414141
career,” he states. “I was just
delighted to be in the squad, so
then to be named in the team was
overwhelming really.”
After a sustained period of nearly
30 years in the top flight, Saints
dropped into the second tier in
- Although it was a devastating
blow for the South-Coast club, it did
allow Baird to establish himself as a
regular fixture in the team.
Two years later, Baird opted to
make the move to SW6, but looks
back on his time at Southampton
with pride and a tinge of regret after
the side fell at the Championship
Play-Off Semi-Final stage to Derby.
“I really wanted to get promoted
with the club,” he reflects. “It wasn’t
to be. I was just grateful for the
opportunity they gave me.”
Lawrie Sanchez brought his fellow
countryman to the Cottage as part
of a Northern Irish influx that
included Aaron Hughes and one of
today’s opponents, Steven Davis,
but it was under Roy Hodgson when
Baird really blossomed.
Many argue the ‘Great Escape’
began with the astonishing second-
half comeback against Manchester
City. Trudging back to the changing
rooms at the interval, Fulham’s
relegation seemed pretty much
certain. For Baird, it underlined the
potential in the squad.
“Anything can happen when you
show a bit of fight about you and
that set us up for the rest of the
games,” he said. “We knew we could
do so much more and it showed.”
The transformation was
remarkable. Having conceded 60
goals in the 2007/08 campaign,
they nearly halved that figure the
following season. Baird was quick to
lavish praise on his former boss.
“Roy made us such a hard team to
play against,” says Chris. “We never
really had any massive players in
the squad. We were just a really
organised, hard working, hard-to-
beat team. That was down to Roy.
“We had a fantastic record at home
[from 2008/09]. Even against the
big teams coming to the Cottage, we
turned them over. You could just sense
they didn’t want to be there.”
The incredible improvement
was topped off by qualification to
the Europa League. Of the many
highlights during an extraordinary
journey, the Juventus home leg
stands out.
“We lost away 3-1 and Dickson
[Etuhu] scored,” remembers Baird.
“It was a big goal for us. Bringing
them back to the Cottage, we knew
we had a good chance.
“In the first minute, David
Trezeguet scores and you’re down
4-1. Looking back, it made the
achievement even more amazing.
To come back against a team like
that was truly unbelievable.
“The fans got behind us right
up until the 94th, 95th minute.
The Cottage only holds 25,000,
compared to Manchester United or
Liverpool, which can take 60,000
or 70,000, but it did sound like that,
because the fans generated so much
atmosphere. It was a big help to us.”
There were so many firsts for
Fulham that season. Was it the most
enjoyable of Baird’s career?
“Oh yeah, definitely,” he agrees.
“Just for what we achieved. We
played 63 games that season and I
played 52 of those. It was non-
stop, Thursday, Sunday, Thursday,
Sunday, but it was really enjoyable.”
That said, Baird is keen to
highlight the brand of football
played during the season under
Mark Hughes, a period often
overlooked. Despite languishing
dangerously close to the bottom
three in December, the team rallied
to finish eighth. The managerial
change also saw a more expansive
style of football compared to the
conservative approach adopted by
Hodgson.
“Players have asked me who the
best manager I played under was
and I keep mentioning Mark,” Chris
reveals. “I wish he’d stayed on for
another year.”
Baird spent much of his time on
the banks of the Thames at right-
back and it comes as little surprise
that one of his favourite players was
Damien Duff.
“I did like playing with Damien
because his work rate was fantastic,”
smiles Chris. “He would always help
me out to double up, but when I had
the ball, he would give me so many
great options. He would go long, he
would come short, he’d be inside, he’d
be outside. It made it easier for me.”
This wasn’t the only position Baird
occupied during his time at the Club
and the reason he’s held in such high
regard by the supporters was his ability
to adapt, with his pinpoint passing and
excellent positional sense proving to be
major assets. He sees this versatility as
both a blessing and a curse.
“Whether it’s right-back, centre-
half, left-back, holding midfielder or
central midfielder as part of a two,
I’m not really fussed,” says Baird,
who returned briefly to Fulham
on loan in the 2015/16 campaign.
“I really enjoy football. Sometimes
being versatile can be a bad thing.
For example, when John Pantsil
was playing well and we had a
fully fit team, then I had to wait
for someone to get suspended or
injured to get my chance.
“Sometimes I wish I had just held
down the right-back position, but
on the other hand, I was happy to
play in midfield. I got to know the
position well.”
“Roy Hodgson
made us such a hard
team to play against.
We were really
organised”
FFC-040-A Bairds Tale.indd 41 04/01/2018 13:43