Player Profile

Davie Laird signed from Cambuslang Rangers and made his debut for St.Mirren in a League Cup match against Kilmarnock on the 21st August 1954 playing at outside right in a 2-2 draw. His first goal came in his third match, the return League Cup match against Kilmarnock on the 4th September in a 3-2 victory. Kilmarnock were to be the opponents again when he scored his first league goal in a 2-0 victory on the 18th September 1954. Unfortunately after playing in seven of the first eleven games that season he picked up an injury and missed a large part of the season, before returning to the reserve side just before the end of the season.

The start of the following season saw him back in the side regularly, making 23 appearances and scoring seven goals.

Highlight of 1955/56 was the clubs run to the League Cup final. Davie played six matches of the tournament including the Final against Aberdeen. It was not to be Saints day at Hampden as the Dons won 2-1.

Unfortunately just as he was beginning to become a fixture in the team, he left for Folkestone to carry out his National service and managed only three matches over the next two seasons.

He returned to Love Street at the beginning of 1958/59 but could not return to the team as he had damaged ankle ligaments playing for a forces team whilst in the army! It was November before he made to the starting line up, but he quickly returned to the form he had previously shown and made 16 starts, scoring three times before the end of the season. He played in the quarter final of the Scottish Cup, but did not make the final line up when saints won the cup. He did however play in both legs of the 2nd X1 cup win over Motherwell, scoring one goal in the process.

1959-60 promised much from Laird as he played in the first six league matches. He also played a starring role in an Anglo Scottish Cup Winners Challenge match with Nottingham Forest who had won the FA Cup in England. Davie scored two goals in a 5-4 aggregate win for Saints.

All of this good form had fans and press looking forward to great thing from him, however in a match at Pittodrie on the 3rd October 1959, Davie sustained a serious leg break and this signalled the beginning of the end for his Saints career.
He did make a comeback in the reserve side on the 4th January 1960 against Raith Rovers, but he never regained the form he was showing before his injury. He played several more reserve games before the end of the season but never played in the first team again. He was released at the end of the season.

In his time at love Street he played in 57 matches and scored 13 goals.

Who knows what he could have achieved if it were not for his injury?