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The Square Bowl podcast.

Hello there.

Welcome to the show.

This is the West Stand, our guest show here on the Square Bowl.

You'll find it normally Monday and a Friday in your feed. You can watch it YouTube. You can listen in your podcast app. Guests that you will find from across the world of Leeds United. People you might just find sitting in the West Stand like ex-players like today's guest. My name's Dan Moyland. Hello. With me is Michael Normanton. Hello there. Show is brought to you by Nord VPN, a virtual private network. And Nord's is the fastest in the whole wide world. That's good news, isn't it? How many devices can you use it on? Up to 10 devices, which will enable you to watch sport, TV and movies that are not available in your native region by switching virtual locations, and your browsing will be nice and secure and private as well, away from Pryonize, and you can use it if you are abroad and you want to come back on to your home region to watch your normal telly because you desperately miss it. Go wherever you want, can you want. Yeah, can use it on up to 10 devices, as Michael said. So you think in smart TVs, your streaming sticks, consoles, phones, laptops, usual stuff. Your internet service provider will often throw all the bandwidth of streaming traffic so you can use NordVPN to prevent that as well. Switch it on with a single click and you are sorted on insecure public Wi-Fi, whether you are at home or abroad, backed by a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee. And to get the exclusive discount off your NordVPN plan, go to NordVPN.com slash TSB. There's a link in the episode description box as well. That link will give you additional months off on top of your discounted two-year plan. Nordvpn.com slash tspb, link in the episode description box. So today's guest, we'll introduce him in just a minute or two, is somebody who has played in a FA Cup semi-final before. So Leeds obviously have a Cup semifinal this weekend.

We'd thought we'd speak to a man who was on the scene last time it happened.

Ian Baird started in the 1987 FA Cup semifinal that was held at Hillsborough two years before

the disaster leads had the same end, the Leapings Lane end, and it got a bit hairy in there

for a bit, but thankfully nothing worse happened than we saw happen in 1989. Leeds lost three to Coventry in extra time that day. They led the game through David Reni early doors, but then went to one behind, equalised late in the game and then lost in extra time and Coventry went on to win the trophy in the final at Wembley in the final versus Spurs.

Leeds finished the season with a two-legged playoff final as well a month or so after this, which was the first ever playoffs in the football league against Charlton, who were actually in the top flight and playing to stay up rather than get promoted like we were. And after two games, both 1-0, the teams couldn't be separated. So there was a final replay held at St Andrews, Birmingham City's home ground on my birthday, my 9th birthday. Leeds went ahead in this one in extra time, but eventually then lost the two extra time goals by Peter Shirtliff. And Ian Baird played in all three games. And after the player final, Ian Baird left Leeds for Portsmouth, only to be re-signed by Leeds again in March 1988. He was originally signed by Eddie Gray, managed by Billy Bremner, part of the 1990 Promotion Squad, although he was sold to Middlesbrough by Howard Wilkinson in January 1990 after the arrival of Lee Chapman that prompted a reported fallout with Wilco. He scored two goals for Middlesbrough at the end of that season, final day against Newcastle that actually helped lead to win the old second division title, and he got himself a winner's medal in the process. He was here throughout League United's attempts to reboot itself in the second half of the 80s, and as the roll call there, indicates, he worked under some really, really big names. So before we officially welcome me and bear to the show,

going to give a quick plug to an event that he's at with John Stiles, who is a great storyteller, a great raconteur, should be great fun. All relaxed and informal. Part of the ongoing Wilco 92 campaign to commemorate the achievements of Howard Wilkinson, and it's happening at the Mute Hall Arms in Leeds on May the 3rd, the bank holiday weekend.

And if you go to that,

you will be entered into the draw

to win tickets for the forthcoming

all legends launch at Ellen Road towards the end of May. There is a link in the episode description box as well for the Mute Hall Arms event. Right, without further ado, please enjoy our chat with former Leeds United Number 9, Ian Baird. Ian, welcome to the show. Thank very much. Thanks for joining us. So, FAA Cup semi-final this weekend, a big one for Leeds United. You were there on the ground. Last time this happened, what was it like to play in an FA Cup semi-final and for Leeds United? Firstly, to play for Leeds Knight was an unbelievable experience from me.

I think it's 32 years now since I last pulled on a shirt.

But it seems anywhere you go in Britain or even abroad, there's always Leeds fans.

So I'm quite lucky that way.

Regarding the semi-final, it was a massive buildup.

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