Baillie, Lex – The Celtic Wiki

Personal

Fullname: William Alexander Baillie
aka: Lex Baillie
Born: 6 July 1966
Birthplace: Hamilton, Scotland
Signed: 20 August 1982
Left: 6 June 1991
Position: Centre-half
First game: Falkirk 2-0 away 22 December 1987 league
Last game: St Johnstone 3-2 away 11 May 1991
First goal: St Mirren 4-1 home 17 November 1990 league
Last goal: St Mirren 4-1 home 17 November 1990 league
Internationals: none

Biog

The son of former Rangers player and Sunday Post football writer Doug Baillie, Lex Baillie joined Celtic in 1982 from Burnbank Boys Club. It’s claimed that his father said that some people still don’t speak to him for letting his boy join Celtic.

A centre half, Lex Baillie showed promise but never really established himself as a regular in the Celtic first team. He was given token appearances to get him chances, but finally made a breakthrough in the 1987/88 season.

He made 13 starts in that glorious Centenary double winning season of 1987-88, something that he will cherish and provide him with some great memories (only played in one defeat in that season). He played in a key position, was well liked and gave his all. Something to respect. However he was ultimately the third man in the two man central defence frontrunners of Aitken & McCarthy.

He also played in two games against Rangers which saw Celtic come out on top in that season, which we’re sure would have made for some conversation at home. In the New Years’ game against Rangers, he ended up breaking a couple of ribs of opposing goalkeeper Chris Woods when both went up together for a corner. Billy McNeill praised him highly for his performance in the New Years game:

“I never had any doubts about Lex’s ability but considering this was his first Old Firm game and his lack of experience, his performance was remarkable.”

He was out for most of 1989/90 with an injury (ligament damage) which failed to heal properly, and his career at Celtic was next to over. Prior he was progressing, and making a good name for himself as the captain of the reserves, keeping up his spirits.

He went to Toronto Blizzard due to a tie up with coach ex-Celt Tony Taylor (loan, close season 1990) to gain match fitness and returned on 26 Aug 1990 having played 22 games in 11 weeks. On his return he had little chance of a first team spot with the excellent Paul Elliott in place. In any case, Celtic were to begin a downward spiral and Lex Baillie was not a player with the ability to help stem that tide.

He spent most of 1990/91 as captain of the Premier Reserve side with a few outings for the senior team, which was the writing on the wall for him. In any case, Celtic were now at the start of the difficult ‘Sack the Board’ days, which were to escalate. The first team post-Centenary were a disaster until the Celtic Takeover in 1995, and so for players like Lex Baillie, the environment was not one that would help him.

His contract was up for renewal at the end of the 1990/91 season and he had been linked with transfers to Portsmouth, Sheffield Wednesday, Airdrie and Falkirk. He was offered a 1 year deal but no improvement of terms. On 6 June 1991 he was signed by Davie Hay to St Mirren for £90k citing the desire for first team football for his move.

He eventually left Celtic in 1991 after a total of 35 appearances for the Hoops. He netted once in his Celtic career, scoring the Bhoys’ first in a 4-1 win over St Mirren on November 17 1990.

After quitting football, Lex Baillie went on to become a policeman with Strathclyde Police and was the subject of a Channel 4 documentary by Juniper TV.

Curiously enough, the Celtic reserves from that period was to be a bit of a recruiting ground for the police: Sergeant Baillie, PC Elliot, Sergeant Murdoch and roll the clock forward a bit to PC Jamie McQuilken.

Playing Career

APPEARANCES	LEAGUE	SCOTTISH CUP	LEAGUE CUP	EUROPE	TOTAL
1982-91	27 (4)	3 (1)	0	0	30 (5)
Goals:	1	0	0	0	1

Honours with Celtic

(Honours are marked below in which the player has played in at least one of the matches in the campaign.)

Scottish League

1987-88

Scottish Cup

1988, 1989

Pictures

Player pics

Links

Channel 4 documentary by Juniper TV, see: http://www.junipertv.co.uk/zFTT2Lex.html.

Articles

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Lex Baillie; Lawman Lex pounds well-trodden beat.https://www.thefreelibrary.com/WHERE+ARE+THEY+NOW%3F+Lex+Baillie%3B+Lawman+Lex+pounds+well-trodden+beat.-a061052953

Think of the Lawman in football and the mind automatically switches on to the heroic exploits of goal king Denis Law.

But there are footballers who have taken a much more direct involvement in the law than the Manchester United great.

The ranks of the police forces in Scotland boast many stalwarts who have swapped football strips for dark-blue sergeant’s uniforms.

Lex Baillie who served Celtic for nine years, St Mirren for two and Dunfermline for one is among them.

The strapping 6ft2ins central defender now pounds the beat in Hamilton, Lanarkshire, helping to prevent crime instead of stopping goals. And he’s enjoying every minute of his new career.

The 31-year-old – an integral member of Celtic’s double- winning team in their centenary year under manager Billy McNeill nine years ago – has been Constable Baillie for more than three years.

Ironically, he has been called for duty at both Celtic Park and Ibrox on several occasions on match days.

Lex said: “One of these was an Old Firm game at Ibrox and I thought to myself the tackles that day were a wee bit on the heavy side. But I suppose it was like that when I played in that frantic atmosphere too.

“It just seems that the game is so much more intense with much more at stake now as the sport has been elevated to the realms of big business.”

Lex joined Celtic from school under Billy McNeill but was signed on pro forms by Davie Hay. When he left to manage St Mirren, he took Baillie to Love Street with him.

The big man was brought up in a football atmosphere at home as his father, Doug, now a sports journalist, played for Airdrie, Rangers, Third Lanark, Falkirk and Dunfermline.

Lex said: “I had a great time in the game but I often thought of joining the police when my career came to an end.

“So when I left Dunfermline I applied to join the force and I’ve certainly got no regrets.

“There are many former players in the police with Mark Fulton who used to play for St Mirren and Hibs, being one of the first to sign on.

“Now we have Roddie MacDonald of Celtic, Andy Murdoch, who played for Celtic and Partick Thistle, Roland Fabiani of St Mirren and Alex McEwan who had spells with Rangers and St Mirren.

“It’s a great life and I still play for my divisional side so I’ve got the best of both worlds.

“It’s only when you stop playing professional football you realise how good a life you had and what a good job it was.

“We were well paid for doing something we enjoyed and we were also given a feeling of wellbeing through training and being super fit all of the time.

“Now I’ve got to keep myself fit in my own time instead of being paid to do it!”

Although no longer involved in the game Lex keeps closely in touch and tries to get to as many matches as possible.

But away from his work as a community cop he likes nothing better than relaxing with wife Margaret-Anne and daughters Melissa, four, Ashley, two, and five-month-old Olivia.

He added: “I love getting involved with my own family of course but I also enjoy watching out for the youngsters on my beat which is part of my job as a community policeman.