William Baker (footballer)

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William Baker
Personal information
Full name William James Baker [1]
Date of birth 1882 [2]
Place of birth Plymouth, England
Date of death (aged 33) [1]
Place of death Serre-lès-Puisieux, France
Position(s) Wing half
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
Green Waves
De Beers
0000–1909 Green Waves
1909–1915 Plymouth Argyle 193 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

William James Baker MM (1882 – 22 October 1916) was an English professional footballer who made over 190 appearances as a wing half in the Southern League for Plymouth Argyle between 1909 and 1915. [3] He also played in the United States and South Africa. [3]

Contents

Personal life

Baker was married. [4] He served in the Football Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment during the First World War and rose to the rank of sergeant. [1] He was wounded in action at Vimy Ridge in June 1916 and received the Military Medal. [5] On 22 October 1916, Baker was killed by German artillery fire near Serre-lès-Puisieux during the Battle of the Somme and is commemorated at Sucrerie Military Cemetery at Colincamps. [1] [6]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueFA CupTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Plymouth Argyle 1909–10 [3] Southern League First Division37020390
1910–11 [3] 31110321
1911–12 [3] 33010340
1912–13 [3] 35020370
1913–14 [3] 36020380
1914–15 [3] 21010220
Career total1931902021

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Casualty Details". Commonwealth War Graves Commission . Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  2. England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837–1915
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "William Baker". Greens on Screen. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  4. "William James Baker | Service Record". Football and the First World War. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  5. Riddoch, Andrew; Kemp, John; Holmes, Richard (20 November 2008). When the Whistle Blows: The Story of the Footballers' Battalion in the Great War (1st ed.). Sparkford: Haynes Publishing. pp. 105–107. ISBN   9781844256563.
  6. Riddoch, Kemp & Holmes 2008, p. 155.