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IF Sutton United beat Leeds United today, it will be an FA Cup shock that has its roots in a friendship born in Southampton 38 years ago.
Sutton boss Paul Doswell has known head coach Ian Baird since he was 12, through Baird’s younger brother Darren, his Southampton Schoolboys teammate in the late 1970s.
They are plotting another shock at Gander Green Lane after winning their third-round replay at rivals AFC Wimbledon 11 days ago.
Maxime Biamou celebrates Sutton United’s second goal in the 3-1 win at AFC Wimbledon in the FA Cup second round on January 17
There is no shortage of nostalgia seeping from this fixture as Leeds legend Baird prepares to come up against the club whose fans still revere him for his gutsy performances in two spells as a combative centre-forward during the 1980s.
Baird, who lives in Durley, scored 57 goals for Leeds in 190 appearances.
“It will be a strange feeling, I enjoyed two fantastic spells at Elland Road and this will be the first time in my career as a player, manager or coach that I have come up against them,” said the 52 year-old.
“I’ve only ever been back there to commentate and do the odd Q & A session since leaving 27 years ago. But the fans have always been good to me and have recognised me in some far-flung places - even after I lost my hair! One of them has even written a book about me!
Ian Baird’s biography, written by Leeds fan Marc Bracha, was published in 2013
“There seems to be a Leeds fan who remembers me everywhere I go.”
Baird’s career included a run to the 1987 FA Cup semi-finals, where Leeds lost 3-2 after extra time against eventual winners Coventry at Hillsborough.
“It was a massive disappointment but I was only 22 and thought chances like that would come around every season.
“I played in two Scottish Cup semi finals but it was nothing like the FA Cup.”
Baird was just five years old when Sutton hosted Don Revie’s Leeds in the fourth round of the 1970 FA Cup.
Sutton lost 6-0 to the league champions, with Allan Clarke scoring four of them and Peter Lorimer, who would become a teammate of Baird’s 15 years later, the other two.
Leeds were captained by Billy Bremner, who brought Baird back to Leeds after nine months at Pompey in 1988, and also included the likes of Jack Charlton, Norman Hunter and Johnny Giles.
Baird, who was reunited with Doswell as Sutton’s head coach in October 2014, is expecting a closer contest this time, against a Leeds side fourth in the Championship under fellow ex-Saints Garry Monk and James Beattie.
After a five-year spell as Eastleigh manager, he was commentating for Radio Leeds when Doswell approached him.
“We’ve had our fall-outs in the past, but we’ve dovetailed brilliantly - we’re like The Odd Couple,” he laughs.
Paul Doswell and Ian Baird were in opposited dug-outs when Sutton visited Eastleigh for an FA Trophy tie in December 2010
Last season Doswell and Baird led Sutton into the National League alongside assistant manager Micky Stephens, a Sutton United legend who played in the win against Coventry.
“We were desperate to get out of Conference South,” said Doswell. “To go up as champions, by going 26 games unbeaten, was fantastic. It’s been a great journey.”
Baird has described himself as “a little bit of a Grim Reaper” in contrast with the ebullient Doswell.
“Many people didn’t think it would work well but it’s gone brilliantly,” said Doswell.
“We bounce off each other and Bairdy brings a lot to the management side with Micky. We don’t view ourselves as a 1,2,3 but between the three of us it works really well.”
Sutton’s win against Coventry was famously played on a muddy, sandy surface; nothing like the £500,000 top-of-the-range 3G pitch that Doswell had installed at his own expense 18 months ago.
It may become as synonymous with FA Cup shocks as Yeovil Town’s old slope.
But Saints season-ticket holder Doswell, who is a friend of Leeds coach Beattie and also knows manager Monk through his best pal, ex-Saints and Eastleigh midfielder David Hughes, knows the Championship side will be fully prepared.
“They have their own 3G training pitch and have also played on 3G at Harrogate Town so it’s not the advantage some perceive it to be,” he said.
Conference North Harrogate became the latest non-league club to invest in a 3G pitch last summer, Sutton having followed Maidstone United’s lead.
Winchester City have also explored the possibility. “[Director of football] David Malone and [chairman] Paul Murray are totally behind the concept,” said Doswell, who will be paid back his interest-free loan with Sutton’s FA Cup prize money.
A dad of seven since wife Katie gave birth to their twin girls six years ago, Doswell also juggles his (unpaid) football commitments with Doswell Projects, the building business he shares with his brother.
He lives in Compton, Winchester, where he built the family home, and makes the three-hour round trip to Sutton with Baird three times a week.
“We drive up every Tuesday and Thursday at 8am, those are our days set aside for football,” continues Doswell.
“Bairdy runs a successful scaffolding firm (Elite Scaffolding), but a lot of our business work is done on the phone so we can do that en route.
“Bairdy’s addicted to football and the club and the draw’s brilliant for him. They love him up there, he was a hard-working centre-forward who didn’t shirk out of anything.”
The draw has certainly captured the imagination of the Sutton fans.
“The [5,000] tickets went on sale on Sunday and sold out within four hours,” said Doswell who took over at Sutton when they were bottom of Conference South in 2008.
But he has no interest in taking the club any higher.
“I’ve never wanted us to be a Football League club, that doesn’t particularly excite me,” he admits. “I love non-league football and we’re trying to be the best non-league club we can be.
“We’re a volunteer-led, debt-free community club and the pitch means we’ve got people using our facilities 12 hours a day, seven days a week instead of once a fortnight.
“If we end up in the play-offs one day the pitch would have to be allowed in the Football League for a start. There’s very little difference between the National League and League Two but we’re miles away from being a top-five club.”
Sutton’s squad includes former Middlesbrough and Charlton midfielder Nicky Bailey and ex-Arsenal and Colchester United midfielder Craig Eastmond.
Doswell continued: “There are no stars but it’s the best group of players I’ve had in terms of work ethic. I’ve been criticised for having a revolving door policy in the past but that’s firmly shut.
“We don’t have star names, but we have a collective of good players.”
Also in the Sutton squad on Sunday will be 44 year-old Totton-based Wayne Shaw, the club’s goalkeeping coach and business development manager, who makes a cameo appearance on the video that accompanies Back on the Shoebox Terrace Again, Sutton’s catchy FA Cup song (1:51).
“You can’t have enough Wayne Shaws around, he’s a great lad and everyone loves him - and he’ll be on the bench again on Sunday,” smiled Doswell, who attracted attention in the Sutton technical area last week, for smoking an e-cigarette during the win against AFC Wimbledon.
Doswell’s vaping evoked memories of the pipe-smoking Barrie Williams during the famous win against Coventry.
“The pictures went viral and there were 1,000 comments from as far away as the USA, only a few of which were negative. I won’t apologise for it, I was only a six-a-day man but they helped me give up smoking three years ago.”
The lack of stress at Gander Green Lane must also help. “Eastleigh wouldn’t be where they are without Dos’ but he enjoys his football more at Sutton,” added Baird.
“There isn’t the same pressure to get three points and he doesn’t have to worry whether the burger van’s been paid for.”
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