Willie Baird

William Baird was born in Leith on 1^st October 1874.

Willie started his career with The Wilfrid, a juvenile team in Edinburgh that amalgamated with Alva who played their matches at Norton Park, Easter Road. Willie was one of the few from The Wilfrid that made the transition and played for Alva for a season.

In that time he started to hone his skills, and impress other teams. St Bernard’s came calling and offered him a contract, and he found himself initially playing for the reserve team at Logie Green. In a few weeks he had impressed the committee enough to be promoted to the first team at the age of seventeen, and made his senior debut, at half-back, against the Corinthians on 4^th December 1894 at the Oval in London.

In his time as a Saint there where many enquiries for his signature from other clubs. As his reputation grew, he gained an international cap representing Scotland in a 5-1 win against Ireland at Ibrox in March 1897. Unfortunately injury robbed him of other international call-up’s with the Anglo Scots team, and Scotland League XI.

Willie was also injured when St Bernard won the Scottish Cup in 1895, although he had featured in all the earlier rounds, so did get a medal.

In August 1899 Willie, signed on with Dundee F.C. He made his home debut on 2^nd September, in a 3-1 win against Clyde. The match kicked of late due to the referee missing his train to Dundee.

He soon became a regular first team member known to be a “stolid defender”, and forming a good partnership with Jimmy Sharp. There were fears towards the end of the season that the duo might be parted, as there were rumours that Sharp might leave Dundee to move down to England. However, that didn’t happen, and they both signed on for the following season.

Willie had taken on the role of Captain, at the start of the 1900-01 season, and he started the season as he had ended the previous one, with plaudits. In the match against Kilmarnock it was reported that “Willie Baird was as cool and efficient as ever. Whenever danger threatens his goal the right back is never far away for the spot.”

October was to prove an injury prone month, as Baird sustained two bad head knocks, one at the start, and one at the end. He was back in his regular position for the game against St Mirren at the beginning of November.

Willie sustained a knee injury against Arthurlie, in the 1^st round of the Scottish Cup, in early January, which kept him out of the team into February. He made his comeback in a friendly against Rangers on the 23^rd, but never regained full fitness.

He was released by Dundee at the end of the season, and registered back to amateur status in December, having re-joined St Bernard’s.