| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kevin Mark Patrick Baron | ||
| Date of birth | 19 July 1926 | ||
| Place of birth | Preston, England | ||
| Date of death | 5 June 1971 (aged 44) | ||
| Place of death | Ipswich, England | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1942–1944 | Preston North End | ||
| 1944–1945 | Liverpool | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1945–1954 | Liverpool | 140 | (32) |
| 1954–1958 | Southend United | 138 | (45) |
| 1958–1959 | Northampton Town | 25 | (4) |
| 1959 | Gravesend & Northfleet | ||
| 1959–1960 | Wisbech Town | ||
| 1960–1961 | Aldershot | 6 | (0) |
| 1961 | Cambridge City | ||
| 1961–1962 | Bedford Town | ||
| 1962–1963 | Maldon Town | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Kevin Baron (19 July 1926 – 5 June 1971) was a professional footballer who played for Liverpool in the post-war years.
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Born at Preston, Lancashire, England, Baron played as an amateur for hometown club Preston before he was signed for Liverpool by George Kay in August 1945. He made his debut on 5 January 1946 in Liverpool's first competitive game after the conclusion of World War ll; it was an FA Cup 3rd round 1st leg match at Sealand Road Chester, and was a debut to remember for Baron. Not only did the Reds beat Chester City 2-0, Baron made his debut alongside Liverpool legend Billy Liddell. Baron's first goal came on 8 November 1947 in a league match at Anfield. Grimsby Town were the visitors and Baron's 77th-minute strike secured the points in a 3-1 victory.
Being a youngster didn't help Baron during the championship winning season of 1946/47 as the side was pretty much stable and it would have taken something extraordinary to break into it. The following season wasn't much better either, as Baron was only able to play six times.
Baron finally established himself as a first team regular in the 1949/50 season, the inside-forward only missed 4 of the 42 league games scoring 7 times, he also appeared in all 7 FA Cup ties scoring in the 3-1 4th round win over Exeter City at Anfield. The final was a mixture of emotions for Baron and the Reds, from being on a high for being part of the squad that took Liverpool to their first ever Wembley final to feeling the heartache of defeat after Arsenal won the match 2-0.
Baron's appearances took a downward turn during the 1950/51 season, but he won his spot back for the following campaign and only finished second to Liddell in the appearance chart, Liddell with 43 (40 league, 3 cup) and Baron with 41 (40 league, 1 cup). Kevin also chipped in with 6 goals.
He went on to appear another 44 times over the next 2 seasons without really setting Anfield alight. Baron was allowed to leave Liverpool in May 1954; he moved on to Southend. He later played for Northampton Town, before dropping into non-league football with Gravesend & Northfleet, Wisbech Town, Aldershot, Cambridge City, Bedford Town and Maldon Town.
He died in June 1971, when still only 44 years old.
18 years after Kevin's death, his older brother Gerard was the oldest victim of the Hillsborough disaster on 15 April 1989, when 94 Liverpool fans were crushed to death at the FA Cup semi-final (the death toll eventually reached 96).