THE Basingstoke Bison have added even more steel to their defence, with the re-signing of experienced blue liner Joe Baird.

The 36-year-old has played over 600 games in the English Premier League and will return for a fourth straight year with the Herd.

The Southampton –born player was a product of the Basingstoke junior system making his debut for the senior team way back in 1995.

He went on to play in the Superleague and then the British National League with the Bison and scored in both their Benson and Hedges Plate triumphs in 1999 and 2000.

When Basingstoke returned to the top flight of the game, Baird moved to the EPL with the Isle of Wight and then to Bracknell where he won the EPL league title in 2007.

He then went onto spend four years with the Swindon Wildcats, before returning to Basingstoke and being part of their double winning side in his season back.

Baird is as solid as they come on the blue line and despite having a good shot from the point, he failed to find the net last season in his points tally of 13.

Bison head coach Doug Sheppard is really pleased to have Baird back, who he felt was another key member of their championship winning side and said: “He is our leader back in defence and a really steady player. He played through the pain barrier last year for us when he had broken finger.”

Baird will re-join fellow blue liners from last season Kurt Reynolds, Declan Balmer and Stuart Mogg in a Bison defence which is now up to four.

Sheppard said: “I am really pleased the core of last season’s defence is back and I think we have a really good mix of veterans and young guys, which I think is important.”

Another advantage is that they have all played in front of the Bison starting goalieTomas Hiadlovsky, which the Bison boss feels is a big plus and Sheppard said: “Tomas plays different than any other goalie in this league, as he is a lot more pro active. These guys now know they don’t always have to make the plays themselves.”

Baird will not be the last defenceman of the team and Sheppard still has one import to sign who will be either a defenceman or forward, depending on his final British signings.