Scotland had a new manager, Bobby Brown, and a new goalkeeper the 36-year-old Ronnie Simpson and few gave Scotland much hope of winning. It was an order, barked to Bobby Lennox, then. : Terms of Use : Guidelines : Privacy Policy, "The Parochial Kailyard That Is Central Scotland", 39Users were Online in the last 600 mins, most memorably in 1967 when he toyed with the English defence at Wembley. Deceased (19392001) My, how those English boys did try Culloden and that. It was, he remembers, four days before he got home. I went down to the St Enoch Hotel after the match for autographs as the Brazil team were staying there. A very rare smile, for he has seen a lot of sadness, and he carries it carefully. 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. 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. [17] After Baxter's performance in the 1963 "rest of the world" vs England match, Ferenc Pusks asked, "Where has this fellow been hiding? They celebrated him leaving . Tell of us of the day? Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, [7][11][12] Baxter regarded his performance in 1963 as the better of the two. . At one point though he puts his foot on it, gestures to McCreadie to come over for it, then walks away :(. The phone call was about as unexpected as Alex Ferguson ringing up to ask my views on his latest signing . At the end of the season he would be sold to Sunderland, one of the few English teams who werent deterred by his reputation. At the end of 1967 Sunderland transferred him to Nottingham Forest, who gave him a free transfer back to Rangers in 1969 after 50 games. His passing, movement, positioning and first touch was absolutely exceptional. All rights reserved. In 2003, a statue was erected in his honour at his hometown, Hill of Beath. 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. The memory of him is already kept alive by the statue erected in his home village of Hill of Beath near where he lived, went to school and first played football and I am proud to have worked with so many locally to raise funds for this memorial. Some of the best fans too. There's no fun in the game any more, no entertainment, which is part of the problem. Baxter was also addicted to gambling, and is estimated to have lost between 250,000 and 500,000. Baxter is still spoken about today in the red and white part of the North East. After he died of pancreatic cancer in 2001, his funeral was held in Glasgow Cathedral and his ashes were buried at Rangers' Ibrox Stadium. A team in navy blue toying with the Auld Enemy, then the official world champions, in their own fortress. The way that Job stroked the ball around was just inimitable. Scots man hit with $1m medical bill after stroke on US trip to see sick granddaughter. He was. He'. (Kevin Raymond), Go on grand-dad tell us, So next month . But in 1965 the balance of power shifted. I dont need Google to reel off that team Drummond, Polland and Mochan; Young, McNaught and Baxter; Wallace, Conn, Kerry, Spence and Urquhart. He'll be sitting at home in Glasgow, watching the game on Sky. Seb Stafford-Bloor is a football writer at Tifo Football and member of the Football Writers' Association. Being a Hibs fan I remember Neil Martin well too. . Slim Jim was one of a kind. While you're here, why not take advantage of our brilliant new subscribers' offer? Paper Subscription to the Daily Record and Sunday Mail, Paper Subscription to the Paisley Daily Express, 2023 Scottish Daily Record and Sunday Mail Ltd, Rangers legend Dave Smith reveals he blames giantkilling defeat by Berwick for loss to Bayern Munich in 1967 European final, Oh Hyeon gyu to Celtic transfer gathers pace as Parkhead side put forward 'improved' Suwon striker offer, The Scottish Premiership leaders are looking to add a new frontman this month, Transfer news LIVE as Celtic and Rangers plus Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibs eye signings. Not Baxter, though. [7][14][16] Baxter played 98 games for Sunderland in England's First Division (then the top tier), scoring 12 goals. But I did a bit of keepie-uppie. He said he found the idea of being given any sort of football education laughable, before then commenting on Willie McNaught. Possessed with ball at feet . 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. What is the formula for calculating solute potential? The man who utterly humiliated England the year after they won the World Cup. Jims pass, timed to perfection 12 minutes from the end, allowed Lennox to steer the ball beyond Englands Gordon Banks. But nobody has owned Celtic like Jim Baxter. After he died of pancreatic cancer in 2001, his funeral was held in Glasgow Cathedral and his ashes were buried at Rangers Ibrox Stadium. Please refresh the page and try again. [8] Baxter went on to play for the Fife junior team, Crossgates Primrose. Edinburgh Evening News Im the Fan of the Week! Miserable, horrible places' - nor any particular sense of injustice at today's gulf between the rich South-East and the de-industrialised lowlands of Scotland. I owe them. Anas Sarwar warns UK Government has taken 'wrong approach' by blocking Holyrood gender reforms. And Now For Something Completely Different, Lowdham Book Festival (2) Blog-talk with Mike Atkinson. The night before the second game, Jim Baxter didnt sleep. We had the support of Sir Alex Ferguson and even former England players such as the late Alan Ball. Officers raced to the single-vehicle crash on the A830 between Fort William and Mallaig after being alerted at around 1:35pm on Tuesday. He initially remained part-time, though. 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 When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Twas Jim Baxter in a dark blue shirt.. finest ninety minutes! N. NONOTONE Well-Known Member. ", http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/braveheart.html. And all of us who knew and admired him were so sad to learn that heavy drinking for which he never blamed anyone but himself cut short his career, destroyed his health and forced two liver transplants. Jim Baxter goes to hug centre forward Jim McCalliog as Scotland stars celebrate a stunning win against world champions England. Scotland made the trip to Wemberly in 67 His liking for the sauce shortened his career dramatically and led to two (aye, two) liver transplants. Horror as dozens of Scots find 'Do Not Resuscitate' notices on medical files. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. He divorced and remarried. 'Ach, no, son, nothing else. Cheers! The Left Lion and Nottinghams Old Market Square, The Nags Head, Woodborough, Nottinghamshire, The Nottingham Robin Hood Beer Festival 2009. My father watched lay the flat of his hands on to the bar. There, now Ive got that out of the way Ill begin. Of course he played here at Forest also when he was getting a bit older. I didn't actually sit on the ball, not that game. Tell us granddad England 2, Scotland 3 never to be forgotten. And it's clear, when he talks about that big game, that there's no anti-English bitterness. But I did a bit of keepie-uppie. Flair is a much overused word these days in relation to football but Jim encompassed it. He was some player, John. Hi Stuart.. Four years later, toying with the World Cup giants, he remembers: 'We'd just decided to enjoy ourselves, and it worked. After 49 appearances, he left Forest in May 1969 to return to Rangers. I cried the day he was transferred to Forest and shortly after Baxter and martins departures well Sunderland were relegated. On a research study at my favourite watering hole The Woodlark at Lambley, (tours available), I , Baxter and Joe Baker dutifully came to bear upon proceedings. 'Nothing can ever be the same.' I remember Slim Jim from Roker Park in the mid 1960s. [34] He attracted attention by his stylish play, controlling the game with "unhurried artistry". Is Jim Baxter To Me! Gascoigne had that sense of fun, but he did something like that and they gave him a yellow card for it. They hardly agreed on anything, except they all said Jim Baxter was the best footballer any of them had ever seen in Scotland. One of my team asked me once who my favourite player was. 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. But Saturday, April 15, 1967 has stood the test of time. The victory was complete when Baxter showed Scotlands dominance by casually playing keepie-uppie as the clock ticked down. The Beehive at Maplebeck, Nottinghamshire slight return. he never showed any regret for his lifestyle and we should remember he left his elegant footprint on football more than most. James Curran Baxter (29 September 1939 14 April 2001) was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a left half. It was Baxter at his most charming. And then there was the drinking. You will receive a verification email shortly. SCOTLANDHow Graeme Souness kick-started a Rangers revolution. But perhaps the performance which really retains its gleam comes ironically from the shadow of Baxters own decline. Its 50 years ago yet still we smile. Unbeatable? He had grown irritated by his salary. "[12] Allegedly Pel once said that Baxter should have been a Brazilian. He didnt flourish in Nottingham but rather showed odd flashes of his genius which some still talk about. Required fields are marked *. . When he went to Wembley that day it was simply with a sense of excitement, and occasion, and his attitude to the English now - 'I just wanted to beat the shite out of them and have a good laugh; it was nothing personal' - is a long way from the resentful kind of half-surly, half-deferential culture which has since flavoured so many of the North's dealings with the South.