John David Baird (born 22 August 1985) is a Scottish
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who plays as a
forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
*Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Smal ...
. He currently plays for
Football West State League Division 1
The Football West State League is a regional Australian semi-professional soccer league comprising teams from Western Australia consisting of two divisions. The league sits at Levels 2 and 3 on the Western Australian league system (Levels 3 a ...
Stenhousemuir
Stenhousemuir (; ) is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies within the Falkirk council area of Scotland. The town is north-northwest of Falkirk and directly adjoins to Larbert in the west, where the nearest rail access is located ...
Brechin City
Brechin City Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the townDespite the name of the football club, Brechin is not an official city. Brechin was historically known as a city because it has a cathedral. of Brechin in Angus. The club w ...
,
Airdrie United
Airdrieonians Football Club is a Scottish professional football team in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, who are members of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) and play in the . They were formed in 2002 as Airdrie United Football Clu ...
,
Dundee
Dundee (; ; or , ) is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city in Scotland. The mid-year population estimate for the locality was . It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firt ...
,
Partick Thistle
Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football, football club from Glasgow, Scotland and currently plays in the . Despite their name, the club are based at Firhill Stadium in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not ...
,
Raith Rovers
Raith Rovers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the town of Kirkcaldy, Fife. The club was founded in 1883 and currently competes in the as a member of the Scottish Professional Football League.
The club has won f ...
Falkirk
Falkirk ( ; ; ) is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow.
Falkirk had a resident population of 32,422 at the ...
,
Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club, commonly known as Caley Thistle, Inverness CT or just Inverness, is a professional football club based in Inverness, Scotland. The team competes in , the third tier of the Scottish Professional Footba ...
,
Greenock Morton
Greenock Morton Football Club is a Scottish professional football club, which plays in the . The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest Scottish clubs. Morton was renamed Greenock Morton in 1994 to celebr ...
and Forfar Athletic where he was also the assistant manager.
Career
Clyde, St Mirren and Montrose
Baird, who was born in
Glasgow
Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
, began his career with Clyde, and made his debut in May 2003, coming on as a substitute against
Ayr United
Ayr United Football Club are a football club in Ayr, Scotland, who play in the , the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League. Formed in 1910 by the merger of Ayr Parkhouse and Ayr F.C., their nickname is The Honest Men, fro ...
. Baird signed a professional contract with Clyde in July 2003, but only made one more appearance for the club, in the
Scottish Challenge Cup
The Scottish Professional Football League Challenge Cup,St Mirren, where he became a fringe player. He had loan spells at
Stenhousemuir
Stenhousemuir (; ) is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies within the Falkirk council area of Scotland. The town is north-northwest of Falkirk and directly adjoins to Larbert in the west, where the nearest rail access is located ...
and Montrose, before signing for Montrose on a permanent transfer in July 2007. Upon the move, Manager Jim Weir made expectations for Baird and Andy Rodgers to become the top scorer in the Third Division.
After finishing the season as the league's top goal scorer, and being nominated for Third Division player of the year, Baird was a much sought after player with First and Second Division teams looking at him. However it was announced through the local press that John Baird had signed a new, lucrative contract with Montrose for at least one more year. He has stated his desire to see Montrose promoted and also his eventual aim to get himself back to playing full-time football.
Airdrie United, Raith Rovers and Dundee
Manager Weir was axed after a 2–1 defeat away at
Cowdenbeath
Cowdenbeath () is a town and burgh in west Fife, Scotland. It is north-east of Dunfermline and north of the capital, Edinburgh. The town grew up around the extensive coalfields of the area and became a police burgh in 1890. According to a 20 ...
in September. The move saw Calum Smith go in the other direction. Baird waited until deadline day in January 2009 to make his decision to join
Airdrie United
Airdrieonians Football Club is a Scottish professional football team in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, who are members of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) and play in the . They were formed in 2002 as Airdrie United Football Clu ...
, Baird enjoyed a successful second half of the 2008–09 season where he established himself as a first-team player with the new Diamonds. Baird scored crucial goals in the play-off including a hat-trick against Ayr Utd battle to keep the club in the
First Division 1st Division or First Division may refer to:
Military
Airborne divisions
*1st Parachute Division (Germany)
*1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom)
* 1st Airmobile Division (Ukraine)
* 1st Guards Airborne Division
Armoured divisions
*1st Armoure ...
.
On 26 May 2010, he signed for
Raith Rovers
Raith Rovers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the town of Kirkcaldy, Fife. The club was founded in 1883 and currently competes in the as a member of the Scottish Professional Football League.
The club has won f ...
on a two-year full-time deal. Since his arrival at Starks Park, Baird has become a fans' favourite, scoring 13 league goals in his first season with the Kirkcaldy outfit during their 2010–11 title push. However, Raith Rovers' title push came to an end after losing 2–1 to
Dunfermline Athletic
Dunfermline Athletic Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the city of Dunfermline, Fife. Founded in 1885, the club currently compete in the after winning the 2022–23 Scottish League One title. Dunfermline play at ...
. Despite this, Baird was named the First Division Player of the Year and also was named player of the year in the Irn Bru Phenomenal awards.
Baird signed for
Dundee
Dundee (; ; or , ) is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city in Scotland. The mid-year population estimate for the locality was . It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firt ...
in May 2012. While at Dundee, Baird appeared in the first team, making 37 appearances, though his playing time significantly decreased. It wasn't until 19 January 2013 that he scored his first goal in a 1–1 draw against Hibernian. He went on to score three goals in three consecutive games against
St Johnstone
St Johnstone Football Club is a professional association football club in Perth, Scotland. The team competes in the , the second division of Scottish football. The club's name is derived from St John's Toun (or Saint Johnstoun)—an old name o ...
Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club, commonly known as Caley Thistle, Inverness CT or just Inverness, is a professional football club based in Inverness, Scotland. The team competes in , the third tier of the Scottish Professional Footba ...
.
Partick Thistle, Raith return
He then signed for newly promoted side
Partick Thistle
Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football, football club from Glasgow, Scotland and currently plays in the . Despite their name, the club are based at Firhill Stadium in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not ...
in May 2013. However, on 28 January 2014, Baird was released by Partick Thistle after an unsuccessful time having started four games and making a further 13 substitute appearances without scoring a single competitive goal.
On 30 January 2014, Baird returned for a second spell at
Raith Rovers
Raith Rovers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the town of Kirkcaldy, Fife. The club was founded in 1883 and currently competes in the as a member of the Scottish Professional Football League.
The club has won f ...
. Baird's first game after signing for the club in his second spell came on 1 February 2014 when Raith Rovers lost 1–0 against
Cowdenbeath
Cowdenbeath () is a town and burgh in west Fife, Scotland. It is north-east of Dunfermline and north of the capital, Edinburgh. The town grew up around the extensive coalfields of the area and became a police burgh in 1890. According to a 20 ...
and then scored his first goal two weeks later, in a 4–2 loss against
Hamilton Academical
Hamilton Academical Football Club, often known as Hamilton Accies, or The Accies, is a Scottish football club from Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, who currently compete in . They were established in 1874 from the school football team at Hamilto ...
. He scored the winner for Raith in the
Challenge Cup Final
The Challenge Cup of rugby league was instituted in the 1896–97 and the final was contested between Batley and St. Helens at Headingley, Leeds. In the seasons during the Second World War the final was played over two legs, with the aggregate s ...
, beating
Rangers
A ranger is typically someone in a law enforcement or military/paramilitary role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called "ranging" or "scouting". The term most often refers to:
* Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with prot ...
1–0 in extra time at
Easter Road
Easter Road is a football stadium located in the Leith area of Edinburgh, Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish Premiership club Hibernian (Hibs). The stadium currently has an all-seated capacity of , which makes it the fifth-largest ...
on 6 April 2014.
Queen of the South and Falkirk
On 20 May 2014, Baird signed for Queen of the South on a two-year contract. Baird was released by the club on 5 January 2015.
On 7 January 2015, Baird signed for Falkirk, where he joined up with Mark Kerr, who had also recently departed the
Dumfries
Dumfries ( ; ; from ) is a market town and former royal burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, near the mouth of the River Nith on the Solway Firth, from the Anglo-Scottish border. Dumfries is the county town of the Counties of Scotland, ...
club. On signing for the club, he commented that he had always admired Falkirk, saying "Falkirk is a club I've always respected and when I walked in the door Alex Smith told me I'd been nipping his ear for four years to get here." He scored on his debut for the club, a 3–3 draw away to Hibernian on 10 January 2015. On 24 February 2015, Baird signed a new contract with Falkirk, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2015–16 season with the option of an additional year.
Inverness
Baird signed for
Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club, commonly known as Caley Thistle, Inverness CT or just Inverness, is a professional football club based in Inverness, Scotland. The team competes in , the third tier of the Scottish Professional Footba ...
in June 2017. He Scored his first goal & his first hat-trick for ICT in a 4–1 friendly away win at
Brora Rangers
Brora Rangers Football Club are a Scottish football club from the village of Brora, Sutherland, in the Highland council area of Scotland. They play in the , of which they have been champions five times, having won their first title in 2013–1 ...
He made his first competitive start for ICT in their first game of the season, the opening game of the Scottish League Cup group stages, a 3–0 home win against
Brechin City
Brechin City Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the townDespite the name of the football club, Brechin is not an official city. Brechin was historically known as a city because it has a cathedral. of Brechin in Angus. The club w ...
He retained his starting place for the following match, a 0–0 draw away at
Stirling Albion
Stirling Albion Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the city of Stirling. The club was founded in 1945 following the demise of King's Park after World War II. The club currently competes in as a member of the Scottish Profession ...
, a match which set a record as the lowest scoring penalty shootout in Scottish football history. Baird was one of those who failed to score as Inverness won the shootout 2–0. He scored his first competitive goal for the Caley Jags a week later in a 2–1 away win at Forfar Athletic, although it wasn't enough for the club to progress from their League Cup group.
Greenock Morton (loan)
Greenock Morton
Greenock Morton Football Club is a Scottish professional football club, which plays in the . The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest Scottish clubs. Morton was renamed Greenock Morton in 1994 to celebr ...
announced on 22 February that they had agreed to sign Baird on an emergency loan from
Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club, commonly known as Caley Thistle, Inverness CT or just Inverness, is a professional football club based in Inverness, Scotland. The team competes in , the third tier of the Scottish Professional Footba ...
Baird signed for Forfar Athletic as a player/assistant manager on 3 May 2018. Baird scored 22 goals in 44 appearances for the club, before leaving at the end of the season to move to Australia.
Raith return
In September 2019, Baird re-signed for Raith Rovers, joining the club for a third spell, claiming to have "unfinished business" at the club. However, he left with his family to Australia in June 2020, unfortunately without finishing the business he desired, due to
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
postponing all footballing tournaments including a
Challenge Cup Final
The Challenge Cup of rugby league was instituted in the 1896–97 and the final was contested between Batley and St. Helens at Headingley, Leeds. In the seasons during the Second World War the final was played over two legs, with the aggregate s ...
, which would've pitted him up against a former club,
Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club, commonly known as Caley Thistle, Inverness CT or just Inverness, is a professional football club based in Inverness, Scotland. The team competes in , the third tier of the Scottish Professional Footba ...
.
Mandurah City
Baird moved to Western Australian club Mandurah City in 2020, and became their head coach. He signed
Leigh Griffiths
Leigh Griffiths (born 20 August 1990) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Australian club Mandurah City, as well as being part of the coaching staff.
Griffiths started his career at Livingston where he made his d ...
to the club in August 2022.
Career statistics
Honours
Player
Raith Rovers
*
Scottish League One
The Scottish League One, known as William Hill (bookmaker), William Hill League One for sponsorship reasons, is the third tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, the league competition for men's professional association football, foot ...
2022
The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
2022
The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...