Archie Baird

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Archie Baird
Personal information
Full nameArchibald MacKechnie Baird[1]
Date of birth(1919-05-08)8 May 1919
Place of birthRutherglen, Scotland
Date of death3 November 2009(2009-11-03) (aged 90)
Place of deathAberdeen, Scotland
PositionInside forward
Youth career
Rutherglen Glencairn
Strathclyde
1938–1939Aberdeen
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1940→ Leeds United (guest)[2]1(0)
1946–1953Aberdeen104(26)
1953–1956St Johnstone77(3)
Total182(29)
International career
1946Scotland1(0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Archibald MacKechnie Baird (8 May 1919 – 3 November 2009) was a Scottish footballer, who played for Aberdeen and St Johnstone. He was also capped once by the Scotland national football team.

Playing career

[edit]

Baird was born in Rutherglen.[3] Having played for local Junior clubs in the area, he signed for Aberdeen before the Second World War (along with Willie Waddell, although it was the other player of the same name who had been his teammate at Strathclyde), but the war started before he had made the first team.[4] He joined the British Army, but was captured and held as a prisoner of war.[4] He escaped and lived with an Italian family as their "son". In 1989, he published an autobiography, Family of Four, which described these experiences.[4]

Baird returned to Aberdeen before the end of the war.[4] His good form in this period earned him selection for Scotland in a friendly match against Belgium in early 1946.[4] Baird was one of nine Scotland players making their international debut in the match, with only Jimmy Delaney having significant experience.[5] Of those nine debutants, five players did not make another international appearance, including Baird.[5]

Baird helped Aberdeen win the Southern League Cup (a forerunner of the Scottish League Cup) in 1946 and the 1947 Scottish Cup, but his appearances were restricted by injuries.[4] In all he made 104 league appearances for Aberdeen, scoring 26 goals in those matches. He was transferred in 1953 to St Johnstone, where he played for three seasons before retiring in 1956.[4]

Later life and family

[edit]

After retiring as a player, Baird worked as a teacher and a sports journalist.[4] His sister, journalist Mamie Baird, married TV broadcaster Magnus Magnusson; Archie is the uncle of their children, TV producer Jon Magnusson and TV news presenter Sally Magnusson.

Baird celebrated his 90th birthday in May 2009,[6] at which point he was Aberdeen's oldest living former player; he died quietly in his sleep on 3 November 2009.[1]

Career statistics

[edit]

Club

[edit]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[7][8]
ClubSeasonLeagueNational CupLeague CupTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Leeds United1939–40North East League1*000001*0
Aberdeen1938–39Scottish Division One00000000
1939–4000000000
1944–45No league football was played during the Second World War
1945–46
1946–47Scottish Division One1463021197
1947–481332074227
1948–4971000071
1949–501865000236
1950–51275311044010
1951–522354100276
1952–5320004060
Total1042617223914437
St Johnstone1953–54Scottish Division Two----
1954–55----
1955–56----
Total773----77+3+
Career total1822917+2+23+9+222+40+

* Unofficial wartime appearances

International

[edit]
Appearances and goals by national team and year[9]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Scotland194610
Total10

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Baird, Archie (1989). Family of Four. Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 1-85158-235-5.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Ponting, Ivan (1 December 2009). "Archie Baird: Footballer who escaped from POW camp before helping Aberdeen to post-war triumphs". The Independent. London. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  2. ^ "Leeds United Wartime Guest Profiles - Archie Baird". Leeds United FC History. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  3. ^ "Archie Baird". The Scotsman. 5 November 2009. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Archie Baird – A Squad, Scottish Football Association.
  5. ^ a b Wed 23 Jan 1946 Scotland 2 Belgium 2, London Hearts.
  6. ^ Birthday milestone for Archie Archived 26 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Aberdeen Evening Express (8 May 2009)
  7. ^ "Leeds United F.C. History". www.ozwhitelufc.net.au. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  8. ^ "Aberdeen Football Club Heritage Trust - Player Profile". afcheritage.org. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  9. ^ "Archie Baird | Scotland | Scottish FA". www.scottishfa.co.uk. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Archie_Baird&oldid=1255207869"

    Archie Baird
    Personal information
    Full nameArchibald MacKechnie Baird[1]
    Date of birth(1919-05-08)8 May 1919
    Place of birthRutherglen, Scotland
    Date of death3 November 2009(2009-11-03) (aged 90)
    Place of deathAberdeen, Scotland
    PositionInside forward
    Youth career
    Rutherglen Glencairn
    Strathclyde
    1938–1939Aberdeen
    Senior career*
    YearsTeamApps(Gls)
    1940→ Leeds United (guest)[2]1(0)
    1946–1953Aberdeen104(26)
    1953–1956St Johnstone77(3)
    Total182(29)
    International career
    1946Scotland1(0)
    * Club domestic league appearances and goals

    Archibald MacKechnie Baird (8 May 1919 – 3 November 2009) was a Scottish footballer, who played for Aberdeen and St Johnstone. He was also capped once by the Scotland national football team.

    Playing career

    Baird was born in Rutherglen.[3] Having played for local Junior clubs in the area, he signed for Aberdeen before the Second World War (along with Willie Waddell, although it was the other player of the same name who had been his teammate at Strathclyde), but the war started before he had made the first team.[4] He joined the British Army, but was captured and held as a prisoner of war.[4] He escaped and lived with an Italian family as their "son". In 1989, he published an autobiography, Family of Four, which described these experiences.[4]

    Baird returned to Aberdeen before the end of the war.[4] His good form in this period earned him selection for Scotland in a friendly match against Belgium in early 1946.[4] Baird was one of nine Scotland players making their international debut in the match, with only Jimmy Delaney having significant experience.[5] Of those nine debutants, five players did not make another international appearance, including Baird.[5]

    Baird helped Aberdeen win the Southern League Cup (a forerunner of the Scottish League Cup) in 1946 and the 1947 Scottish Cup, but his appearances were restricted by injuries.[4] In all he made 104 league appearances for Aberdeen, scoring 26 goals in those matches. He was transferred in 1953 to St Johnstone, where he played for three seasons before retiring in 1956.[4]

    Later life and family

    After retiring as a player, Baird worked as a teacher and a sports journalist.[4] His sister, journalist Mamie Baird, married TV broadcaster Magnus Magnusson; Archie is the uncle of their children, TV producer Jon Magnusson and TV news presenter Sally Magnusson.

    Baird celebrated his 90th birthday in May 2009,[6] at which point he was Aberdeen's oldest living former player; he died quietly in his sleep on 3 November 2009.[1]

    Career statistics

    Club

    Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[7][8]
    ClubSeasonLeagueNational CupLeague CupTotal
    DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
    Leeds United1939–40North East League1*000001*0
    Aberdeen1938–39Scottish Division One00000000
    1939–4000000000
    1944–45No league football was played during the Second World War
    1945–46
    1946–47Scottish Division One1463021197
    1947–481332074227
    1948–4971000071
    1949–501865000236
    1950–51275311044010
    1951–522354100276
    1952–5320004060
    Total1042617223914437
    St Johnstone1953–54Scottish Division Two----
    1954–55----
    1955–56----
    Total773----77+3+
    Career total1822917+2+23+9+222+40+

    * Unofficial wartime appearances

    International

    Appearances and goals by national team and year[9]
    National teamYearAppsGoals
    Scotland194610
    Total10

    Bibliography

    • Baird, Archie (1989). Family of Four. Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 1-85158-235-5.

    References

    1. ^ a b Ponting, Ivan (1 December 2009). "Archie Baird: Footballer who escaped from POW camp before helping Aberdeen to post-war triumphs". The Independent. London. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
    2. ^ "Leeds United Wartime Guest Profiles - Archie Baird". Leeds United FC History. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
    3. ^ "Archie Baird". The Scotsman. 5 November 2009. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
    4. ^ a b c d e f g h Archie Baird – A Squad, Scottish Football Association.
    5. ^ a b Wed 23 Jan 1946 Scotland 2 Belgium 2, London Hearts.
    6. ^ Birthday milestone for Archie Archived 26 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Aberdeen Evening Express (8 May 2009)
    7. ^ "Leeds United F.C. History". www.ozwhitelufc.net.au. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
    8. ^ "Aberdeen Football Club Heritage Trust - Player Profile". afcheritage.org. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
    9. ^ "Archie Baird | Scotland | Scottish FA". www.scottishfa.co.uk. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
    • Archie Baird at the Scottish Football Association
    • London Hearts profile
    • Archie Baird at WorldFootball.net
    • Archie Baird at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database
    • AFC Heritage profile
    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Archie_Baird&oldid=1255207869"