BAKER WON'T LOOK BACK!

NEIL BAKER completed an emotional return to hometown club Farnborough after 25 years away – and insisted it didn’t feel weird without his long-standing co-boss Jon Underwood.

- Jon Couch

The 44-year-old spent 13 years as a management partner to his former center-back partner Underwood – first at Godalming Town and then at Slough Town, where the pair racked up over 600 games in charge over nine-and-a-half seasons, guiding the Rebels from Step 4 to an established side at Step 2.

But while Underwood took over the reins at Southern League Beaconsfield Town last March, Baker opted to continue taking a break from the game to refresh following the death of his father, former Farnborough and Alder shot FC professional Keith. Now, however, Baker is back where it all began for the legendary pair after agreeing to join Spencer Day’s management team in the club’s quest to break intothe National League South play-off places.

Surroundings

Saturday’s home gamewith Dartford at Cherrywood Road marked an emotional homecoming for the local favourite, as a crowd of over 1,000 welcomed him back, 25 years after leaving the club at the end of the 1998-99 season for George Borg’s Aldershot Town.