Rocky Baptiste

Infobox Football biography
playername = Rocky Baptiste


birthname = Jairzinho Baptiste
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1972|7|8
cityofbirth = London
countryofbirth = England
height = height|ft=6|in=1
position = Forward
currentclub = Maidenhead United
clubnumber =
youthyears =
youthclubs = Chelsea
Brentford
Wealdstone
years = 2000
2000–2001
2001
2001–2003
2003–2004
2004–2005
2005
2005–
clubs = Hayes
Luton Town
→ Hayes (loan)
Farnborough Town
Stevenage Borough
Margate
Gravesend & Northfleet
Havant & Waterlooville
caps(goals) = 014 0(6)
003 0(0)
007 0(5)
044 (15)
018 0(4)
042 (12) 000 0(0) 118 (70)
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =
pcupdate =
ntupdate =

Rocky Baptiste (born 8 July 1972) is a football player of Maidenhead United.

Born in London, he went to secondary school at Neasden High School. Baptiste was a junior at Chelsea and Brentford, but failed to earn a professional contract. After initially playing for Wealdstone, Baptiste made his breakthrough with Hayes in 2000, where he scored 6 goals in 14 league games and caught the eye of Luton Town. At a struggling Luton, he made three league substitute appearances without scoring. When Joe Kinnear became manager, Baptiste fell out of favour and made a return to Hayes on loan for the rest of the season.

During the close season, Baptiste signed for Farnborough Town, where he stayed for two years scoring a total of 19 goals in 48 appearances, including Farnborough's lone strike in the FA Cup fourth round defeat to Arsenal. In the summer of 2003, Baptiste joined Stevenage Borough, following manager Graham Westley's move, where he stayed until February 2004 scoring 4 league goals. Baptiste moved on to Margate, scoring five goals. After a short spell with Gravesend & Northfleet, Baptiste moved to Havant & Waterlooville in August 2005. He became a popular figure at Westleigh Park, but came under fire when his personal and language difficulties with teammate Guy Lopez caused the French midfielder to leave the club. Most notably, Baptiste scored the equaliser at the Liberty Stadium that forced a replay with Swansea City in the 3rd round of the 2008 FA Cup. He also went on to score in the shock 4-2 replay victory that helped them into the fourth round against Liverpool. In September 2008 he left Havant & Waterlooville to play for Maidenhead United.

External links

* [http://www.havantandwaterlooville.net/stats/player.asp?p=150 Profile at Havant & Waterlooville official website]
*soccerbase|id=21996
* [http://www.soccerfactsuk.co.uk/player_details.php?playerid=2169 Profile at soccerfactsuk.co.uk]
* [http://www.lutonfc.com/playerprofile.asp?PlayerID=33 Fans memory of Baptiste at lutonfc.com]