Jim Baxter played that in front of ninety thousand fans, Right along the Wemberly touchline The England team were overawed A young man in his prime he was Possessed with ball at feet When England saw him gliding o'er the green Yon blonde cap'n called "retreat" Baxter walked about the pitch A God amongst mere men He'd beat one man, then turn around It's your one stop shop for all the latest signings news, rumours and done deals as the January window ramps up. SCOTLANDHow Graeme Souness kick-started a Rangers revolution. Thats particularly true prior to the 1970s, before which the heavy balls, thick boots and boggy pitches often conspired to reduce players, obscuring their true technical merits. Youll hear praise as old ones sing it By far the most famous footage of Baxter comes from April 1967, and a European Championship qualifier that Scotland would win 3-2. The story Tom Miller recounts is that when Brown asked Baxter to warm up, Jim first stretched out his left leg and then his right and quipped, Thats me warmed up! He then ran the show. Baxter scored both goals in the 2-1 win over England in 1963, despite Scotland playing the bulk of the game . But how the hell did Scotland win it? He was earning 7 a week sorting the stone from the coal at Fordel Colliary and 3 a week in Raiths reserves. [29], Scotland did not qualify for the final stage of the FIFA World Cup during Baxter's playing career. I owe them. It wasn't a plea. [45], The Tartan Army unsuccessfully attempted to get the new Wembley Stadium footbridge named after him,[46][47] and on 24 February 2005 Scottish National Party MP Pete Wishart presented an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons supporting this campaign. Shaming England on their own turf, and with a performance - the footballing equivalent of the Ring Cycle - that has since seen him lionised, along with Kenny Dalglish, as the finest player Scotland ever had . I've just spent the last two hours watching England v Scotland in 1967 for my Sports Journalism class. And what football! He refused to conform with the "efficient" style that dominated British football or the energetic, physical style that was typical of Rangers at the time. A few observations on Hibs v Killie, Being Hibs: Spending some time with the family. Jim, at 60, has a careful, self-deprecatory way with him these days. But Saturday, April 15, 1967 has stood the test of time. I dont think Ive ever seen a player with a finer touch, one so deft. [24], The following year Scotland, again inspired by Baxter and Law, beat England 10, and only poor finishing prevented them from scoring a bigger win. North of the border skill was still king and there at Wembley, decades after those differences had stopped being relevant, was Baxter as their cipher. He appears briefly in The Footballer Who Could Fly, Duncan Hamiltons memoir. The end of Nottinghams German Christmas market? People making new claim for PIP may not need to attend an assessment this year. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. And I hadn't gone to Glasgow to find out about the drink. My heart says Scotland, but my head says England.'. Gordon Brown, the former Prime Minister remembers our wonderful Wembley Wizards of 1967 and his memories of one of Fife's favourite sons. What player would do keepy ups when moving dow the wing . His end was still near, though. Slim Jim claimed to have won 3,000 at the roulette table. From 1960 to 1967, he was a leading member of a strong Scottish international team that lost only once to England, in 1966, shortly after he recovered from the leg fracture. He said he found the idea of being given any sort of football education laughable, before then commenting on Willie McNaught. . He made our dreams into a reality. John Greig, who would captain Rangers and whose statue now stands outside Ibrox, recalled the times when (Baxter) came into training that he couldnt bite his fingers and he would just go through and lie in the bath trying to recover.. The light blues are seven unbeaten under the new boss, winning six of them, but Joe Wright is optimistic. [14] By the end of his career with Rangers he had made 254 appearances for the club, including victories that led to three Scottish League Championships, three Scottish Cups and four League Cups. A Working Class Hero? Former Scotland captain Willie Cunningham was born there, too and Celtics Scott Brown also attended the villages primary school. Watching The Football Years a few weeks back, nothing was said about him sitting on the ball but footage of him doing keepy-ups for the crack was shown. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. [14], His first Rangers game was in August 1960 at inside left against Partick Thistle in the Scottish League Cup. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Just give the ball to me, said Jim Baxter. Son, the result? [25] Some commentators accepted that humiliating the opposition was a valid objective, while others regarded it as childish and thought Scotland should have won a more convincing victory than the actual 32 scoreline. Not Baxter, though. I loved the big occasion . He was thicker, his jowls were heavier. They celebrated him leaving . When this game is often talked about . Your email address will not be published. His passing, movement, positioning and first touch was absolutely exceptional. Mesmerised. Retirees living in Luxembourg receive over 3,050 each month. We had the support of Sir Alex Ferguson and even former England players such as the late Alan Ball. Never missed a penalty for us and was an absolute joy to watch. And what football! James Curran Baxter was born in Hill of Beath on 29 September 1939. He seemed to almost glide across the pitch and was always in the right place at the right time. mates were not allowed to see the state of him for the next two weeks as he was ordered to train on his own. Famously after one nightclub scrape, former former Black Watch recruit James had to be picked up out of the gutter by the genial Forest coach, Irishman, Tommy Cavanagh in the early hours. The pair look to be high on the agenda for Michael Beale and his Ibrox recruitment drive. But reducing him to his medals misses the point. How many liver transplants did Jim Baxter have? In 2003, a statue was erected in his honour at his hometown, Hill of Beath. The legal appeal over the 20 Universal Credit uplift during the pandemic has been dismissed. With a taunt, a feign, a pass, They tried hard to get the ball off him Maybe Irvine Welsh is right, and Baxter should sum up the century for Scotland. Always a team I like to see do well. Full list of new DWP weekly payment rates from April for PIP, Universal Credit and other benefits. HMRC has also confirmed the new rates and thresholds for Child Benefit and Tax Credits. Forest had a team on the wane when Jim arrived and his football brain, though let down by his physical condition, was still razor sharp. [12] Scotland teammate Dave Mackay unsuccessfully advised him to train harder and live more sensibly. Its brush strokes creating small masterpieces whenever he was on the ball. At Sunderland his cross field passes and at time his vision were superb . Jim Baxter keepie uppie against England, 1967 Scotland National Team 80.2K subscribers 299 96K views 9 years ago Scotland became the unofficial world champions after an epic 3-2 victory against. Between 1957 and 1960 every man, woman and child connected with Starks Park knew he was special. I know for a fact Willie Johnston used to sit on the ball. In two and a half years at Sunderland he played 98 games and scored 12 goals, becoming known for drinking himself unconscious the night before a match and playing well the next day. . I played for the British Army team against Aberdeen at Pittodrie " Bacardi Jim" was the captain of that team, the officer in charge of our team although I wasn't aware of it at the time, must've thought that I hadn't played as well as I could have. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Kept trying to kick me the whole game, couldn't play at all. He ordered a bottle of Bacardi and a jug of Coke, and asked for a small bottle of ice. Learn how your comment data is processed. . "[16] Shortly before his own death, George Best named Baxter as one of the best eleven players he had played with or against in an interview with FourFourTwo magazine. Baxter was from Hill of Beath, a small village in Fife which was built to the serve the mining community. Required fields are marked *. The Lionesses produced a fine second-half display against Ayr United on their return from the winter break - and are set for a crucial clash away to Rossvale this weekend. Aye my bonnie wee lad, they did try that He had grown irritated by his salary. A one-word swagger a wink and the promise of something special in what is still probably the greatest Scotland game of all time. Anas Sarwar warns UK Government has taken 'wrong approach' by blocking Holyrood gender reforms. The Binos have been one of the few sides not to play in the last couple of weeks. That Nottingham Forest in particular have much indebtedness to players from north of Hadrians Wall is not lost on most knowledgeable Forest fanatics to their great credit. Symon, by all accounts a disciplinarian, made exceptions for his No.6. But nobody has owned Celtic like Jim Baxter. Hibernian Football Club: The Easter Road Tour, Hibernian: A team to match The Tornadoes (1), Hibernian: A team to match The Tornadoes (2), Hibernian: A team to match The Tornadoes (3). I remember Slim Jim from Roker Park in the mid 1960s. two liver transplants Jim was certainly a one-off wasnt he. [14] He described his approach to playing football as "treating the ball like a woman. [8] In this game Baxter also conspired with Billy Bremner against Alan Ball, sending Bremner a "50-50" pass, which allowed Bremner to "hit Ball like a train" when Ball contested possession. [7] He came on to the field in the second half, and his performance won the admiration of Ferenc Pusks. oh, playing on that pitch, it was what I was born for!' Maybe have a few mates round. You will receive a verification email shortly. Totally ignoring my partner of course, I listened in with glee as the names of Jim Baxter and Joe Baker dutifully came to bear upon proceedings. Jim Baxter. At one point though he puts his foot on it, gestures to McCreadie to come over for it, then walks away :(. What a player! [7][12] Later in his life, when asked if earning the huge incomes of footballers in later decades would have made a difference, he replied, "Aye, I would have gambled 50,000 a week on the horses instead of 100. "most memorably in 1967 when he toyed with the English defence at Wembley - sitting on the ball and playing "keepie-uppie" - as Scotland defeated the World Cup winners 3-2. He's on to his second transplant by now. Nov 10, 2011. [17] After Baxter's performance in the 1963 "rest of the world" vs England match, Ferenc Pusks asked, "Where has this fellow been hiding? It wasnt a plea. I am writing a biography on Jim Baxter and would love your input Stuart. Thanks for the memories Jimmy Baxter you were simply sublime. 'Ach, no, son, nothing else. Used to see him all the time sitting in the Georgic telling stories. And it's clear, when he talks about that big game, that there's no anti-English bitterness. He is generally regarded as one of the countrys greatest ever players. [33] In 196869 he was not selected to play in any of the qualifiers for the 1970 World Cup. [12] In 1983 Baxter formed a relationship with Norma Morton, and the couple remained together until his death in 2001. But I did a bit of keepie-uppie. At the end of the 1959-60 season, in June 1960, he joined Rangers for a Scottish record transfer fee of 17,500. [8][26] Alex Ferguson said Baxter's performance "could have been set to music". To play the champs of 66, Were England unbeatable grand-dad? Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. On leaving school he saw his best prospects in becoming a miner and joined many other Fifers in starting a life down the pit. Jim Baxter was our conductor in dark blue At the end of the season he would be sold to Sunderland, one of the few English teams who werent deterred by his reputation. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Family of dog walker tragically mauled to death break silence on shock death. One of their coaches gave a Brazil pennant to each of us who was there. they'll be good games, maybe, but not great games. Forest would be the nadir and the stories are legendary and awful of bars and bets and being found badly beaten in the street. . He is generally regarded as one of the country's greatest ever players. Jim Baxter granted a pub licence in October 1970. He came into the pub and sat on a high wooden stool, as if he owned the room. [38], Baxter played most of his best football in his early twenties, before the leg fracture against Rapid Vienna in December 1964 and the start of his heavy drinking that made his nickname "Slim Jim" less appropriate. When did Jim Baxter sit on the ball? He had owned it, as requested, and Scotland owned their old rivals. I went down to the St Enoch Hotel after the match for autographs as the Brazil team were staying there. With the second - 'Well, aye, I do take a drink sometimes. and he bats them all back by making it clear he doesn't know what I'm on about. Of course orchestrating two Scotland victories over England at Wembley in 1963 and 1967 (and humiliating them in the process in the latter game) elevated Jims standing in our house to astronomic status. Jim Baxter won ten winners' medals in his five years at Rangers in the first-half of the 1960s. His frequent brilliance in spite of a decadent, nocturnal lifestyle had convinced him of his talents invulnerability and, unfortunately, the club did little to dissuade him of that assumption. It was also easy to forgive him too. That Nottingham Forest in particular have much indebtedness to, players from north of Hadrians Wall is not lost on most knowledgeable Forest fanatics to their great credit. He also won 34 caps for Scotland and is fondly remembered by Scots for the way he guided them to. It was one which occurred at the most inopportune moment. The next day Scotland played most of the game with 10 men after Eric Caldow broke a leg, and won 2-1. The plaque has his birthdate 1939 to 2001 There, now Ive got that out of the way Ill begin. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . How did it end up? Ciro Well-Known Member. Absolute GENIUS. Jimmy Johnstone, who played for Rangers' great rivals Celtic, said shortly after Baxter's death, "He was a great man and a genius on the ball. Susan Aitken has written to John Swinney and Michael Gove to question why "a major investment is going entirely to one side of Scotland". In photographs taken at full-time, when Scottish fans had invaded the pitch and one was caught, draped around Baxters neck, it wasnt a Slim Jim anymore. And then there was the drinking. The Rapid match was probably the end of Jims era too. World Football Jim Baxter - sitting on the ball Jim Baxter - sitting on the ball By stomach February 8, 2010 in World Football Share stomach 05: Full Members 283 Gender:Male Location:Inverness Posted February 8, 2010 Can anyone tell me - Did Jim Baxter actually sit on the ball during a International match against England? [26][27] Teammate Denis Law expressed opinions on both sides of this debate, saying that Baxter was "the best player on the park" and the main reason for the Scots' victory,[13] but complaining that Baxter's lack of urgency had prevented Scotland from thoroughly avenging the 93 defeat in April 1961. Baxter was also addicted to gambling, and is estimated to have lost between 250,000 and 500,000. First link doesn't seem to work Wyness. Another Baxter story was of him addressing the apprentice boys in the Nottingham Forest dressing room, requesting them to fetch my magic wands to bring his boots to him! Jim Baxter goes to hug centre forward Jim McCalliog as Scotland stars celebrate a stunning win against world champions England. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. [18], Baxter moved back to Rangers. I had never been asked that before, but when pondering my answer, I realized there was only one obvious response. Rangers squad revealed as Robbie Ure sent SOS call amid three-pronged striker struggle. As a young man growing up in Hill O Beith he was a Hibernian fan, admiring the stellar forward play of the Hibees Famous Five. We always said when Baxter plays well, Sunderland play well. A team in navy blue toying with the Auld Enemy, then the official world champions, in their own fortress. The number six jersey was worn by . He was mischief. A very rare smile, for he has seen a lot of sadness, and he carries it carefully. Baxter was also addicted to gambling, and is estimated to have lost between 250,000 and 500,000. Police working with the FBI say they have found the body of Cheyann Klus, 22, who was last seen at her home in November 2017. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". 20 July, 1994: Jim Baxter is just days from death in the liver transplant unit at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary after decades of hard drinking. I also spoke at his funeral in Glasgow Cathedral. 'Aye, that stuff. Stirling Albion's fixture hopes washed away again as they wait to make 2023 bow. . The former Ibrox idol, affectionately known as 'Slim. Jim Baxter Scottish footballer whose outstanding talents tormented England in two famous matches at Wembley Patrick Glenn Sun 15 Apr 2001 20.50 EDT The footballer Jim Baxter, who has died of. But, yes, essentially it was 14 years in the pub. But 1967, the year after England won the World Cup, was an even better platform upon which Baxter could stand tall and shine. Jim had joined Raith Rovers in 1957 from Crossgates Primrose and made 62 standout appearances for the club. . #8. whitburnwarrior said: Baxter was far from past his best when he came to Sunderland . Sun Apr 15 2001 - 01:00 Former Rangers and Scotland legend Jim Baxter has died at the age of 61, the Scottish Premiership club said today. Pancreatic cancer stomach During the four months in which he was unable to play he began drinking to his detriment; this ultimately was to curtail his playing career and his life. The marriage broke up in 1981, and in 1983 he formed another relationship that lasted the rest of his life. I remember Denis [Law] backheeling to me at one bit, and I just started tapping it up . Did find loads of clips of Baxter doing keepie-ups against the Auld enemy tho :-). . Livingston Women's striker confident side can pick up crucial win at Rossvale now rust is away. He didn't sit on the ball. That afternoon, after a few hours sleep, he and his left foot would captivate 120,000 fans at Hampden Park, giving what was by his own reckoning his finest performance against Celtic in a 3-0 win. Nottingham Evening Post reporter Tony Pritchett described the signing of Baxter as "probably the worst transfer in Forest's history". The answer was three Scottish league titles, three Scottish Cups, and four Scottish league cups. Great fun.' State Pension payments of over 2,000 each month for older people living in these five European countries. Right along the Wemberly touchline This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. His close friends included the Celtic players Billy McNeill, Pat Crerand and Mike Jackson, in defiance of the unwritten rule that rivals did not associate. After a further year with Rangers Baxter retired from football in 1970, at the age of 31. I think I devoured every joyful word in every Sunday newspaper. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. The Left Lion and Nottinghams Old Market Square, The Nags Head, Woodborough, Nottinghamshire, The Nottingham Robin Hood Beer Festival 2009. [7] Baxter, supported by Mackay, White and Law,[8] led Scotland to a 21 win, scoring both of the goals, the first being Baxter's first-ever penalty kick, for an English foul on Willie Henderson. But the happiest day was at Wembley. He was also noted as a joker on the pitch. Sure made them pay that day, With Jules Rimet stood watching Todd Cantwell and Morgan Whittaker to Rangers transfer latest as Championship bosses reshuffle edges deals forward. Describing McNaught as, 'a smashing guy', Baxter explained how instead of thoughtlessly charging forward with the ball, McNaught suggested more considered football change from running 30 yards to produce a five-yard pass to running five yards and producing a 30-yard pass. Jim Baxter is hugged by fans as Scotland beat England in 1967. [51], Raith Rovers F.C. Great stories! Almost more than Hampden. Possessed with ball at feet Whatever the exact truth, by the time he was sitting down for breakfast at his parents house, he had earned almost as much in a night as he would from a years salary. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Sven-Goran Eriksson signs for Notts County! Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. My father noticed the shoes first: the sheen of expensive leather and the slenderness of the toes, which were cut into the sharpest points, each glinting like the top of a chefs knife. Or grab yourself some me-time and treat yourself! As expected, I pretty much concentrated on Jim Baxter's performance for the whole match and by God was he good. Together with former Hibees Centre Forward, Neil Martin, they were 2 of the leading lights of Sunderlands scots imports. He would eventually find his bed at 9am, but not before another dance with the Glasgow nightlife. i remember when i was a young boy watching jim playing for rangers and scotland , he was my boyhood hero. Seb Stafford-Bloor is a football writer at Tifo Football and member of the Football Writers' Association. Now 2017 offers a golden chance to celebrate him 50 years on from that Wembley triumph and I can think of no better tribute than creating funds and the means to find the next Jim Baxter. But I did a bit of keepie-uppie. today I'd be booked for that kind of stuff. His drinking was almost as accomplished as his football, the former finally overruled the latter as he attempted one last hurrah at Rangers after Forest freed him. He initially remained part-time, though. A team in navy blue toying with the Auld Enemy, then the official world champions, in their own fortress. we'd decided he sounded just like this comic, Jimmy Clitheroe, so at the beginning I sidled up and said, "Is that right? BA1 1UA. On this occasion Jim had taken on one too many doormen and come off worst, so bad in fact that his team. He divorced and remarried. Albian Ajeti offers Celtic transfer solution as forgotten flop's revival could quell panic buy temptation. Four years later, toying with the World Cup giants, he remembers: 'We'd just decided to enjoy ourselves, and it worked. Heres how it works. Thanks for your memories Neill. He scored his first goal for the club in November 1960, against Clyde,[7] and in the same month scored an early goal in Rangers' 80 win over the German team Borussia Mnchengladbach. In a game against Rapid Vienna in Austria, in the second round of the European Cup, Baxter suffered that broken leg at the end of a tie which was already won. And so, of course, I run through my own unimpressive, cod-sociological, middle-class theorising . Tony Blair and Gordon Brown flew across the room to shake his hand. [28], In October 1963, which may have been Baxter's best year overall, he played for the "Rest of the world" in a match against England to celebrate the centenary of The Football Association. Rangers dominated the 1963 Scottish Cup Final, but it finished 1-1 and needed a replay. My father watched lay the flat of his hands on to the bar. Jims pass, timed to perfection 12 minutes from the end, allowed Lennox to steer the ball beyond Englands Gordon Banks. Best of luck with the biography. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". In the middle of the park I will always remember his great tuoch on the ball and smooth passing precision. One who passed through that decades football folklore like a shooting star. [17] After retiring from football Baxter became a pub licensee, an unsuitable career for a problem drinker. [7] Baxter often got falling-down drunk the night before a match, but this did not seem to hamper his play, and team managers took little notice of his drinking. Meghan and Harry release statement after Jeremy Clarkson's latest public apology.
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