40 The Official Fulham FC Matchday Programme
Now wearing the black and white of Derby County, Chris Baird’s
passion for the game remains undimmed. Having started out at
Southampton, he later served Fulham with distinction...
Interview: Alexander Bowmer
A FOOT IN
BOTH CAMPS
A FOOT IN
Chris Baird
C
hris Baird is the epitome
of an unsung hero. While
flashier teammates have
stolen the headlines down the
years, the Northern Irishman
has been working diligently and
without fuss, admired greatly by
both Southampton and Fulham
fans. He turns 36 next month,
but his stellar performances for
current club Derby County suggest
there’s no reason for him to hang
up his boots.
Baird’s big break came in 1998
when, at 16, he left the comforts
of home and Ballymena United for
Hampshire and Southampton.
“I didn’t know what to expect
going to a different country,” he
says. “I know it’s only across the
water, but it’s still very strange for a
16-year-old. Once I got to know the
rest of the players in the academy,
I settled in really well. They looked
after me brilliantly. I’ll never forget
it, because it was my first club and
it just took off from there.”
As a defender, he was in good
company. He continues: “I
cleaned Jason Dodd’s boots, along
with Francis Benali and Claus
Lundekvam. I always looked at
them and how they would perform
week in, week out. They’d always
have a chat if I had any problems
and gave good advice about how to
improve my game.”
The fixture Baird is perhaps most
well-known for during his time
at Saints is the 1-0 FA Cup Final
defeat to Arsenal in 2003. It was
just his second start for the club,
but he acquitted himself superbly
and was singled out for praise.
“One of the best days of my
FFC-040-A Bairds Tale.indd 40 04/01/2018 13:43