Billy Baxter (footballer)

William Alexander Baxter (23 April 1939 – 25 May 2009) was a Scottish professional footballer.

Billy Baxter
Personal information
Full name William Alexander Baxter[1]
Date of birth (1939-04-23)23 April 1939
Place of birth Edinburgh, Scotland
Date of death 25 May 2009(2009-05-25) (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)
1972Watford (loan) 11 (0)
1972–1973 Northampton Town 41 (4)
1973–1975 Nuneaton Borough 64 (2)
Total 482 (25)
Teams managed
1972–1973 Northampton Town
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

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

Ipswich Town

Individual

References

  1. "Billy Baxter". Barry Hugman's Footballers.
  2. Eastwood, John; Moyse, Tony (1986). The men who made the town (First ed.). Pentlow, UK: Almeida Books. p. 120.
  3. Murphy, Alex. "Biily Baxter (Obituary)". The Independent. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  4. Eastwood, John; Moyse, Tony (1986). The men who made the town (First ed.). Pentlow, UK: Almeida Books. p. 148.
  5. King, Elvin. "Town legend Billy Baxter dies at 70". East Anglian Daily Times. Archant. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  6. "Four Town players in Hall of Fame". East Anglian Daily Times. 17 April 2010. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  • Bill Baxter at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database


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