Gerry Baker facts for kids

Gerard Austin Baker (born April 11, 1938 – died August 24, 2013) was a talented American soccer player. He played for 16 seasons, from 1955 to 1970, in the top soccer leagues in Scotland and England. He also played for the U.S. national team seven times, scoring two goals. His younger brother, Joe Baker, was also a famous footballer.

Early Life and Youth Football

Gerry Baker was born in New Rochelle, New York, in the United States. His father was English and his mother was Scottish. In 1939, his family moved to Liverpool, England. This is where his younger brother, Joe, who would later play for the England national team, was born.

During World War II, Gerry's father joined the Merchant Marine. Sadly, he passed away while serving. The family then moved to Scotland, where Gerry and Joe grew up in Motherwell. Gerry went to Park Primary and St Joseph's Secondary schools. He loved playing football and joined the Craigneuk Boys Club. He was even chosen to play for the Lanarkshire Schools team.

When he was 14, Gerry signed with Larkhall Thistle. He played in six games for them. In May 1949, when he was 17, he moved to Chelsea in England. He played for their youth and third teams. The next season, he played in six games for their reserve team, scoring four goals. However, he missed Scotland and returned home in late 1956.

Professional Football Career

Playing in Scotland

In December 1956, Gerry Baker joined Motherwell, a club in the Scottish First Division. He played as an "outside left," which is a type of forward player. Over the next three years, he played 13 games for the first team and scored four goals.

In 1958, Motherwell transferred Gerry to St Mirren. He quickly made an impact, scoring the winning goal in his very first game for St Mirren. This was a 2-1 victory against a Hibernian team that included his brother, Joe.

Gerry had an amazing season in 1959. On April 25, 1959, he scored a goal in St Mirren's 3-1 win against Aberdeen in the 1959 Scottish Cup Final. He was a star in the Scottish Cup that year, scoring in every single round! On January 30, 1960, he scored an incredible ten goals in one game, helping St Mirren win 15-0 against Glasgow University. He was the top goal scorer for St Mirren in both the 1958–59 and 1959–60 seasons.

Moving to English Clubs

Gerry's great performances caught the eye of big English clubs. In November 1960, Manchester City paid £17,000 to sign him. He played for Manchester City for about a year before moving to Hibernian in November 1961 for £18,000.

For Hibs, Gerry was a goal-scoring machine! In just two years, he scored 43 goals in 84 games. In December 1963, he moved to Ipswich Town, who paid £25,000 for him. He proved to be a great investment, scoring 66 goals in 151 games for Ipswich.

In November 1967, Gerry transferred to Coventry City. He played for two seasons there. In October 1969, Coventry loaned him to Brentford, where he scored two goals in eight games. He left Coventry at the end of that season.

Later Career and Injuries

After leaving Coventry, Gerry became a player-manager for Margate, a non-league club. He faced some tough injuries during this time, including a dislocated shoulder and broken ribs. Despite these setbacks, he played 48 games and scored 16 goals before leaving Margate in September 1971. He then played for Nuneaton Borough and finished his playing career with Bedworth United.

Playing for the United States National Team

Gerry Baker had dual citizenship, meaning he was a citizen of both the U.S. and Britain. Since he wasn't chosen to play for the Scottish or English teams, he decided to play for the U.S. national team.

He joined the U.S. team as they were trying to qualify for the 1970 FIFA World Cup. His first game for the U.S. was on October 17, 1968, in a World Cup qualifying match against Canada, which the U.S. lost 4-2. Over the next month, Gerry played in six games for the U.S. On November 2, 1968, he scored two goals in a big 6-2 win against Bermuda in a qualifying game. His last game for the U.S. team was on May 11, 1969, a 1-0 loss to Haiti. This loss meant the U.S. team could not qualify for the World Cup finals.

Coaching Career

In 1970, Gerry Baker started his coaching career at Margate. He was hired as the club's player-manager, meaning he played for the team while also managing it. He stayed in this role until September 1971. Later, he also managed the Coventry Collier team in 1979–80.

Life After Football

After he stopped playing professional football, Gerry Baker worked at the Jaguar factory in Coventry. His daughters, Karen (born 1962) and Lorraine (born 1964), were both excellent athletes. Lorraine even finished fifth in the 800 meters race at the 1984 Olympic Games!

Gerry's grandson, Ryan Strain, has also become a professional footballer and currently plays for St Mirren, one of Gerry's old clubs. In May 2007, Gerry Baker was honored by being added to the St Mirren Hall of Fame. He passed away in August 2013 at the age of 75.