ARCHIE BAIRDArchie Baird, who died on 3 November, 2009, aged 90, was footballer for Aberdeen and St. Johnstone, as well as a one-time Scottish international.He was also a veteran of the Second World War and POW camp escapee.Born on 8 May, 1919, in Rutherglen, he signed for Aberdeen before the war but was called up before making his debut.He fought in Italy but was captured. However, he later escaped and saw out the war living with an Italian family who pretended he was their son.He finally began his Aberdeen career in 1946, notching up more than 100 appearances and scoring 26 goals from the wing.During his time at Pittodrie he helped the club win the Southern League Cup (a forerunner of the Scottish League Cup) in 1946 and the Scottish Cup in 1947.His form also earned him a call-up to the Scotland squad for a friendly with Belgium in 1946.In 1953 he moved to St. Johnstone where he played for three seasons before retiring.After retiring from football, Baird worked as a teacher and a sports journalist.He documented his unusual wartime experiences in a 1989 book called Family of Four.
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