Billy Baker (footballer, born 1920)

Billy Baker

Personal information
Full name	William George Baker
Date of birth	3 October 1920
Place of birth	Penrhiwceiber, Wales
Date of death	11 February 2005 (aged 84)
Height	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Playing position	Wing half
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
1938–1955	Cardiff City	293	(5)
1955–1956	Ipswich Town	20	(0)
National team
1948	Wales	1	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (goals)

William George "Billy" Baker (3 October 1920 – 11 February 2005) was a Welsh professional footballer and Wales international.

Career

Born in Penrhiwceiber, Baker began his career Troedrhiw before joining Cardiff City in January 1938, after having trials at a number of clubs including Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers. He made his debut for the club in a 2-0 win over Northampton Town in February 1939 as an outside-right but would make just two more appearances before the outbreak of World War II. Baker had played in 22 wartime fixtures for the club when he was called up to enlist.

He was captured by Japanese troops and spent four years as a Prisoner of war.^[1] On the return of The Football League in 1946, Baker was converted into a wing half. In 1948 Baker was handed his first and only cap for Wales in a 2-0 defeat to Northern Ireland. He spent nine post-war years at Cardiff before leaving in 1955. He transferred to Ipswich Town, where he ended his playing days. After leaving Ipswich, he returned to Cardiff, where he became an ambulance driver, remaining a well recognised figure to older fans, and continued playing amateur football until 1959 for Ton Pentre in the Welsh Football League.

Honours

Cardiff City

• Football League Third Division South Winner: 1

1946–47

• Welsh Cup Runner-up: 1

1950–51

• Football League Second Division Runner-up: 1

1951–52

References

• Hayes, Dean (2006). The Who's Who of Cardiff City. Breedon Books. ISBN 1-85983-462-0.
• Hayes, Dean P. (2004). Wales The Complete Who's Who of Footballers Since 1946. Sutton Publishing Limited. ISBN 0-7509-3700-9.

1. "The post war recovery". cardiffcityfc.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-09-09.

External links

• Profile on the Pride of Anglia Website