Harry Baird (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Henry C. Baird | ||
| Date of birth | 17 August 1913 | ||
| Place of birth | Belfast, Ireland | ||
| Date of death | 27 May 1973 (aged 59) | ||
| Playing position |
Centre-forward Midfielder |
||
| Youth career | |||
| ?–1932 | Dunmurry | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1932–1933 | Bangor | ||
| 1933–1937 | Linfield | ||
| → Windsor Park Swifts | |||
| 1937–1938 | Manchester United | 49 | (15) |
| 1938–1940 | Huddersfield Town | 19 | (4) |
| → Derby County (guest) | |||
| → Grimsby Town (guest) | |||
| → Halifax Town (guest) | |||
| → Ipswich Town (guest) | |||
| → Bradford Park Avenue (guest) | |||
| → Linfield (guest) | |||
| 1946–1952 | Ipswich Town | 216 | (6) |
| National team | |||
| 1936 | Irish League XI | 2 | (1) |
| 1937 | Ireland | 1 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Harry Baird (17 August 1913 – 22 May 1973) was a Northern Irish footballer who played for, among others, Linfield, Manchester United, Huddersfield Town and Ipswich Town. He was born in Belfast, at the time part of the country of Ireland. As an international, Baird was also called up by both Ireland teams – FAI XI and the IFA XI – but only played for the latter.
After a successful career with Linfield, where he won an Irish League title and Irish Cup, Baird was signed by Manchester United in January 1937 for a fee of £3,500. He joined a struggling side and could do little to prevent United from being relegated at the end of the 1936–37 season. However the following season, together with Johnny Carey, Jack Rowley, Tommy Breen, Stan Pearson and Tommy Bamford, he helped United gain promotion back to the First Division. Together with Bamford, he finished as United's joint top goalscorer that season, both players scoring 15 goals each. Baird then joined Huddersfield Town in September 1938 and while there helped them reach the semi-final of the FA Cup in 1939.
During the Second World War, Baird served in the RAF and guested with several clubs, including his former club Linfield and Ipswich Town, who he would eventually sign for when the war finished. At the time Ipswich were playing in the English Third Division South. Baird made his debut for Ipswich on 31 August 1946 in an away game against Leyton Orient. He went on to make 216 league appearances for Ipswich, scoring six goals. He also played a further 18 games and scored a further goal for them in the FA Cup. Baird retired as a player during the 1951–52 season, making his final appearance for Ipswich at Crystal Palace on 20 October 1951. He subsequently became a coach at the club.
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