John Baird has revealed that the last time he was involved in a cup final, he was moved to tears by a team-mate’s selfless gesture.
It was back in 2005 when the then teenage striker was left out of the St Mirren squad for the Challenge Cup final against Hamilton, which the Buddies won thanks to goals by Simon Lappin and John Sutton.
Baird, who had played a part in the earlier rounds, accepted his omission with good grace as there was such a great team spirit at the club.
There is little chance he will be left out by Raith Rovers boss Grant Murray for this Sunday’s Ramsdens Cup final against Rangers. However, back in 2005, a veteran team-mate felt he was deserving of recognition for the part he had played in St Mirren’s run.
He said: “I was at the Challenge Cup final with St Mirren, but I wasn’t stripped and was in the stand at Airdrie that day.
“Mark ‘Mavis’ Reilly gave me his medal after that game. I was probably 17th man and there were 16 stripped but I knew I wouldn’t line up with the boys available.
“I was on the pitch and Mavis asked how many games I had been involved in before the final and I think I played them all certainly three out of the four anyway.
“I told him and he said: ‘Right, take this’, and gave me his medal. I was crying, I was only 19 and he didn’t need to do that. He was 35 years old and it was his last season and his last cup final.”
Raith may be huge underdogs for Sunday’s final but Baird reflected on the club’s record in various cups over the years with the Coca Cola Cup win over Celtic in 1994 being a particular highlight.
Photos of the heroes of that memorable victory have pride of place on the walls at Stark’s Park but Baird is determined there will be some new faces in the frames after Sunday.
He said: “I think over the years, Raith Rovers have always proved to be a good cup side. We reached the semi-final of the Scottish Cup in 2010 and the Coca Cola Cup final back in 1994 where they beat Celtic. There is plenty of history there.
“But I spoke to our club photographer and he says if he gets new pictures to put up on the walls around the ground he’ll be happy, to get the old boys off and the new ones on. That’s what you have to aim for and it would also be beating the other end of the Old Firm, so it could be massive.”