John Baber

*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.

John Baber

Appearances: 228+15 Goals: 49

Date / Year of birth: 10th October 1947

Position: Winger

Season of first appearance: 1970/71

Season of last appearance: 1977/78

Also played for: Charlton Athletic (0), Southend United (81+10,19), Canterbury City and Herne Bay

Clever, pacy Lambeth-born winger who started his career as an apprentice with Charlton and then moved on to Southend in the summer of 1966. John went on to make 91 appearances for Southend and scored 19 goals spanning the 1966/67-1970/71 seasons.

In November 1970 he joined Margate and made his debut in a 4-0 home defeat at the hands of Folkestone in the Kent Floodlight Cup on 16.11.70. At that time John's transfer hadn't actually been finalised but the move soon became permanent. He went on to make 38 appearances before the end of the 1970/71 season and scored 11 goals, making him the club's joint top scorer. John usually played on the right wing and impressed with his willingness to run with the ball and his accurate crossing. The local press described John as "ebullient" and "wily" during the campaign and he scored some memorable goals. The best of them was a solo effort in a 1-1 draw at Dover on 1.3.71, John beat three players before firing home a low drive. The Isle of Thanet Gazette described it as a "sparkling goal" and another of John's best efforts was a strike from the edge of the penalty area in a 3-0 win over King's Lynn at Hartsdown on 29.3.71.

During the 1971/72 season John really established himself as a key player in the Margate side, mostly on the right wing but occasionally on the left, and he made 59 appearances. He scored 13 goals and again many of them were high quality strikes. On 25.9.71 he lashed in a 30-yarder in a home game against Nuneaton, on 2.10.71 he scored what the local press called a "spectacular" goal as Margate won 4-3 at Telford and he also scored several other goals from distance. On 20.11.71 John featured in Margate's infamous 11-0 defeat at Bournemouth & Boscombe in the FA Cup 1st Round. He won praise in the local paper for his "lightning thrusts" down the flanks and also for his hard working style during the campaign.

The 1972/73 season wasn't such a good one for John, mainly due to him suffering several injuries. However he started the campaign in good form and had a great game in a 4-0 win over Romford on 30.9.72, scoring twice. One of the goals was a deft chip. Several match reports referred to him as being "a constant threat" and John's willingness to switch wings during matches helped him to earn that reputation. Early in November 1972 Ramsgate wanted him as part of a proposed swap deal involving the Rams' Graham Sawyer but the transfer fell through. On 18.11.72 John was in the Margate side that beat Swansea 1-0 in an FA Cup 1st Round tie at Hartsdown Park and he also played in perhaps Margate's biggest ever match - a 6-0 defeat against visitors Tottenham in the 3rd Round on 13.1.73. John ended up making a total of 35 appearances (three as sub) during the season and scored six goals. The best of them was a volley described by the Thanet Times as "cracking" in a 3-1 win at Hillingdon on 21.4.73.

John was in and out of the Margate side during the early part of the 1973/74 season but regained a regular place after Christmas 1973. He appeared on both wings and made a total of 48 appearances (two as sub), scoring nine goals. They included a solo effort in an 8-0 win over Tunbridge Wells at Hartsdown Park on 19.1.74, John beat three players before finishing with a deft chip. He also scored the winner from 25 yards as Margate beat Dartford 1-0 on 24.2.74 and the local press described John as "a livewire on the wing" during the season. On 13.4.74 he was in the side that won the Kent Senior Cup with a 2-0 win at Maidstone but at the end of the campaign he was transfer-listed.

As it turned out John stayed with the club for the 1974/75 season but he only made 20 appearances (four as sub), scoring two goals. This was principally due to a groin injury that kept him out for almost five months from September 1974 to February 1975. At the end of the season it was initially announced that John was going to be released due to doubts about his fitness.

Having addressed any concerns about his fitness he stayed with the club for the 1975/76 campaign and although John wasn't always a regular in the side he made 41 appearances during the season (six as sub). He featured on both wings and also appeared in midfield or even as a striker on occasions. John's eight goals included a 25-yarder in a 2-0 win at Eastbourne on 4.10.75 and on 6.3.76 he had a great game in midfield in a 1-1 draw at Nuneaton. The Thanet Times said that John "ran the team". On 27.3.76 he scored with a 25 yard volley in a 1-1 draw at Cambridge City.

John rounded off the campaign by playing as Margate won 2-0 at Canterbury in the 1st Leg of the Kent Floodlight Trophy Final on 22.4.76 and he then scored after coming on as a substitute in the 2nd Leg at Hartsdown Park on 24.4.76. John's extra time strike in a 2-1 defeat secured the trophy for Margate with a 3-2 aggregate win but he left the club at the end of the season after making over 240 appearances.

John then contemplated retiring from the game but Canterbury player-manager Bob Harrop persuaded him to make a comeback with City halfway through the 1976/77 campaign. John made 15 Southern League appearances for Canterbury before the end of the season and scored twice.

He then made a return to Margate at the start of the 1977/78 season and played in two Kent Senior Shield matches against Ramsgate and Ashford in August 1977. However it was the briefest of comebacks and John dropped into local amateur football afterwards.

He returned to senior football once more when he joined Herne Bay for the 1980/81 season, staying with them for the 1981/82 campaign too.

He later played for Margate Athletic in the Thanet Premier Sunday League and John played the final football of his illustrious career when he featured in two matches for Thanet Premier Sunday League side Margate Social Club during the 1989/90 season.

His son, also called John, played for Thanet United during the 1988/89 campaign.

In 2011 John was living in Westgate.

SEASON (CLUB)

FULL (MAX)

SUB

GLS

FAC

FAT

SLC

KSC

KFC

1970/71 (MFC)

38 (72)

0

11

SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (13TH OF 22)

1R

1R

SF

QF

GR

SEASON (CLUB)

FULL (MAX)

SUB

GLS

FAC

FAT

SLC

KSC

KFC

1971/72 (MFC)

59 (69)

0

13

SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (9TH OF 22)

1R

1R

SF

2R

GR

     Played in FA Cup 1st Round (20.11.71 - lost 11-0 at Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic).

SEASON (CLUB)

FULL (MAX)

SUB

GLS

FAC

FAT

SLC

KSC

KFC

1972/73 (MFC)

32 (64)

3

6

SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (7TH OF 22)

3R

3QR

1R

2R

GR

     Played in FA Cup 1st Round (18.11.72 - beat Swansea City 1-0 at home).  
     Played in FA Cup 3rd Round (13.01.73 - lost 6-0 at home to Tottenham Hotspur).

SEASON (CLUB)

FULL (MAX)

SUB

GLS

FAC

FAT

SLC

KSC

KMT

1973/74 (MFC)

46 (65)

2

9

 SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (17TH OF 22)

4QR

2R

SF

W

GR

     Played in Kent Senior Cup Final (13.04.74 - beat Maidstone United 2-0).

SEASON (CLUB)

FULL (MAX)

SUB

GLS

FAC

FAT

SLC

KSC

KMT

1974/75 (MFC)

16 (66)

4

2

SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (7TH OF 22)

4QR

2R

RU

2R

GR

     Played (as sub) in Southern League Cup Final 1st Leg (05.04.75 - lost 2-0 at home to Kettering Town).
     Played (as sub) in Southern League Cup Final 2nd Leg (12.04.75 - drew 1-1 at Kettering Town).

SEASON (CLUB)

FULL (MAX)

SUB

GLS

FAC

FAT

SLC

KSC

KFT

1975/76 (MFC)

35 (65)

6

8

SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (11TH OF 22)

3QR

2R

1R

SF

W

     Played in Kent Floodlight Trophy Final 1st Leg (22.04.76 - won 2-0 at Canterbury City).
     Played (as sub) and scored in Kent Floodlight Trophy Final 2nd Leg (24.04.76 - lost 2-1 to Canterbury City at home).

SEASON (CLUB)

FULL (MAX)

SUB

GLS

FAC

FAT

SLC

KSC

KSS

1977/78 (MFC)

2 (47)

0

0

SOUTHERN LEAGUE FIRST DIVISION (S) (1ST OF 20)

1QR

1R

1R

1R

GR

     Margate promoted to Southern League Premier Division.