Jim BAXTER | 1960-1964 | PES Stats Database (Golden Era Backup)

BAXTER PES STATS | 1960-1964

Brezza Name: James Curran Baxter Jim BAXTER | 1960-1964 Club: Glasgow Rangers Era: 1964-66 Number: 6 Position: *CM, SM, AM Nationality: Scottish Age: 23 Foot: L Side: L Length: 188 Weight: 74 Attack: 80 Defence: 60 Balance: 86 Stamina: 83 Top Speed: 80 Acceleration: 79 Response: 83 Agility: 84 Dribble Accuracy: 90 Dribble Speed: 78 Short Pass Accuracy: 89 Short Pass Speed: 86 Long Pass Acc: 92 Long Pass Speed: 86 Shot Accuracy: 78 Shot Power: 87 Shot Technique: 80 Free Kick Accuracy: 83 Curling: 79 Header: 79 Jump: 73 Technique: 90 Aggression: 83 Mentality: 78 Keeper Skills: 50 Team Work: 87 Injury Tolerance: C Condition/Fitness: 6 Weak Foot Accuracy: 5 Weak Foot frequency: 5 Consistency: 7 * Dribbling * Tactical Dribble * Playmaking * Passing * Sliding Video: http://www.youtube.com/v/4RyCt1B5RXk James Baxter, was a left-footed Scottish midfielder who is regarded by some as the country's greatest ever football player. He was born, educated and started his career in Fife, but his peak playing years were in the early 1960s with the Glasgow club Rangers, whom he helped to win ten trophies between 1960 and 1965, and where he became known as ''Slim Jim''. However he started drinking heavily during a four-month layoff caused by a leg fracture in December 1964, his fitness suffered, and he was transferred to Sunderland in summer 1965. In two and a half years at Sunderland he played 98 games and scored 12 goals, becoming known for drinking himself unconscious the night before a match and playing well the next day. From 1961 to 1967 he was a leading member of a strong Scottish international team that lost only once to England, in 1965, shortly after he recovered from the leg fracture. He thought his best international performance was a 2–1 win against England in 1963, when he scored both goals after Scotland were reduced to 10 players by an injury. In the 1967 match against England, who had won the 1966 World Cup, he taunted the opposition by ball juggling while waiting for his team-mates to find good positions. Although he was given most of the credit for the 3–2 win, some commentators wished he had made an effort to run up a bigger score. In his prime Baxter was known for his ability to raise a team's morale, his good tactical vision, precise passing and ability to send opponents the wrong way. According to many commentators, his greatest performances were against England in 1963 and 1967. Baxter regarded his performance in 1963 as the better of the two. In the 1963 game Scotland were reduced to 10 men when their left back Eric Caldow's leg was broken in a tackle – substitutions were not allowed in those days. Baxter, supported by Dave Mackay, Jim White and Denis Law, led Scotland to a 2–1 win, scoring both of the goals, the first being Baxter's first-ever penalty kick, for an English foul on Willie Henderson. Bobby Moore thought this was the best team Scotland ever fielded. In the 1967 British Home Championship Baxter produced a dominating but controversial performance for Scotland, tantalising England, who had won the World Cup in 1966, by playing ''keepie uppie'' (ball juggling) while waiting for team-mates to get into good positions. Some commentators accepted that humiliating the opposition was a valid objective, while others regarded it as childish and thought Scotland should have won a more convincing victory than the actual 3–2 scoreline.Team-mate Denis Law expressed opinions on both sides of this debate, saying that Baxter was ''the best player on the park'' and the main reason for the Scots' victory,] but complaining that Baxter's lack of urgency had prevented Scotland from thoroughly avenging the 9–3 defeat in April 1961. Alex Ferguson said Baxter's performance ''could have been set to music''. As Scotland were the first team to beat England after the 1966 FIFA World Cup, the Tartan Army proclaimed themselves ''unofficial world champions In October 1963, which may have been Baxter's best year overall, he played in the ''rest of the world'' in a match against England to celebrate the centenary of The Football Association. He came on to the field in the second half, and his performance won the admiration of Ferenc Puskás and Pele However England won the match 2–1. Baxter was noted for accurate passes, for sending opponents the wrong way with a swivel of his hips, and for inspiring team-mates with his confident approach. Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson described Baxter as ''arguably the best player to play in Scottish football'' and ''the greatest player I ever played with ... He had touch, balance vision and just this wonderful aura ...'' Rangers manager Willie Waddell said, ''Jim was the finest left half ever produced by Rangers.'' Jimmy Johnstone, who played for Ranger's great rivals Celtic, said shortly after Baxter's death, ''He was a great man and a genius on the ball. Allegedly Pelé once said that Baxter should have been a Brazilian. After Baxter's performance in the 1963 ''rest of the world'' vs England match, Ferenc Puskás asked, ''Where have you been hiding? Baxter attracted attention by his stylish play, controlling the game with ''unhurried artistry'' and refusing to conform with the ''efficient'' style that dominated English football or the energetic, physical style that was typical of Rangers at the time. He described his approach as ''treating the ball like a woman. Give it a cuddle, caress it a wee bit, take your time, and you'll get the required response''. Although Rangers insisted that players tuck their shirts completely into their shorts, Baxter always let part of his dangle over his left hip. He was also noted as a joker on the pitch.[2] After the replay of the Scottish Cup Final against Celtic in 1963 he stuffed the match ball up his shirt and later gave it to a new member of the team. The SFA insisted that the ball should be returned, and Rangers sent them a ball, but possibly not the match ball. In 2003 a statue of Baxter was erected in his birthplace, Hill of Beath in Fife, after a campaign that raised £80,000 _________________ Alan Hansen wrote: How come Liverpool games are on last at the moment? Gary Lineker wrote: Midtable clashes aren't as exciting Updated DA Jim BAXTER | 1960-1964 | PES Stats Database (Golden Era Backup)