Paul Baker
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2007-11-02T15:35:35Z
The Rambling Man
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/* External links */ {{Hartlepool United F.C. managers}}
{{Football player infobox
| playername = Paul Baker
| image =
| fullname = David Paul Baker
| height = {{height|ft=6|in=1}}
| dateofbirth = {{birth date and age|1963|1|5}}
| cityofbirth = [[Newcastle-upon-Tyne]]
| countryofbirth = [[England]]
| currentclub = [[Newcastle Benfield (Bay Plastics) F.C.|Newcastle Benfield]] ([[Coach (sport)|Manager]])
| position = [[Striker]]
| youthyears =
| youthclubs =
| years = 1983-1984<br>1984-1985<br>1985-1987<br>1987-1992<br>1992-1993<br>1993-1994<br>1994-1996<br>1996<br>1996-1997<br>1997-1999<br>1999-2000<br>2000<br>2000-2001<br>2001-2002
| clubs = [[Bishop Auckland F.C.|Bishop Auckland]]<br>[[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]]<br>[[Carlisle United F.C.|Carlisle United]]<br>[[Hartlepool United]]<br>[[Motherwell F.C.|Motherwell]]<br>[[Gillingham F.C.|Gillingham]]<br>[[York City]]<br>[[Torquay United]]<br>[[Scunthorpe United]]<br>[[Hartlepool United]]<br>[[Carlisle United]]<br>[[Bedlington Terriers F.C.|Bedlington Terriers]]<br>[[Durham City F.C.|Durham City]]<br>[[Blyth Spartans]]
| caps(goals) = {{0}}{{0}}- {{0}}(-)<br>{{0}}{{0}}0 {{0}}(0)<br>{{0}}71 (11)<br>197 (67)<br>{{0}}{{0}}9 {{0}}(1)<br>{{0}}62 (16)<br>{{0}}48 (18)<br>{{0}}30 {{0}}(8)<br>{{0}}21 {{0}}(9)<br>{{0}}38 (10)<br>{{0}}17 {{0}}(2)<br>{{0}}{{0}}- {{0}}(-)<br>{{0}}{{0}}- {{0}}(-)<br>{{0}}{{0}}- {{0}}(-)
| manageryears = 2002-2004<br>2005-
| managerclubs = [[Blyth Spartans]]<br>[[Newcastle Benfield (Bay Plastics) F.C.|Newcastle Benfield]]
| pcupdate = 30/11/2006
}}'''David Paul Baker''' (born [[5 January]] [[1963]] in [[Newcastle upon Tyne]], [[England]]) is an English former professional footballer.
==Playing career==
A centre-forward, Baker was a member of the famous [[Wallsend Boys Club]] as a youngster, and was subsequently spotted playing for [[Bishop Auckland F.C.|Bishop Auckland]], turning professional with [[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]] in June 1984 at a cost of £4,000 to the south coast side. He failed to break into the first-team at Southampton, moving on a free transfer to [[Carlisle United F.C.|Carlisle United]] on [[2 July]] [[1985]]. On [[31 July]] [[1987]], after 71 league appearances (11 goals) for Carlisle, Baker moved to [[Hartlepool United F.C.|Hartlepool United]], again on a free transfer, where he played 197 games (scoring 67 goals) and was a vital part of the squad that achieved promotion in 1990/1, forming a partnership with [[Joe Allon]].
Baker moved north of the border to join [[Motherwell F.C.|Motherwell]] in August 1992 for £77,500. After only 9 games at Motherwell, he moved on to [[Gillingham F.C.|Gillingham]] on [[7 January]] [[1993]] for a fee of £40,000. During his time at Priestfield he scored one of the goals in a 2–0 win over [[Halifax Town F.C.|Halifax Town]] which secured the club's League status on the last day of the season. An overall tally of 16 goals in 62 games for the Kent side prompted [[York City F.C.|York City]] to take him back north, this time for a fee of £15,000 in October 1994. Baker was on the bench for York when they beat [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] 3-0 at [[Old Trafford (football ground)|Old Trafford]] in the [[Football League Cup|League Cup]] in 1995, where he was eventually brought on, lasting a mere seven minutes before being sent off for a second bookable offence. After 48 games (18 goals) for the [[KitKat Crescent|Bootham Crescent]] side, he moved to [[Torquay United F.C.|Torquay United]] on [[19 January]] [[1996]] for a fee of £25,000. Whilst he had settled in on the playing side, he wanted a move to the north of England and after almost joining [[Rochdale A.F.C.|Rochdale]], who couldn't meet his wage demands, he moved to [[Scunthorpe United F.C.|Scunthorpe United]] on [[3 October]] [[1992]] for £15,000. He had made 30 league appearances, scoring 8 goals.
His stay at Scunthorpe was also a short one, and on [[27 March]] [[1997]], after 21 league appearances in which he scored 9 goals, he moved back to [[Hartlepool United F.C.|Hartlepool United]], as player-coach. Another 35 league games followed, in which he scored 9 goals. In the 1998 close season he declined an offer to become Torquay's player/manager, and once [[Mick Tait]] was sacked as Hartlepool manager in January 1999, his time at [[Victoria Park, Hartlepool|Victoria Park]] looked to be drawing to a close. He even went on trial at [[Plymouth Argyle F.C.|Plymouth Argyle]] in February 1999, playing for Argyle reserves in their 3–2 win over [[Swansea City A.F.C.|Swansea City]] at [[Home Park]] in the South West Trophy on the 16th of that month. His lack of match fitness, after 2 broken legs and a fractured ankle in the previous 2 years, seemed to be [[Kevin Hodges]]' main reason for not signing him for Argyle.
Baker returned to Hartlepool, playing for their reserve side on [[17 February]], one night after playing at the opposite end of the country. His desire to play first-team football was eventually rewarded when he was surprisingly recalled to Hartlepool's first-team squad for the rest of the season, often being used as a late substitute. In the close-season of 1999, Baker was released by Hartlepool and looked like dropping down to the [[Football Conference|Conference]] after an extended trial period with newly relegated [[Scarborough F.C.|Scarborough]]. However, on [[27 August]] [[1999]], Baker signed for [[Carlisle United F.C.|Carlisle United]], making 17 league appearances (2 goals) until he was released the following summer. In July 2000, he signed for [[Northern League (football)|Northern League]] side [[Bedlington Terriers F.C.|Bedlington Terriers]], later moving to [[Durham City F.C.|Durham City]] in January 2001 in exchange for former England U-18 goalkeeper Adam Clementson. He left Durham in November 2001 to join [[Blyth Spartans F.C.|Blyth Spartans]].<ref>[http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=1435 Blyth turn to veteran Baker]</ref>
==Managerial career==
In November 2002 Baker became manager of Blyth Spartans,<ref>[http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=7116 Baker gets Blyth job]</ref> leaving in September 2004<ref>[http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=20642 Baker quits Blyth.....]</ref> and has also worked at [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]]’s academy. He has been manager of [[Northern League (football)|Angrove Northern League]] side [[Newcastle Benfield (Bay Plastics) F.C.|Newcastle Benfield]] since September 2005 and guided them to the final qualifying round of the [[FA Cup]] for the first time in their history in the 2006-07 season.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/6084862.stm Baker targets York giant killing]</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*{{soccerbase|id=346|name=Paul Baker's}}
{{Hartlepool United F.C. managers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Paul}}
[[Category:1963 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Newcastle upon Tyne]]
[[Category:English footballers]]
[[Category:Football (soccer) strikers]]
[[Category:Wallsend Boys Club players]]
[[Category:Carlisle United F.C. players]]
[[Category:Hartlepool United F.C. players]]
[[Category:Motherwell F.C. players]]
[[Category:Gillingham F.C. players]]
[[Category:York City F.C. players]]
[[Category:Torquay United F.C. players]]
[[Category:Scunthorpe United F.C. players]]
[[Category:Blyth Spartans F.C. players]]