'Stanley' (as he would later be nicknamed after the
Scottish comedian) started out as a player with
Glentoran before signing for
Ards in 1985. His goalscoring exploits caught the notice of
Linfield and he signed for them in 1987, winning two
Irish League championships, three
Gold Cups and a
League Cup. He scored 102 goals in 219 games for the Blues, of which 169 were starts. Unable to hold down a regular starting place, however, he signed for Crusaders in 1994. Baxter became one of the key players of Crusaders' golden team of the 90's, again winning two Irish League championships, a Gold Cup and League Cup. In 1995/96, he was named in the Football Writers' Premier League Team of the Year, and in 1996/97 he was named as the
Ulster Footballer of the Year. He then moved to Glenavon for a successful period before returning to
Seaview for a second two-year spell in 2000. Baxter was memorable for his hat-trick in a relegation play-off against
Lisburn Distillery, ensuring the Crues' survival. Baxter left Seaview a firm fan-favourite and legend status for a short spell at
Bangor, where he coached briefly and played two cup games, before retiring from football completely and opening a sports shop in
Newtownards. He played a total of 650 games in his career, and scored 303 goals. He later came out of retirement briefly in a
County Antrim Shield match against
Dundela in 2005. ==Managerial career==