Willie Bauld

Heart of Midlothian

Bauld was born in Newcraighall, Edinburgh and joined Hearts from junior side Musselburgh Union in 1946. He was initially loaned to Newtongrange Star then Edinburgh City.

On 9 October 1948 after a mediocre start to the 1948–49 season, Hearts' manager Davie McLean gave a competitive first team debut to 20 year old centre forward Willie Bauld. 19 year old inside left, Jimmy Wardhaugh, and 22 year old inside right, Alfie Conn Sr. had already broken through to the first team so this game marked the first time all three were deployed as a combined attacking force. They became dubbed the Terrible Trio and scored over 900 Hearts goals between them (Wardhaugh 376, Bauld 355, Conn 221). As a unit they played 242 games together. The combination of Wardhaugh's dribbling skills and non-stop running, Bauld's cerebral play and prodigious aerial ability, and Conn's energetic, tenacious style and powerful shooting complemented each other well. Their first match as a forward combination ended in a 6–1 defeat of Scot Symon's impressive East Fife team of the era. Bauld scored a hat trick on his debut v East Fife. This was notable as Symon's team had defeated the Maroons 4–0 three weeks earlier.

Tangible progress was made in the League Championship in 1949–50 when Hearts finished third. McLean's death on 14 February 1951 saw Tommy Walker promoted to the position of manager. The important foundations Walker inherited from McLean included the Terrible Trio forwards. Walker managed Hearts for the rest of Bauld's time at the club.

Bauld's value to the team was underlined in 1952/53, when he missed eight vital league games through ankle injuries. Hearts were struggling, but with Bauld's return to full fitness came a change in fortunes. From the bottom half of the league they surged up the table to finish in fourth place (as they had the two previous seasons). That resurgence also took them to a 1952–53 Scottish Cup semi final against Rangers before 116,262 fans at Hampden Park in Glasgow. Wardhaugh scored in the 2–1 defeat. Hearts were now though on an upward trajectory.

In 1953–54, Wardhaugh became the A Division's top scorer with 27 goals as Hearts appeared set to win the League championship. However, on 13 March 1954 in the Scottish Cup quarter final 3–0 defeat away to Aberdeen, Bobby Parker broke his jaw, Conn injured his back, and Wardhaugh collected a serious shin bone injury. Bobby Dougan already had a lengthy knee injury meaning 9 November 1953 was his last competitive Hearts first team game. A stuttering end to their season saw Celtic overtake them.

Dave Mackay was given his extended place in the team in the 1954–55 season immediately after Davie Laing's 5 September transfer to Clyde. Seven weeks later they lifted the first of seven trophies over nine seasons between 1954 and 1963 (their first since 1906). Bauld was there for the first six of those trophy wins. They beat Motherwell 4–2 in the 1954 Scottish League Cup Final. Bauld scored three and Wardhaugh scored one in the final giving the team their break through trophy. Hearts gained some recompense against Celtic from the season before by beating them home and away in that 1954–55 Scottish League Cup group stage.

After signing Alex Young (who would later move positions to take Bauld's number nine jersey), Hearts proceeded to win the 1955–56 Scottish Cup beating Celtic 3-1. They thrashed Rangers 4–0 in the quarter finals with goals from Crawford, Conn and a Bauld double. Wardhaugh was the top tier's leading scorer again that season. The scorers in the cup final win over Celtic were Crawford with two and one from Conn. Conn ended that 1955–56 season at the peak of his powers aged 29 with a career best 29 goals from 41 games. However the following September Conn suffered a broken jaw playing against Hibernian keeping him out til January. The days of the Terrible Trio as a combined force were nearing their end.

Hearts led the Scottish League for most of the 1956–57 season. The title hinged on Rangers visit to Tynecastle on 13 April. A capacity crowd watched a tense game in which Rangers keeper, George Niven, was man of the match. Hearts could not beat him and the only goal came from Billy Simpson of Rangers who scored on the break in 35 minutes. Rangers had games in hand which they won to overtake Hearts and lift the trophy.

Bauld however completed the set of having won all three major Scottish football trophies with the League Championship in 1957–58. Conn suffered a serious ankle injury meaning he only played in five league games all season. Injury hit Conn left Hearts for Raith Rovers in September 1958 just two years after his 1956 zenith. Injury affected Bauld only played nine times in the league title win a new Hearts attacking trio were dominant. For a third time Wardhaugh was the League's top marksman with 28 strikes. This was one ahead of Jimmy Murray's 27 and four more than Young's 24. Mackay, now Captain, was fourth in Hearts' league scoring charts with 12. Hearts won that League title in 1957–58 with record-breaking points, goals scored and goal difference. Their record from 34 league games of 62 points out of a maximum possible 68 was 13 more than their nearest rival. They scored 132 goals (still the Scottish top tier record) with only 29 against for a record net difference of +103. This was Hearts' greatest ever league side.

In the 1958–59 Scottish League Cup group stage Hearts eliminated Rangers. That October 1958 Scottish League Cup Final was won with a heavy 5–1 defeat of Partick Thistle. Bauld and Murray each scored two and Johnny Hamilton netted one. Hearts defended their league title by being leaders in mid December. However a side visiting Ibrox missing injured Mackay were beaten 5–0 with all goals in the first 35 minutes. This moved Rangers into top position in the table on goal average. Mackay left for £32 000 the following March for Tottenham Hotspur. Hearts fought back into contention and a 2–0 defeat of Rangers in April gave them a chance with two games remaining. The last day of the season began with Rangers two points clear and needing a point to clinch the title. However Rangers lost 2–1 at home to Aberdeen. Another injury impacted Hearts went down by the same score leaving those at the club to wonder what would have happened if Mackay hadn't been sold when he was.

Hearts won both the 1959 Scottish League Cup Final and league title in 1959-60. Bauld didn't play in the cup final with Alex young playing instead in the number nine jersey. Bauld did though play six games earlier in the competition scoring three goals. He scored 10 goals from the 17 league games he played in that season. Johnny Hamilton scored for Hearts in that second successive League Cup Final and Young hit the winner. Third Lanark were beaten 2–1.

Hearts lost the 1961 Scottish League Cup Final after a replay. Cumming scored a deserved equalising penalty for Hearts in the first game 1–1 draw they largely dominated against the Scot Symon managed Rangers. Norrie Davidson scored a then equalising Hearts goal when they went down poorly in the 3–1 replay defeat. Bauld played in the replay defeat but not the first game of the final.

Bauld retired from playing professional in 1962 at the age of 34. With hearts he scored 355 goals from 510 first team appearances.

Scotland

Bauld was capped three times by Scotland, all in a six week period in the spring of 1950. The first was a 1-0 home defeat to England in the Home International championship that was also acting as a qualifier for the 1950 FIFA World Cup. Bauld scored a goal in each of his next two caps; a 3-1 home win against Switzerland and a 2-2 draw against Portugal in Lisbon.

He also scored 15 goals in 13 appearances for the Scottish League XI.

Honours