Archie Baird

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Archie Baird

| image =

| caption =

| fullname = Archibald MacKechnie Baird{{cite news|last1=Ponting|first1=Ivan|title=Archie Baird: Footballer who escaped from POW camp before helping Aberdeen to post-war triumphs|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/archie-baird-footballer-who-escaped-from-pow-camp-before-helping-aberdeen-to-postwar-triumphs-1831675.html|accessdate=10 November 2014|work=The Independent|location=London|date=1 December 2009}}

| birth_date = {{birth date|1919|5|8|df=y}}

| birth_place = Rutherglen, Scotland

| death_date = {{death date and age|2009|11|3|1919|5|8|df=y}}

| death_place = Aberdeen, Scotland

| height =

| position = Inside forward

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Rutherglen Glencairn

| youthyears2 =

| youthclubs2 = Strathclyde

| youthyears3 = 1938–1939

| youthclubs3 = Aberdeen

| years1 = 1940

| clubs1 = → Leeds United (guest){{cite web|url=http://www.ozwhitelufc.net.au/players_profiles/B/BairdA.php|title=Leeds United Wartime Guest Profiles - Archie Baird|accessdate=13 May 2017|publisher=Leeds United FC History}}

| caps1 = 1

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 1946–1953

| clubs2 = Aberdeen

| caps2 = 104

| goals2 = 26

| years3 = 1953–1956

| clubs3 = St Johnstone

| caps3 = 77

| goals3 = 3

| totalcaps = 182

| totalgoals = 29

| nationalyears1 = 1946

| nationalteam1 = Scotland

| nationalcaps1 = 1

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| medaltemplates =

}}

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.{{cite news|url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/archie-baird-2443235|title=Archie Baird|date=5 November 2009|newspaper=The Scotsman|access-date=4 November 2022}} 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. He joined the British Army, but was captured and held as a prisoner of war. He escaped and lived with an Italian family as their "son". In 1989, he published an autobiography, Family of Four, which described these experiences.

Baird returned to Aberdeen before the end of the war. His good form in this period earned him selection for Scotland in a friendly match against Belgium in early 1946. Baird was one of nine Scotland players making their international debut in the match, with only Jimmy Delaney having significant experience.[http://londonhearts.com/scotland/games/19460123.html Wed 23 Jan 1946 Scotland 2 Belgium 2], London Hearts. Of those nine debutants, five players did not make another international appearance, including Baird.

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. 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.

Later life and family

After retiring as a player, Baird worked as a teacher and a sports journalist.[http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/player_details.cfm?playerid=112890 Archie Baird – A Squad], Scottish Football Association. 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,[http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/Article.aspx/1203961 Birthday milestone for Archie] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726214424/http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/Article.aspx/1203961 |date=26 July 2011 }} Aberdeen Evening Express (8 May 2009) at which point he was Aberdeen's oldest living former player; he died quietly in his sleep on 3 November 2009.

Career statistics

= Club =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+Appearances and goals by club, season and competition{{Cite web \|title=Leeds United F.C. History \|url=http://www.ozwhitelufc.net.au/players_profiles/B/BairdA.php \|access-date=2023-03-26 \|website=www.ozwhitelufc.net.au}}{{Cite web \|title=Aberdeen Football Club Heritage Trust - Player Profile \|url=https://afcheritage.org/Team/CurrentSquad/player_show.cfm?player_id=66 \|access-date=2023-03-26 \|website=afcheritage.org}} ! rowspan="2" \|Club ! rowspan="2" \|Season ! colspan="3" \|League ! colspan="2" \|National Cup ! colspan="2" \|League Cup ! colspan="2" \|Total
Division !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals
Leeds United \|1939–40 \|North East League \|1* \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|1* \|0
rowspan="12" \|Aberdeen \|1938–39 \| rowspan="2" \|Scottish Division One \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0
1939–40 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0
1944–45 \| colspan="9" rowspan="2" \|No league football was played during the Second World War
1945–46
1946–47 \| rowspan="7" \|Scottish Division One \|14 \|6 \|3 \|0 \|2 \|1 \|19 \|7
1947–48 \|13 \|3 \|2 \|0 \|7 \|4 \|22 \|7
1948–49 \|7 \|1 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|7 \|1
1949–50 \|18 \|6 \|5 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|23 \|6
1950–51 \|27 \|5 \|3 \|1 \|10 \|4 \|40 \|10
1951–52 \|23 \|5 \|4 \|1 \|0 \|0 \|27 \|6
1952–53 \|2 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|4 \|0 \|6 \|0
colspan="2" \|Total !104 !26 !17 !2 !23 !9 !144 !37
rowspan="4" \|St Johnstone \|1953–54 \| rowspan="3" \|Scottish Division Two \| \| \| - \| - \| - \| - \| \|
1954–55 \| \| \| - \| - \| - \| - \| \|
1955–56 \| \| \| - \| - \| - \| - \| \|
colspan="2" \|Total !77 !3 !- !- !- !- !77+ !3+
colspan="3" \|Career total !182 !29 !17+ !2+ !23+ !9+ !222+ !40+

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+Appearances and goals by club, season and competition{{Cite web |title=Leeds United F.C. History |url=http://www.ozwhitelufc.net.au/players_profiles/B/BairdA.php |access-date=2023-03-26 |website=www.ozwhitelufc.net.au}}{{Cite web |title=Aberdeen Football Club Heritage Trust - Player Profile |url=https://afcheritage.org/Team/CurrentSquad/player_show.cfm?player_id=66 |access-date=2023-03-26 |website=afcheritage.org}}

! rowspan="2" |Club

! rowspan="2" |Season

! colspan="3" |League

! colspan="2" |National Cup

! colspan="2" |League Cup

! colspan="2" |Total

Division

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals

Leeds United

|1939–40

|North East League

|1*

rowspan="12" |Aberdeen

|1938–39

| rowspan="2" |Scottish Division One

1939–40

1944–45

| colspan="9" rowspan="2" |No league football was played during the Second World War

1945–46

1946–47

| rowspan="7" |Scottish Division One

|14

|19

1947–48

|13

|22

1948–49

1949–50

|18

|23

1950–51

|27

|10

|40

|10

1951–52

|23

|27

1952–53

colspan="2" |Total

!104

!26

!17

!23

!144

!37

rowspan="4" |St Johnstone

|1953–54

| rowspan="3" |Scottish Division Two

| -

1954–55

| -

1955–56

| -

colspan="2" |Total

!77

!77+

!3+

colspan="3" |Career total

!182

!29

!17+

!2+

!23+

!9+

!222+

!40+

* Unofficial wartime appearances

= International =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+Appearances and goals by national team and year{{Cite web \|title=Archie Baird {{!}} Scotland {{!}} Scottish FA \|url=https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/players/?pid=112890 \|access-date=2023-03-26 \|website=www.scottishfa.co.uk}} !National team !Year !Apps !Goals
Scotland \|1946 \|1 \|0
colspan="2" \|Total !1 !0

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+Appearances and goals by national team and year{{Cite web |title=Archie Baird {{!}} Scotland {{!}} Scottish FA |url=https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/players/?pid=112890 |access-date=2023-03-26 |website=www.scottishfa.co.uk}}

!National team

!Year

!Apps

!Goals

Scotland

|1946

colspan="2" |Total

Bibliography

{{cite book| last=Baird | first=Archie | title=Family of Four | publisher=Mainstream Publishing | year=1989 | isbn=1-85158-235-5}}

References

External links

{{SFA profile}}
[http://londonhearts.com/scotland/players/archibaldmbaird.html London Hearts profile]
{{WorldFootball.net|archie-baird}}
{{NeilBrownPlayers|player4/archiebaird}}
[http://www.afcheritage.org/Team/CurrentSquad/player_show.cfm?player_id=66 AFC Heritage profile]

Category:1919 births

Category:2009 deaths

Category:Aberdeen F.C. players

Category:Rutherglen Glencairn F.C. players

Category:Strathclyde F.C. players

Category:Leeds United F.C. wartime guest players

Category:British Army personnel of World War II

Category:British World War II prisoners of war

Category:Military personnel from South Lanarkshire

Category:British Army soldiers

Category:Men's association football utility players

Category:Footballers from Rutherglen