Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | William Alexander Baxter[1] | ||
Date of birth | 23 April 1939 | ||
Place of birth | Edinburgh, Scotland | ||
Date of death | 25 May 2009 | (aged 70)||
Place of death | Dunfermline, Scotland | ||
Position(s) | Right Half / Central Defender | ||
Youth career | |||
Broxburn Athletic | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1960–1971 | Ipswich Town | 409 | (21) |
1971–1972 | Hull City | 21 | (0) |
1972 | → Watford (loan) | 11 | (0) |
1972–1973 | Northampton Town | 41 | (4) |
1973–1975 | Nuneaton Borough | 64 | (2) |
Total | 482 | (25) | |
Managerial career | |||
1972–1973 | Northampton Town | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
William Alexander Baxter (23 April 1939 – 25 May 2009) was a Scottish professional footballer.
A native of Edinburgh, Baxter was signed by Alf Ramsey and joined Ipswich Town from Scottish amateur side Broxburn Athletic in 1960.[2] When he signed for the club he was stationed at Aldershot during his national service with the Royal Engineers. He made his debut in 1960, in a Christmas fixture against Ipswich's local rivals Norwich City.[3]
He was a regular in the Ipswich team than won the old Division 2 Championship in 1960–61 and Division 1 Championship in 1961–62. He later captained the team to the old Division 2 Championship in 1967–68. In total, Baxter played 459 games for Ipswich during an 11-year stay at Portman Road. However, after a falling-out with manager Bobby Robson, he was sold to Hull City in March 1971. This was an unfortunate end to a fine career with Ipswich as Baxter, who had played initially as a wing-half and later as a centre back was a consistent and loyal member of the squad for many years.[4]
After two largely unsuccessful seasons at Hull, Baxter became player-manager of Northampton Town in 1972, lasting one year in the job. He subsequently joined non-league Nuneaton Borough.
Baxter quit football returning to Scotland where he worked as an engineer for British Telecom.[5]
In his later years, Baxter had cancer. He had a leg amputated some time before his death, and succumbed to the disease at a Dunfermline hospital on 25 May 2009, aged 70.
Honours
Individual
- Ipswich Town Hall of Fame: Inducted 2009[6]
References
- ^ "Billy Baxter". Barry Hugman's Footballers.
- ^ Eastwood, John; Moyse, Tony (1986). The men who made the town (First ed.). Pentlow, UK: Almeida Books. p. 120.
- ^ Murphy, Alex. "Biily Baxter (Obituary)". The Independent. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
- ^ Eastwood, John; Moyse, Tony (1986). The men who made the town (First ed.). Pentlow, UK: Almeida Books. p. 148.
- ^ King, Elvin. "Town legend Billy Baxter dies at 70". East Anglian Daily Times. Archant. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
- ^ "Four Town players in Hall of Fame". East Anglian Daily Times. 17 April 2010. Retrieved 21 March 2014.[permanent dead link]
External links
- Bill Baxter at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database