CARL BAKER had never imagined he would go from being a player to refereeing — and certainly not that doing so would save him.
The former Coventry captain fell into a pit, without purpose, following his retirement in 2023.
He never thought of himself as someone suffering from depression, but his close family certainly did.
After a long Football League career covering more than 350 appearances, including spells at Portsmouth and MK Dons, the 42-year-old ex-midfielder struggled to get out of bed or leave the house following retirement.
The prospect of long days with nothing to do but play golf had sounded like a dream in the final days of his career, but quickly became a nightmare.
Baker even went to the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst as a caddie for two-time DP World Tour winner, Robert Rock, but still struggled at home.
It was joining the Professional Game Match Officials’ ‘Player to Match Official’ programme which proved his salvation.
Baker said: “I’d go as far as saying it was life-changing for me. I had no purpose. Nothing to wake up for. Some mornings I’d wake up at nine, ten, eleven.
“But I had no reason to get up. I was finding it really, really hard.
“For 20-odd years as a professional footballer, I’d always been told where to be and what time to be there.
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“What to eat, what kit to wear. So then all of a sudden… nothing.”
Baker says his wife, Lynsey, noticed him being snappy with her or his two children at home, while he never felt the need to leave the house.
He revealed: “I didn’t want to go out the house, probably didn’t leave the house hardly ever, like zero social life. People would call me, I wouldn’t answer my phone.
“They’d message me, I’d take two or three days to reply, just couldn’t get motivated or had no energy. It’s hard to describe.
“But when you’ve got nothing to get up for, like job-wise and purpose-wise, it is difficult. I wasn’t even having a shave, I wasn’t getting showered some days.”
Baker knew he would have to work after his playing career came to an end and delivered cars for a friend at one point.
He was also working as Rock’s caddie on a few occasions. He said: “It’s hard to describe the feeling.
“If someone would have said to me you can have 12 months off doing nothing, going and playing golf every day, I’d have thought it’s perfect. Honestly, it’s not.
“Football is all I’ve ever done since I was a young kid, so it’s difficult to get.
“People say you could have gone out and got a job and this and that. I did, I tried getting jobs and I’d done a driving job for a little bit.
“I was fortunate enough to have a friend who played professional golf.
“I was doing a bit of caddying for him, which was absolutely amazing.
“I’m so grateful for him giving me that opportunity. I don’t think he realises, because I’ve never spoken to him about it, how important it was.
“But he’s semi-retired himself now and he’s only playing four or five tournaments a year.
“When I received the original first email for this, it couldn’t have come at a better time.
“It was probably a bit of a godsend because looking back now, if I didn’t get this opportunity I don’t know where I’d be or what I would have done.”
Starting a year ago as one of the first crop on the PGMOL’s player to referee scheme, Baker has now officiated more than 40 matches and is dedicating every spare hour to being something he never thought he would be.
While it has changed his mind on how he regards officials, he still does not agree with every decision made against him during his career.
Baker said: “It is probably the last thing I thought I’d ever do.
“It’s definitely changed my view on referees. When you’re a player, you don’t realise that they’re normal people who love football. They’re good, genuine people.
“I got sent off by one and I still don’t agree with the sending-off. I was in a gym session with him in Northampton a few weeks back.
“He actually got it up on his phone and still thought it was a red — I don’t!
“So we had a little bit of banter and a laugh over it. I’ve got a new perspective and they do a really good job.”
