Horace Baker (footballer)

Horace Anthony Baker (1 September 1910 – 1 March 1974) was an English footballer who played at outside-right for Port Vale, Tranmere Rovers, Shrewsbury Town and Southport. His younger brother, Frank, was also a professional footballer.

Horace Baker

Personal information
Full name	Horace Anthony Baker[1]
Date of birth	(1910-09-01)1 September 1910[1]
Place of birth	Fenton, England[1]
Date of death	1 March 1974(1974-03-01) (aged 63)[1]
Place of death	Creswell, England[1]
Height	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[2]
Position(s)	Outside-right
Youth career
	Longton Hall
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1932–1934	Port Vale	10	(1)
1934–1936	Tranmere Rovers	23	(10)
1936–1937	Shrewsbury Town
1937–1938	Southport	20	(3)
	Shrewsbury Town
Total		53	(14)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Early and personal life

Horace Anthony Baker was the son of a former Fenton Town player and four of his brothers also played football, including the youngest Frank, who went on to play for Stoke City.^[2] Baker worked as a bus conductor before World War II and was working as a spot-welder when he died of a heart attack during his sleep on 1 March 1974.^[2]

Career

Baker played for Longton Hall before joining Port Vale as an amateur in March 1932, signing professional forms two months later.^[1] He made seven Second Division appearances in the 1932–33 season, scoring one goal in a 4–0 win over Notts County at the Old Recreation Ground on 20 March.^[1] He featured just three times in the 1933–34 season, and was given a free transfer to Tranmere Rovers in May 1934.^[1][3] Tranmere finished sixth and third in the Third Division North in 1934–35 and 1935–36; Baker played 23 league games at Prenton Park, scoring ten goals. He later played for Shrewsbury Town, scoring 30 goals in the Birmingham League from outside-right.^[2] He went on to sign with Southport, where he scored on his league debut against Accrington Stanley.^[2] He lost his first-team place to Albert Stapleton after a 5–0 defeat at Crewe Alexandra.^[2] He later returned to Shrewsbury Town.^[1][3]

Career statistics

Source:^[4]

Club	Season	Division	League		Other		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Port Vale	1932–33	Second Division	7	1	0	0	7	1
	1933–34	Second Division	3	0	0	0	3	0
	Total		10	1	0	0	10	1
Tranmere Rovers	1934–35	Third Division North	19	8	2	2	21	10
	1935–36	Third Division North	4	2	0	0	4	2
	Total		23	10	2	2	25	12
Southport	1937–38	Third Division North	20	3	4	2	24	5

References

1. Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 15. ISBN 978-0952915201.
2. "Player Details". SFC FPA. 9 November 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
3. Upton, Gilbert; Wilson, Steve (November 1997). "Players' Data". Tranmere Rovers 1921–1997: A Complete Record. pp. 101–108. ISBN 978-0-9518648-2-1.
4. Horace Baker at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)