Baird: Ian James (Ian)

1985-1987 & 1988-1990 (Leeds Player Details)(Player Details)

Centre Forward

Born: Rotherham: 01-04-1964

Debut v Portsmouth (a): 12-03-85

6’0” 12st (1985)

#42 in 100 Greatest LUFC Players Ever

Born in Rotherham, Yorkshire, he moved to Hampshire as a youngster and played for Bitterne Saints, St. Mary’s College, Southampton, Southampton and Hampshire Schools, and won England Schoolboy caps in 1978-79. He joined Southampton in July 1980 as an apprentice, turning professional in April 1982. After a handful of League games for the Saints, he had loan spells, at Cardiff City in November 1983, where he scored six goals in twelve League games, and Newcastle United in December 1984, where he scored once in four starts and one appearance from the bench, and left his mark being booked five times in his five games. After scoring five times in the League from twenty starts and two games from the bench, together with one start and one game as a substitute in the League Cup, without scoring, for the Saints,he then joined Leeds in March 1985 for £75,000. A robust striker, his aggression often got him into trouble with referees but he was United’s top scorer in 1986-87, before he moved to newly-promoted Portsmouth to play First Division Football in June 1987 for £285,000. A hard up Portsmouth allowed him to return to Leeds for £185,000, after managing just one League goal from twenty League starts and one game in each of the F.A. Cup and League Cup. You could say that Baird cost his old club, Newcastle United, promotion in the 1989-90 season. That season he played for both Leeds and Middlesbrough and Leeds went on to finish Second Division Champions with Newcastle five points behind in third place. He had scored the winner in the game between Newcastle and Leeds at Elland Road, and he scored a brace for the 'Boro in their win over Newcastle at Ayresome Park. The advent of Lee Chapman had seen him move on to Middlesbrough for £500,000, in January 1990, and those two goals he scored against Newcastle United on the final Saturday of the season ensured his new team staved off relegation and his old team gave him a Second Division championship medal, even though he was no longer a Leeds player! Always a crowd favourite in his time at Elland Road, where he was the arch-typical battering-ram centre-forward, never asking for favours nor giving any, the fans always knew there was always a chance of a goal when he was around, whether scored by himself or resulting in a goal for others, who profited from his honest endeavour laced with a not inconsiderable amount of skill. While at Ayrsome Park he scored nineteen League goals from sixty-three games, of which three were as a substitute. He also scored once from three starts in the F.A. Cup and played six games in the League Cup, one as a substitute, without scoring, as well as scoring once from four starts in other games. He left Middlesbrough for Joe Jordan’s Hearts in July 1991 for £400,000, but, after fifteen goals in sixty-four starts in the Scottish League, one goal in seven starts in the Scottish Cup, two goals in five starts in the Scottish League Cup, and one goal in three starts in European Competition, returned to England with Bristol City in a £350,000 deal. At Ashton Gate he scored eleven times in fifty-seven League games of which twelve were from the bench. He also scored once in two starts in the F.A. Cup, and made three starts in the League Cup and two in other games without scoring, before joining Plymouth Argyle in September 1995 on a free transfer. At Home Park he scored six League goals from twenty-seven games, of which three were from the bench and also scored once in the F.A. Cup from one start and one game from the bench. In July 1996 he moved to Brighton and Hove Albion, for £35,000, where he completed his Football League career, retiring in December 1997. He scored fourteen League goals from thirty-nine starts and one game from the bench, and also playing two League Cup games without scoring. He then went to Hong Kong, where he played and coached a local side Instant Dict for four years. He also played in the national squad in the Asian Cup qualifiers. He later returned to England and played Non-League football for Salisbury City until May 2000 and Farnborough Town until May 2001. He tried his luck as a football Agent but founded a Vehicle Hire Company, which was successful and more to his liking. He also tried Football Management with Havant and Waterlooville on a part-time basis in December 2004, before becoming full-time Manager of Eastleigh in October 2007. He is still the incumbent Manager for the 2011-12 season.