Fabulous Baker Boy on top form

One of the most talkedabout footballers of his day was displaying his skills at Annfield in December 1959.

The legendary Joe Baker, then only 19, led Hibs to a 3-1 victory over Stirling Albion.

Joe was born in Woolton, Liverpool, but brought up in Motherwell and had made history a few months earlier when he became the first professional player to be capped for England while playing outside the English league system.

The Observer said: ‘You’re not picked to fill the centre-forward berth for England whilst playing for a Scottish club unless you are a top-class footballer. Besides scoring two of the goals, he laid on a third and still had time to go deep into his own half, collect the ball, and start his fellow forwards moving.’

The Albion team which took on Hibs was: Morrison, Mckechnie and Pettigrew; Bell, Little and

Johnstone; Colquhoun, Benvie, Gilmour, Mcphee and Ryce.

Representing Hibs that day were Wren, Grant and Mclelland; Young, Plenderleith and Baxter; Mcleod, Johnstone, Baker, Frye and Ormond.

Joe, who was 5ft 7in, was Hibs’ top scorer for four consecutive seasons between 1957 and 1961. He averaged almost a goal a game, finding the net 102 times in 117 league outings.

However, his first spell at Hibs came to an end in 1961 when he was transferred to Italian club Torino for the then massive fee of £75,000 about £1.8 million today. It was claimed he switched clubs after the Hibs’ board refused to increase his £12 a week wage (just short of £300 a week today) by £5 (now about £120).

Joe also played for Arsenal,

Notts Forest, Sunderland, Hibs for a second time and Raith Rovers and he turned out eight times for England. Joe died in October 2003, aged 63.