Hugh Baird
Personal information
Full name Hugh Baird[1]
Date of birth (1930-03-14)14 March 1930
Place of birth Bellshill, Scotland
Date of death 19 June 2006(2006-06-19) (aged 76)
Place of death Aberdeen, Scotland
Position(s) Centre forward
Youth career
Dalry Thistle
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1951–1957 Airdrieonians 134 (111)
1957–1958 Leeds United 45 (22)
1958–1962 Aberdeen 66 (21)
1962 Brechin City 0 (0)
1962–1963 Deveronvale
1963–1966 Rothes
International career
1956 Scotland 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Hugh Baird (14 March 1930 – 19 June 2006) was a Scottish footballer, who played for Airdrieonians, Leeds United and Aberdeen. He also represented the Scotland national football team on one occasion against Austria at Hampden Park. Glasgow.

Baird started his professional playing career aged 21 with Scottish Football League side Airdrieonians, whom he joined from Dalry Thistle. A striker, he quickly gained a reputation as a prolific goal scorer. In 1957 Leeds United signed him for £12,000 but he only stayed one season in England. In 1958 Aberdeen paid a then club record transfer fee of £11,500 to ensure his return north. He stayed with Aberdeen until 1962 making 86 appearances for the Dons.

Baird continued playing football for another 5 years following his departure from Pittodrie, enjoying a very brief spell with Brechin City and not featuring in the Brechin first team, before moving into the Highland Football League for longer spells with Deveronvale FC, the Banff Highland League Club, followed by a three-year spell at Rothes FC on Speyside, Morayshire, before retiring from football, aged 36, to become a bricklayer. Both Highland League clubs were in convenient rail commuting distance from his home in Aberdeen where he had settled following his transfer from Leeds United, and where he lived with his family until his death in June 2006 at 76 years of age.

Baird made one appearance for the Scotland national side in May 1956 at Hampden Park against Austria. He only received an international cap in 2006, after a successful campaign was started by Gary Imlach calling for his father and other affected players (including Baird) to receive caps. Until the early 1970s, the SFA did not award caps to players for matches other than those in the British Home Championship.

Career statistics

Club

[2]
Club Seasons League Scottish Cup League Cup Europe Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Aberdeen 1958–59 Scottish Division One 25 12 5 2 0 0 0 0 30 14
1959–60 28 5 3 0 5 1 0 0 36 6
1960–61 8 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 9 0
1961–62 5 4 0 0 6 1 0 0 11 5
Total 66 21 8 2 12 2 0 0 86 25

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year[3]
National team Year Apps Goals
Scotland 1956 1 0
Total 1 0

References

  1. ↑ "Hugh Baird". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  2. ↑ "Aberdeen Football Club Heritage Trust - Player Profile". afcheritage.org. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  3. ↑ "Hugh Baird | Scotland | Scottish FA". www.scottishfa.co.uk. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
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