The rogue returns
Former Hearts cult hero Baird, remembered as much for his collection of cards as his goals, hopes for some cup magic today, reports Stewart Fisher
REMEMBER Ian Baird? Scottish referees certainly will. And perhaps a few of his victims too. This robust striker became a cult hero among Hearts fans, as much for the 24 yellow cards and three reds which he racked up in two seasons in Gorgie as the 19 goals he claimed over the same period. Not for nothing is his autobiography entitled Bairdy’s Gonna Get Ya!
“I had a bit of a disciplinary problem for sure,” he admits. “It always seemed to be against Chic Charnley and his mate.”
But why Baird? And why now? Well, because if one man embodies that old line about the magic of the FA Cup this weekend then surely it is he. Now 52, the former Tynecastle favourite is employed as assistant and head coach to his boyhood friend Paul Doswell at Sutton United. He combines the post at the fifth-tier outfit with part-ownership of a scaffolding firm. Formerly manager of Havant & Waterlooville then Eastleigh, it is a role he inherited from former Celtic player favourite Paul Telfer.
It is generally a quiet, down-atheel existence but not this week, because Sutton have disposed of Forest Green Rovers, Cheltenham Town and AFC Wimbledon to book a plumb tie this lunchtime against Leeds United, the very club where Baird was made captain by Billy Bremner, gained a Division One winner’s medal (even though he had left the club) and not so long ago was taking in all their games as a BBC Radio Leeds pundit.
The only way he could be more kissed by the magic of this famous old trophy would perhaps be if broadcasters BT Sport had given his scaffolding firm the contract to put up all the temporary stands and gantries which will be required around Borough sports ground for the occasion.
And for the record, the tie falls 47 years on from a famous occasion when Sutton hosted Don Revie’s famous 1970 Leeds team, and at a time when the sleeping giants of Yorkshire are showing sudden signs of life. They arrive in town at the heady heights of third in the Championship table.
“Leeds are certainly the club that most people remember me from,” Baird says. “I had very, good times there, very fond memories, and the supporters are always very kind to me. But I enjoyed pretty much every club I went to – apart from Portsmouth.
“I suppose Leeds are my spiritual club. When I started working at Radio Leeds, Massimo Cellino had come in and, to be honest, it was a little bit like a circus, manager after manager after manager.
“It was the same with the players, but Garry Monk has ridden out the storm and fortunately Cellino has stuck with him. What chance would I give us? We have a one-off game against a team who would probably beat us nine times if they played us 10 times. We have a puncher’s chance.”
Baird left Leeds in the February of their title-winning season – “I spat the dummy after Howard Wilkinson signed Lee Chapman,” he says ruefully – and it wasn’t the only wrong turn he feels he made when he looks back on his career. In particular, he regrets the fact he declined the chance to join Billy McNeill at Celtic in 1987, depriving himself of the chance to participate in the Parkhead side’s centenary year double, and disappointing his Celtic-daft father Pat in the process.
“That is one of my biggest regrets,” Baird says. “I was up there for two days of talks but for some ridiculous reason I turned them down. I am from Southampton, and Portsmouth had just been promoted to the old First Division.
“Alan Ball was the manager and he sort of sold it to me. I was only 22 and what a ridiculous decision it was. My dad is from Glasgow and he is a Celtic fan. Within a week of signing for Portsmouth, I realised it was the biggest mistake I have ever made in my life. Within a year, Celtic went on to win the centenary double. My dad still goes on about it now.”
The affection displayed towards Baird by the Hearts fans ebbed and flowed, but for months of that 1991-92 season Joe Jordan had Hearts top.
“For six months, the Hearts fans absolutely slaughtered me,” Baird recalls. “It was actually in the middle of my time there, because I ended up being the club’s player of the year and the supporters’ club player of the year. But I really enjoyed it up there and I played with some very good players – the likes of Dave McPherson, John Robertson, [Scott] Crabbe, [Gary] Mackay, [Tosh] McKinlay.
“Joe Jordan was a manager who I had an awful lot of respect for and I really enjoyed my time at the club. We were top of the league for most of the season but Wallace Mercer wouldn’t give big Joe any money before the deadline and we finished second.”