| 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 | 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 | ||
| Total | 245 | (154) | |
| International career | |||
| 1956 | Scotland | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Hugh Baird (14 March 1930 – 19 June 2006) was a Scottishfootballer,[2] who played forAirdrieonians,Leeds United andAberdeen. He also represented theScotland national football team on one occasion against Austria at Hampden Park, Glasgow.
Baird started his professional playing career aged 21 with Scottish Football League sideAirdrieonians, whom he joined from Dalry Thistle. Astriker, 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 theDons.
Baird continued playing football for another five years following his departure fromPittodrie, enjoying a very brief spell withBrechin 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 at age 36 to become a bricklayer. Both Highland League clubs were within a 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 the age of 76.
Baird made one appearance for theScotland national side in May 1956 atHampden Park againstAustria. He only received aninternational cap in 2006, after a successful campaign was started byGary Imlach calling forhis father and other affected players (including Baird) to receive caps. Until the early 1970s, theSFA did not award caps to players for matches other than those in theBritish Home Championship.
| 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 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 1956 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |