Alan Baker (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 22 June 1944 | ||
| Place of birth | Tipton, Staffordshire, England | ||
| Date of death | 1 January 2026 (aged 81) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1958 | Brierley Hill Schoolboys[1] | ||
| 1958–1961 | Aston Villa | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1961–1966 | Aston Villa | 92 | (13) |
| 1966–1970 | Walsall | ||
| International career | |||
| 1959 | England Schoolboys | 5 | (2) |
| Managerial career | |||
| Walsall Youth (coach) | |||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Alan "Bilko" Baker (or Allan Baker;[2] 22 June 1944 – 1 January 2026) was an English footballer who played as a forward for Walsall and Aston Villa.
Club career
Baker was born in Tipton, Staffordshire. He joined Aston Villa as a schoolboy from Brierley Hill Schoolboys in 1958.[1] He went on to debut for the club on 8 April 1961 during a 1–1 draw against Fulham, and he made 109 appearances (92 League, 17 Cup) for the club, scoring 17 goals.[3] His last appearance for Aston Villa was a 6–1 loss against Manchester United on 6 May 1966.[4][2]
Baker joined Walsall in 1967 and he suffered a knee injury on 12 September 1970 during a 2–0 victory against Tranmere Rovers in which he also scored.[5] He retired at the age of 27 as a result of the injury.[6]
International career
As part of the "Class of 1959", Baker made five appearances for England Schoolboys during 1959, debuting during the 1–1 draw against Wales on 11 April 1959.[7] His first goal came during the 3–1 victory against Northern Ireland on 17 April 1959, and his second goal came during the 2–0 victory against West Germany on 25 April 1959 where he scored the second goal.[8]
Personal life and death
His brother Peter Bunch also represented England Schoolboys four times in 1955.[7]
Baker died on 1 January 2026, at the age of 81.[6][9]
References
- ^ a b "Alan Baker AVFC stats". Jörn Mårtensson. Retrieved 26 August 2007.
- ^ a b "Tribute to Allan Baker". Aston Villa Football Club. 5 January 2026. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ^ Hayes, Dean (1997). The Villa Park Encyclopedia: A-Z of Aston Villa. Mainstream Publishing (2 Oct 1997). p. 301. ISBN 978-1-85158-959-3.
- ^ "Starting 11 & match stats of Manchester United football club first team League Division One match v opponent Aston Villa football club, played on Monday 9th May 1966 at Old Trafford stadium during the 1965-1966 season". www.mufcinfo.com. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ^ "Walsall 2-0 Tranmere Rovers". www.tranmere-web.com. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ^ a b Cox, Lewis (4 January 2026). "Walsall confirm death of former Saddlers and Aston Villa creative favourite Alan Baker". Express & Star. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
- ^ a b "England Matches - Schoolboys 1947-60". England Football Online. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ^ "ENGLISH BOYS BEAT GERMANS (1959)". British Pathé.
- ^ "To all of his loyal WFC fans it is with a heavy heart to inform you all of the passing of my father in law Alan Baker who passed away peacefully in his sleep on New Year's day at the age of 81". Walsall FC 135 Years Of History on Facebook. 2 January 2026. Retrieved 7 January 2026.