He came into the pub and sat on a high wooden stool, as if he owned the room. He was mischief. Maybe Irvine Welsh is right, and Baxter should sum up the century for Scotland. Can anyone tell me - Did Jim Baxter actually sit on the ball during a International match against England? Edinburgh Evening News Im the Fan of the Week! . I am writing a biography on Jim Baxter and would love your input Stuart. One of Scottish football's greatest ball players Jim was quickly noticed playing junior football by Raith Rovers. But, yes, essentially it was 14 years in the pub. Rutherglen Glencairn 'made their own luck' to jump up three league places, says boss, Willie Harvey was delighted with the win over Neilston and wants to go on a run, Former Masters champion Yan Bingtao among TEN Chinese snooker players charged with match fixing. Interestingly Iit seemed lost on these local men after the decades had passed on how Jim struggled in the Garibaldi Red of their beloved team, (mainly due to the wonderful social life James Curran Baxter had sought out in the Lace city). . I loved the big occasion . In most cases, footballers are prisoners of their own era. When I spoke at the inauguration of the statue I well remember the pride I saw in Baxters parents faces as their son was honoured in his home village and made immortal. It did nae mean a thing Aye, it was great. But perhaps the performance which really retains its gleam comes ironically from the shadow of Baxters own decline. Legacy benefit claimants will not receive 20 weekly uplift back payments following new appeal outcome. But Scotland led by Baxter [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. [7] He undertook National Service with the Black Watch from 1961 to 1963.[9]. Baxter was such a majestic player, if you look at his ball control at that goal it gives you an idea of how goal he was. While you're here, why not take advantage of our brilliant new subscribers' offer? [13] Rangers fans remember him as "Slim Jim", and in 18 "Old Firm" games against local rivals Celtic ten Scottish League, five League Cup and three Scottish Cup matches he was only twice on the losing side. The 28-year-old's family say this is an "extremely difficult time" as they try to cope with the sudden loss. [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. Tony Blair and Gordon Brown flew across the room to shake his hand. Its moving television. Great article here,he say's he didn't sit on the ball "in that game anyway" played keepy up and generally took the proverbial,sure i remember footage of him standing on the ball and surveying the horizon looking for a team mate to pass too,great stuff, Not in that game (I watched the whole game a couple of years ago on DVD). Seb Stafford-Bloor is a football writer at Tifo Football and member of the Football Writers' Association. Gascoigne had that sense of fun, but he did something like that and they gave him a yellow card for it. After he died of pancreatic cancer in 2001, his funeral was held in Glasgow Cathedral and his ashes were buried at Rangers Ibrox Stadium. . [12], His other lifelong addiction was gambling, at which he lost 500,000 by his own estimate and 250,000 by third-party estimates. 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. Always a team I like to see do well. Jim, of course, went on to play regularly for Scotland scoring both goals in the 2-1 win over England in 1963 despite Scotland playing the bulk of the game with only 10 men after Rangers full-back Eric Caldow broke his leg. Powered by Invision Community, We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. Bath he never showed any regret for his lifestyle and we should remember he left his elegant footprint on football more than most. Full list of new DWP weekly payment rates from April for PIP, Universal Credit and other benefits. Culloden and that. Many people will have heard of the great Slim Jim Baxter alias "Bacardi Jim". He did well for Scotland against England at Wembley in 1967. The Rapid match was probably the end of Jims era too. Now years on I hope we can celebrate Jims genius by supporting the next generation of Fife footballers who will carry his legacy forward. By 55 he needed a liver transplant. By the end of the game of his life, 'Slim Jim' Baxter, left-midfield architect of the Scots' victory, was openly toying with the furious, frustrated deities in white. . [7][14][16] Baxter played 98 games for Sunderland in England's First Division (then the top tier), scoring 12 goals. . Now if there's a smile on my face (Image: Real Edinburgh). Apr 14, 2018 . Driver of overturned lorry in hospital after being rescued from Scots road crash. Ten days before he died, he recorded an interview with Chick Young which, until very recently, could be found online. They celebrated him leaving . For a nation once more proud You could hardly get a more sad, Scottish answer to my question about what happened next, after April '67. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . Well-Known Member. The man was a genus, and I dont use that term lightly. His passing, movement, positioning and first touch was absolutely exceptional. Jim Baxter/Living or Deceased. 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. The football shirt worn by Jim Baxter during Scotland's famous victory over England in 1967 could fetch up to 60,000 when it goes up for auction next month. Baxter was also addicted to gambling, and is estimated to have lost between 250,000 and 500,000. But Saturday, April 15, 1967 has stood the test of time. Livingston Women's striker confident side can pick up crucial win at Rossvale now rust is away. well, we're Scottish, and they're English, for fuck's sake.'. According to legend, Scot Symon manager at Ibrox between 1954 and 1967 became determined to sign the left-half after watching him orchestrate a win over his side in late 1959. Scotland legend "Slim Jim" famously humiliated the previous year's World Cup winners on their own hallowed turf, capping his performance with an iconic keepy-uppy display considered one of the most memorable moments in Scottish football history. [44] In the December 1999 issue of World Soccer magazine he was voted by a readers' poll into a list of the 100 greatest players of the 20th century. "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. [33] In 196869 he was not selected to play in any of the qualifiers for the 1970 World Cup. He was thicker, his jowls were heavier. As Stevie says, wee Bud Johnston did make a habit of things like that. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. [16] However England won the match 21. It was, he remembers, four days before he got home. [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. Let me declare, I wasnt there. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. [7][20] In 1961 Scotland had lost 93 to England at Wembley, and April 1962 Baxter and Crerand played brilliantly, helping Scotland to gain some revenge with a 20 win. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, In it, the author describes a chance encounter between Baxter and his father, who was then working as a barman in Nottingham. Where was Jim Baxter buried in his hometown? Jim Baxter was born at Hill O'Beath in Fife in 1939 just as war was breaking out across Europe. It was also easy to forgive him too. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". [19] In his international appearances he scored three goals, and Scotland won 21, drew 3 and lost 10 of these matches. A very rare smile, for he has seen a lot of sadness, and he carries it carefully. 17. It wasn't quite as simple as that, of course. The Binos have been one of the few sides not to play in the last couple of weeks. Thanks for your memories Neill. At one point though he puts his foot on it, gestures to McCreadie to come over for it, then walks away :(. 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. Get5 copies of the world's greatest football magazine for just 5 (opens in new tab) the game's greatest stories and finest journalism direct to your door for less than the cost of a London pint. Sven-Goran Eriksson signs for Notts County! After leaving school he spent eight months as an apprentice cabinet maker, and then worked as a coal miner. The visitors had the lead and the command of the game in the second half and Baxter, framed on the far touchline, juggled the ball towards a phalanx of England defenders, before sending an impudent flick over their heads and into the stride of Denis Law. [41], Baxter is a member of the Rangers supporters' Hall of Fame,[14] and one of the first 50 added to the Scottish Sporting Hall of Fame when it was created in 2002. Another Baxter story was of him addressing the apprentice boys in the Nottingham Forest dressing room, requesting them to, Jim was known to be fond of the odd Bacardi and Coke and found a terrific ally in Garfield Sobers, the greatest cricket player that ever lived and also a world class drinker. The way that Job stroked the ball around was just inimitable. [48][49], In 2003, a statue of Baxter was erected in his birthplace, Hill of Beath in Fife, after a campaign that raised 80,000. Baxter was from Hill of Beath, a small village in Fife which was built to the serve the mining community. 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. 'You should never go back,' he has now decided. A town mourned. [8], In the 1967 British Home Championship, Baxter produced a dominating but controversial performance for Scotland, tantalising England, who had won the World Cup in 1966,[8] by playing "keepie uppie" (ball juggling) while waiting for teammates to get into good positions. This was world champions England. 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. 20 July, 1994: Jim Baxter is just days from death in the liver transplant unit at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary after decades of hard drinking. 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. 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? One who passed through that decades football folklore like a shooting star. And even now I can watch the grainy black and white highlights again and again and watch him. "[8], In June 1960,[11] Baxter joined the Glasgow team Rangers for a transfer fee of 17,500, a Scottish record at the time. [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. One of my team asked me once who my favourite player was. Scotland won 3-2 and could, by every account, have knocked in several more with ease. Baxter was also addicted to gambling, and is estimated to have lost between 250,000 and 500,000. English football was polluted by the direct and brutish corruptions of the game played in the public schools. Glasgow council leader attacks east coast bias after Clyde fails in freeport bid. The talk was of Slim Jim and hi, s magic left foot which he self-christened The Glove. But most of all they had a Baxter in magisterial and unstoppable form. [34], Baxter is generally regarded as one of Scotland's greatest ever players. That left foot was a stunning yet delicate tool. Aye my bonnie wee lad, they did try that When you drank the heavenly elixir He had grown irritated by his salary. I know for a fact Willie Johnston used to sit on the ball. After he died of pancreatic cancer in 2001, his funeral was held in Glasgow Cathedral and his ashes were buried at Rangers Ibrox Stadium. In particular, the disparity between what a parsimonious Rangers board would pay and what could be earned south of the border rankled and would help to create an impasse. Your email address will not be published. My bonnie wee lad, the story gos like this 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. I didnt actually sit on the ball, not that game. Son, the result? Jun. Mesmerised. The Press Association arent known for breathless flair in their reporting, but they were captivated. [8] Baxter went on to play for the Fife junior team, Crossgates Primrose. He died on 14 April 2001. [7] In his time at the Kirkcaldy club he orchestrated a 32 win over Rangers at Ibrox Park; Scot Symon decided he wanted to sign him for Rangers from that performance. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". 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. Baxter won 34 caps for Scotland, but three of them stand above the rest. 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. The pair look to be high on the agenda for Michael Beale and his Ibrox recruitment drive. HMRC has also confirmed the new rates and thresholds for Child Benefit and Tax Credits. 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. James Curran Baxter (29 September 1939 14 April 2001) was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a left half. well done I dont think Ive ever seen a player with a finer touch, one so deft. One of their coaches gave a Brazil pennant to each of us who was there. After 49 appearances, he left Forest in May 1969 to return to Rangers. 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. Still some glimpses of his awesome talent though. He was formerly a regularly columnist for the FourFourTwo website, covering all aspects of the game, including tactical analysis, reaction pieces, longer-term trends and critiquing the increasingly shady business of football's financial side and authorities' decision-making.