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The Tragedy Of Jim Baxter.

Rockabilly

Rockabilly

GAFF LAD. "Open your knees and feel the breeze"
 
J

jdthebrit

First Team Squad
My dad met Jim Baxter at a do at the council house.
He didn't like football ( my dad, not Jim...), but the report from the night( I was 11) was that Baxter was a very nice man.
2 hard drinking Scottish working class derived influencers together, so maybe not difficult to have a friendly chat.
Both much loved by their families, so I wouldn't call it a tragedy.

Sent from my moto g53 5G using Tapatalk
 
duncanmckenzie

duncanmckenzie

First Team Squad
A subject very close to my heart. We all know we paid well over the odds for a fading footballer but to me as a 15 year old to have a World class player sign for my club was unreal. About a year ago when I went up to see Stenhousemuir I stayed in nearby Falkirk as it was a lot cheaper than Edinburgh where I would normally stay. After the game I went into The Wheatsheaf in Falkirk wearing my Stenny scarf and a few of the locals asked about the game and when I answered they asked whereabouts in England I was from. On my reply one or two said the obvious " Tell us a Cloughie story" so I did. I also noticed that they were all wearing Rangers colours and when I told them I saw Jim Baxter play quite a few said You did nae. I did I replied stressing that he was over the hill by then but on occasions the magic was still there. Bearing in mind the reputation of Scotsmen two or three asked, nay demanded I had a drink with them and told their pals " Hey Hughie this fella saw Jim Baxter" He did nae again, get him a drink. I was talking to a former England international by the name of Ray Crawford a while ago. I've met him a few times and been to his house in Portsmouth and when I mentioned Jim Ray said " His left foot could talk". One more before I get me brekky. The Forest half back line was Hennessey, McKinlay, Baxter and on the team sheet one time a player had written brandy after Hennessey as it is the name of a brandy, Whisky after McKinlay likewise and Bacardi after Baxter because that was his staple diet. I could go on but my memories of James Curran Baxter are fond. There's a statue of him in Hill of Beath near to Cowdenbeath that I intend to visit next time I'm there.
 
Rockabilly

Rockabilly

GAFF LAD. "Open your knees and feel the breeze"
duncanmckenzie said:
A subject very close to my heart. We all know we paid well over the odds for a fading footballer but to me as a 15 year old to have a World class player sign for my club was unreal. About a year ago when I went up to see Stenhousemuir I stayed in nearby Falkirk as it was a lot cheaper than Edinburgh where I would normally stay. After the game I went into The Wheatsheaf in Falkirk wearing my Stenny scarf and a few of the locals asked about the game and when I answered they asked whereabouts in England I was from. On my reply one or two said the obvious " Tell us a Cloughie story" so I did. I also noticed that they were all wearing Rangers colours and when I told them I saw Jim Baxter play quite a few said You did nae. I did I replied stressing that he was over the hill by then but on occasions the magic was still there. Bearing in mind the reputation of Scotsmen two or three asked, nay demanded I had a drink with them and told their pals " Hey Hughie this fella saw Jim Baxter" He did nae again, get him a drink. I was talking to a former England international by the name of Ray Crawford a while ago. I've met him a few times and been to his house in Portsmouth and when I mentioned Jim Ray said " His left foot could talk". One more before I get me brekky. The Forest half back line was Hennessey, McKinlay, Baxter and on the team sheet one time a player had written brandy after Hennessey as it is the name of a brandy, Whisky after McKinlay likewise and Bacardi after Baxter because that was his staple diet. I could go on but my memories of James Curran Baxter are fond. There's a statue of him in Hill of Beath near to Cowdenbeath that I intend to visit next time I'm there.
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Nice one Trev, some great little stories there, cheers. 🍻
 
C

Cloughie1975

John Robertson
duncanmckenzie said:
He was playing for Sunderland C1975. I think he kicked Peter Grummitt
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You mean 1965,Duncan-he was apparently sent off in December playing for Sunderland
for striking Sammy Chapman.
Brave man!
This was just before my time watching Forest but I well recall Baxter signing at the end
of 1967 in a blaze of publicity.
I don’t recall Baxter being sent off playing for Forest.
 
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duncanmckenzie

duncanmckenzie

First Team Squad
Cloughie1975 said:
You mean 1965,Duncan-he was apparently sent off in December playing for Sunderland
for striking Sammy Chapman.
Brave man!
This was just before my time watching Forest but I well recall Baxter signing at the end
of 1967 in a blaze of publicity.
I don’t recall Baxter being sent off playing for Forest.
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Can I apologise I was abbreviating your username to C1975. I thought, as did a few, that he'd be the final piece of the 66/67 team to take us to the next level instead he took some of the players to the next available bar. The Cult Heroes book I gave you tells a story or two about not so slim Jim. Interesting fact. The weekend after he passed away there was a banner at Celtic Park of all places that read Slim Jim Simply The Best. Praise indeed!!!
 
valspoodle

valspoodle

Steve Chettle
Interesting that they say on Wikipedia that he served on National Service 1961 to '63.

I signed as a regular in November 1960 and the final groups of National Servicemen in England and also presumably Scotland (Jim was in the Black Watch, a Scottish regt)) joined at the same time as me. Training finished in 1961 so perhaps that might be the answer to the start date.

National Service was normally 2 years, but the last groups had to do an extra 6 months. which would have taken their service from November 1962 into 1963, making the dates given in Slim Jim's Wiki entry sort of correct.
 
C

Cloughie1975

John Robertson
Otis Redding said:
I remember him scoring a screamer from outside the box that day. To say the Boothen End got a bit lively in response to his goal is an understatement.
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Talking of Jim Baxter against Stoke-I saw him play against them at Meadow Lane in 1968
(following the Main Stand fire).He brought down an aerial ball in one touch,swivelled
his hips and left 2 or 3 players for dead in one movement-as a boy I couldn’t believe
it was possible.
Obviously a great talent but past his best by the time he came to Forest.
 
duncanmckenzie

duncanmckenzie

First Team Squad
I've got a very good book about Jim Baxter and on the famous day v Manchester United when we had our biggest crowd it says Johnny Carey went up to Jim in the dressing room and said Listen to the crowd out there Jim, this is your stage to show how good a player you are. And apparently Jim just looked up at Carey and started singing Those were the days my friend.
 
Otis Redding

Otis Redding

Try A Little Tenderness
duncanmckenzie said:
I've got a very good book about Jim Baxter and on the famous day v Manchester United when we had our biggest crowd it says Johnny Carey went up to Jim in the dressing room and said Listen to the crowd out there Jim, this is your stage to show how good a player you are. And apparently Jim just looked up at Carey and started singing Those were the days my friend.
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Indeed. It was the signing of Baxter against his wishes that signalled the end for Johnny Carey, a good manager. Everyone could see that even if there were all-too-brief glimpses of his undoubted skill, Jim was essentially washed-up.
 
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