Background
Baldwin was born in Gateshead and played for Wrekenton Juniors before joining Arsenal.
Baldwin was born in Gateshead and played for Wrekenton Juniors before joining Arsenal.
He was capped twice by England at under-23 level He turned professional in 1962, and made his league debut in the 3–0 defeat of Birmingham City in April 1965. In September 1966, he scored Arsenal"s first ever goal in the League Cup competition, shortly before transferring to Chelsea in part-exchange for George Graham in 1966.
Playing in an attacking role, he scored 17 goals in his first season, including one on his debut against Manchester City, and played in the 1967 Final as Chelsea lost 2–1 to Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley.
He scored 16 goals in each of the next two seasons, but those years finished trophy-less. Injuries, loss of form and disagreements with manager Dave Sexton over his social activities combined to reduce his opportunities to play, and after spells on loan at Manchester United and Millwall, in non-league football with Gravesend & Northfleet, and on non-contract terms at Brentford, he joined the coaching staff at Brentford.
He had made a total of 239 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 91 goals. In 1975, Baldwin played for the Seattle Sounders of the North American Soccer League.
In 1976, the Sounders traded the rights to Baldwin to the Vancouver Whitecaps in exchange for Chris Bennett, but Baldwin did not sign with Vancouver.