One of my all-time faves, and a true gent to boot.
We were amazing to watch in that era.

Concurring.

I remember hearing that Cyril Knowles called Joe Allon to a meeting to try and improve him as a striker. He asked him "When Bakes flicks the ball on, which direction does it go?".

Joe replied "To the right, boss"

Cyril said "So why the f**k do you run to the left?!"

a great article. bakes was a legend in my eyes and i never understood the criticism he got.

Still my favourite season the 1990/91 following on from the amazing 2nd half of season 89/90.

Those games early into Cyril's reign when we beat Scarborough and Grimsby 4-1 and 4-2 will live long in the memory, then the 5-0 tonking of Stockport with 4 from Bakes including his overhead from about 18 yards. Rob McKinnon maurading down the left with Dalton and Brian Honour on the right setting up the chances for Allon and Baker. Nobbs, Bennyworth and Mick Smith like granite at the back with the incredibly agile Barry Siddle in nets.

Then we had the promotion year with Monty McPhail at the back. Immense.

Could do with him now.

WHY? this team is a million miles away from the 1st cyril team, thats what people have to realise!!!

Fair enuff we could do with him to sort team out, but not gonna happen due to NATURE!!

Sick of negatives, even heard a load this afternoon at ressies, poolies seem to revel in these days!

Lets get on with it!!!

Twat these puddins saturday!

was it away to scunthorpe he broke his leg during his second spell

Mr. Rax, how is saying that we could do with a Bakes to put the ball in the net being negative? Our standard of football recently is nothing short of very impressive so i'm far from feeling negative about the rest of the season.
P.S. What time are you out on saturday?

12 or earlier!!!

hehehehe

I'll try and make 12

now he was a proper center forward.

What ever did happen to the Baker haters?

Mind you, there was the time when he complained that travelling to Pools was tiring, then signed for ....Gillingham ...how we laughed. .... the late Paul Mullen drily said he'll be in for a shock, he must have misheard and thought he'd signed for Billingham....

Indeed he was

He also put the nut on one of Denny Ingrams mates and sent him flying at the 1995 player of the year do, in the mens bogs

I also seem to remember Mick Tait was involved in the scrap

I wonder what IOR would make of that happening now.......

Didn't our very own Mouldy Old Dough become embroiled in a spot of bother that same evening?

Top bloke is Paul Baker. He very kindly sent me Dad (Paul Bakers number one fan!) a birthday card for his sixtieth! (Ron Harnish sorted that for me, another top man!)

I seem to recall that he did, briefly, and two seconds later he was still at the top of the stairs and gobshite Ingram was in a heap at the bottom of them.

Although seeing as though I was very drunk at the time I may be mistaken.