Sammy Baird
Samuel " Sammy" Baird ( born May 13 1930 in Denny, Scotland, † April 21, 2010 in Bangor, Northern Ireland) was a Scottish football player and coach. The mostly used on the left side at the position of the half- striker or outer rotor three times with Scottish champions Rangers played seven matches for the " Bravehearts " and participated in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden.
Sports career
Club career
Baird began his career in 1949 in the adult area, Clyde FC, with whom he as second division champions returned in 1952 in the highest Scottish league and there occupied a secure midfielder rank in the following two years. Like many talents previously, he moved in 1954 across the border to the northern English club Preston North End. " PNE " had paid £ 12,000 for the transfer, but after just one season in the English First Division League and only 15 missions, he returned for 10,000 pounds to the Glasgow Rangers in Scotland.
In the derby against Celtic Baird is played with two goals for a 4-0 League Cup victory straight into the heart of the Rangers supporters and together with players like Billy Simpson, Max Murray, Scot Alex and Johnny Hubbard and Ian McColl, Harold Davis, Eric Caldow and Bobby Shearer won the team coached by Scot Symon in the second half of the 1950s series as successes. Baird won in his first season with the " Gers " the Scottish league title and contributed 14 Goals. The following year, he defended the title with the team and remained in between in 16 games behind the other undefeated. He played in the season 1956/57, part of the first Rangers European Cup matches in the national champion competition and failed there after three competitive encounters already in round 1 of the French representatives OGC Nice. At the end of the decade, won his third Baird 1959 Scottish championship and the following year the National Cup. The season 1959/60 was the last in his Rangers - time and this was crowned with the semi-finals in the national champion trophy. Although according to the 1:6 here - and 3:6 defeats against Eintracht Frankfurt was terminal, he had previously delivered in the quarterfinals in a 3-2 decision in the match against Sparta Rotterdam probably the most spectacular performance of his career.
In 1960 he transferred for £ 5,000 to Hibernian and also with the " Hibs " he moved into a European Cup semi-finals. In the inaugural season in just one Fairs Cup, he was defeated there, the Roma, but again, the " highlight " with a win against the renowned CF Barcelona had been set already in the quarterfinals. Baird remained a year in the Scottish capital before he moved back to Glasgow at 1962 Third Lanark. Here he trailed off his career in 1963 and moved into coaching specialist. For the second division side Stirling Albion he was initially to 1964 on the pitch, rising in 1965 to the first division. Three years of continuous battle against relegation ended in 1968 with the descent and Baird's farewell from active football business.
Scottish national
Baird was appointed for the first time in 1956 in the Scottish selection. In his debut against Yugoslavia in domestic Hampden Park (2-0 ), he scored a goal and in qualifying for the World Cup 1958 he conquered successively a regular place. However, in the finals in Sweden itself, he came in the first two group games against Yugoslavia (1-1) and Paraguay (2:3) not to the course. Only in the final group game against France he was there, but more than his first goal from the penalty area to the eventual 1-2 defeat it was not enough. The Scottish team was eliminated from the tournament and found himself in the home because of an allegedly poor physical condition subject to fierce criticism. Among the many Scottish actors who should deny no more international game, also scored Baird.
After the football
Baird operation after his sports career is a restaurant in the seaside town of Bo'ness. The " Baird 's Bar " was for many years a popular meeting place for supporters of Glasgow Rangers. He spent his retirement in Northern Ireland Bangor, where he died in April 2010, shortly before his 80th birthday.
Achievements
- Scottish champion: 1956, 1957, 1959
- Scottish FA Cup: 1960