Aldershot Town Football Club are deeply saddened by the news of the passing of former player/Assistant Manager Keith Baker.
An experienced and popular defender within the footballing community, youth trials with Crystal Palace, Fulham and Ipswich followed before signing for Hounslow Town in August 1971 and made his debut at just 16 years old.
A year later, Baker joined Ruislip Manor, alongside a trial with Leyton Orient before moving onto Molesey in August 1973. Spells with Southall, Ealing Borough, Staines Town and Egham Town followed before joining Farnborough Town in September 1984, which saw Baker win the Isthmian League Division One in his first season.
A spell with Egham followed in 1988 before returning to Boro and earning promotion again before moving onto Chesham United in until December 1990, which saw the defender move back to Farnborough and achieve a title-winning (Southern League Premier Division) season again and also an impressive FA Cup run to match that year too.
The start of Aldershot Town is where Keith’s affiliation with The Shots started, becoming the club’s first player-Assistant Manager and wore the number six shirt in the club’s first-ever game against Clapton. His influence in the first season was clear, resulting in a League title and reaching the FA Vase Quarter-Final stage. This was followed by another promotion for Aldershot Town and Keith Baker individually, with the defender’s effort rewarded with a joint Player of the Year award with Steve Harris in 1993-94.
The Shots’ second season (1993-94) also saw Baker claim another record, becoming the club’s oldest-ever goal-scorer at 39 years and 35 days when playing against Leatherhead in March of that season.
During his time with the club, Baker is now remembered as one of our ELM Centurions (players who have made 100 appearances for Aldershot Town), with his name already etched on our ELM Centurions Board in our ELM Centurions Lounge, having made 137 appearances for The Shots, scoring twice.
Baker would move back to Farnborough for a fourth spell in January 1995 before finishing his career at Fleet Town in their 1996-97 season.
We offer our deepest condolences to Keith’s family and friends at this extremely difficult moment in time.
For today’s game against Weymouth FC, our players will also be wearing black armbands to show our respects to Keith during today’s fixture.
He will be greatly missed by all and everyone involved at Aldershot Town is truly heartbroken.
