Sammy Baird
Personal information
Full name Stuart Samuel Baird[1]
Date of birth (1930-05-13)13 May 1930
Place of birth Denny, Scotland
Date of death 21 April 2010(2010-04-21) (aged 79)
Place of death Bangor, Northern Ireland[2]
Position(s) Inside left / Left half
Youth career
Rutherglen Glencairn
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1949–1954 Clyde 90 (25)
1954–1955 Preston North End 15 (2)
1955–1960 Rangers 122 (39)
1960–1962 Hibernian 39 (5)
1962–1963 Third Lanark 24 (1)
1963–1964 Stirling Albion 12 (1)
Total 302 (73)
International career
1954–1958 Scottish League XI[3] 5 (1)
1956–1958 Scotland 7 (2)
1958[4] SFA trial v SFL 1 (0)
Managerial career
1963–1968 Stirling Albion
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Stuart Samuel Baird (13 May 1930 – 21 April 2010) was a Scottish football player and manager.

Career

During his playing career he played for Clyde, Preston North End, Rangers, Hibernian, Third Lanark and Stirling Albion. He won three Scottish league titles (1956, 1957 and 1959) and one Scottish Cup (1960) with Rangers.

Baird won the Division Two title in 1951–52 with Clyde.[2] Baird scored five times for Rangers as they reached the 1959–60 European Cup semi finals and was influential for Hibernian on their run to the 1960–61 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup semi finals. Preston paid £12,000 for his signature and Rangers paid £10,000 for his services. Hibs then forked out £5,000 for him.[5]

International career

He earned seven international caps for Scotland from 1956 to 1958. He scored on his debut against Yugoslavia, and also in his last match, a 2–1 defeat by France in the 1958 FIFA World Cup. The latter goal was the first time a Rangers player scored in a World Cup Finals match.[6] He remains the only Rangers player to do so.[7]

Additionally, Baird represented the Scottish League XI on five occasions. He scored in his last appearance against the Football League XI at Ibrox in 1958.[8]

He earned earlier representative honours with Clyde. In 1953 against the British Army, Baird converted a penalty for Scotland XI in 2–2 draw at Goodison Park.[9] As preparation for the FIFA World Cup, Baird played for a Scotland XI in a couple of trial matches in 1958.[10]

Manager

As Stirling Albion manager, Baird led the team to promotion to Division One winning the Division Two title in 1964–65.[2]

His Albion team became the first British and first professional team to tour Japan in 1966.[11] The results of the two-match tour were 3–1 against a Japanese All Stars XI and 4–2 against the Japan national team.[11]

He was later sacked in 1968 because the club were heading for relegation back to Division Two.[2]

Personal life

Baird died on the morning of 21 April 2010.[6]

Honours

Player

Clyde

Rangers

Hibernian

Third Lanark

Manager

Stirling Albion

References

  1. ^ "Sammy Baird". Barry Hugman's Footballers.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Obituary: Sammy Baird". The Scotsman. UK. 23 April 2010. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  3. ^ "Sammy Baird". London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  4. ^ Scottish trial match at Easter Road, Glasgow Herald, 4 February 1958
  5. ^ "Sammy Baird: Footballer who won three League titles with Rangers and played in the 1958 World Cup". The Independent. 1 May 2010. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Rangers Saddened By Baird Loss". Rangers F.C. 21 April 2010. Archived from the original on 25 April 2010. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
  7. ^ "NOW YOU KNOW: Sammy Baird was last Rangers player to score for Scotland in a World Cup Finals game". Evening Times. 2 November 2017. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  8. ^ "08 Oct 1958, SFL 1 EFL 1". London Hearts Supporters'Club. 8 October 1958. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  9. ^ "SCOTS POOR DISPLAY AT GOODISON PARK". Glasgow Herald. PTFC History Archive. 19 November 1953. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  10. ^ "SCOTTISH TRIAL MATCH AT EASTER ROAD". Glasgow Herald. 4 February 1958. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
    "03 March 1958, Hearts 3 Scotland XI 2". London Hearts SC. 3 March 1958. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  11. ^ a b "1966 AND ALL THAT – STIRLING ALBION IN JAPAN". Nutmeg Magazine. 10 June 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  12. ^ "1951–52: Clyde 5 v 1 St. Johnstone". Clyde FC. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
    "1951–52: St Johnstone 2 v 2 Clyde". Clyde FC. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  13. ^ "1951–52: Celtic 1 v 2 Clyde". Clyde FC. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  14. ^ "1949–50: Rangers 2 v 1 Clyde". Clyde FC. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  15. ^ "1951–52: Third Lanark 2 v 2 Clyde". Clyde FC. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  16. ^ Thirty-third Success for Rangers, The Glasgow Herald, 11 October 1956
  17. ^ "29 Mar 1961, Hibs 4 Hearts 2, EoSS Final". London Hearts SC. Retrieved 24 June 2021.

External links

Scotland squad – 1958 FIFA World Cup
Stirling Albion F.C. – managers
Categories