goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
, Baker began his career in his native
North East with
Northern League clubs
Usworth Colliery,
Crook Town,
Shotton Colliery Welfare and
Chilton Colliery Recreation.
He later earned a move to
the Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in Association football around the wor ...
with
Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England.
Southport lies on the Iris ...
, for whom he made 65 appearances before departing in 1932.
Baker signed for
Third Division South
The Third Division South of The Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division North with clubs elected to the League or relegated from Division Two allocated to ...
club
Brentford in 1932 on a
free transfer.
Originally signed by manager
Harry Curtis as cover for
Dave Smith,
Baker quickly became Curtis' first-choice goalkeeper and held the position until January 1934, when
Jack Clough took over.
He made 43 appearances during the Bees'
1932–33 Third Division South title-winning season.
Baker left Brentford at the end of the
1933–34 season and made 65 appearances in his two years at
Griffin Park.
Baker remained in the Third Division South to sign for
Northampton Town
Northampton Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Northampton, England. The team plays in , the fourth tier of the English football league system.
Founded in 1897, the club competed in the Midland ...
and made 13 league appearances during the
1934–35 season.
His final league club was
Third Division North
The Third Division North of the Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to ...
club
Rochdale
Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...
and he ended his career with
North Eastern League
The North Eastern League was an association football league for teams in the North East of England.
The league was founded in 1906 and was initially successful, with teams defecting from the rival Northern Football Alliance to play. Although so ...
club
Horden Colliery Welfare.
Personal life
During his amateur football career, Baker worked as a
miner.
Career statistics
Honours
Brentford
*
Football League Third Division South
The Third Division South of The Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division North with clubs elected to the League or relegated from Division Two allocated to ...
:
1932–33
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Tommy
1905 births
1975 deaths
Footballers from Seaham
English men's footballers
Men's association football goalkeepers
Usworth Colliery A.F.C. players
Crook Town A.F.C. players
Shotton Colliery Welfare F.C. players
Chilton Colliery Recreation F.C. players
Southport F.C. players
Brentford F.C. players
Northampton Town F.C. players
Rochdale A.F.C. players
Darlington Town F.C. players
Northern Football League players
English Football League players
English miners