Carl Leaburn
Encyclopedia
Carl Winston Leaburn is a former English
football
player who generally played as a striker
.
Born in nearby Lewisham
, Leaburn progressed through the youth set-up at and made his debut in the late 1980s. He also played in the England Under 20's team under Graham Taylor. A regular in Charlton's team for over a decade, he developed the reputation of a striker who rarely scored. One rare highlight was scoring a goal against at Old Trafford
in the FA Cup
in 1994. Leaburn became a cult figure with many fans with one popular chant being the repetition of his surname. However, he did manage double figures in seasons 1991/92 and 1993/94, during which Charlton were contenders for a place in the play-offs. Clive Mendonca has claimed that Leaburn was the best strike partner he played with whilst at the club.
In 1998 Leaburn moved to Premier League side for a £300,000 fee. Despite scoring on his debut, his major contribution to the club was more in working hard to create goals for team-mates, rather than scoring himself. His record of four goals in 58 league games does not do justice to either his work-rate or his popularity with fans, who greatly valued his enthusiasm and indefatigability. Perhaps the finest moment of his Wimbledon career was when he scored two goals to help defeat Crystal Palace F.C.
in the "Landlords vs. Tenants" derby game at Selhurst Park
. Following the Dons' relegation in 2000, Leaburn moved to where he played only one game before being released. He then dropped into non-league football
with where he scored nine times between December 2002 and May 2005 when he ended his football career.
After retiring, Leaburn completed a study for a BTEC
Radio Broadcasting course. He worked for BBC
London
as a match summariser and interviewer. He now works for Premier League productions as a match analyst and occasionally as a security guard for the Canary Wharf estate. Leaburn also worked with Redstone.fm, a community radio station for Redhill
, Reigate
and Banstead
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player who generally played as a striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
.
Born in nearby Lewisham
Lewisham
Lewisham is a district in South London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, Leaburn progressed through the youth set-up at and made his debut in the late 1980s. He also played in the England Under 20's team under Graham Taylor. A regular in Charlton's team for over a decade, he developed the reputation of a striker who rarely scored. One rare highlight was scoring a goal against at Old Trafford
Old Trafford (football)
Old Trafford is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 75,811, Old Trafford is the second-largest football stadium in England after Wembley, the third-largest in the United Kingdom and the eleventh-largest in Europe...
in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
in 1994. Leaburn became a cult figure with many fans with one popular chant being the repetition of his surname. However, he did manage double figures in seasons 1991/92 and 1993/94, during which Charlton were contenders for a place in the play-offs. Clive Mendonca has claimed that Leaburn was the best strike partner he played with whilst at the club.
In 1998 Leaburn moved to Premier League side for a £300,000 fee. Despite scoring on his debut, his major contribution to the club was more in working hard to create goals for team-mates, rather than scoring himself. His record of four goals in 58 league games does not do justice to either his work-rate or his popularity with fans, who greatly valued his enthusiasm and indefatigability. Perhaps the finest moment of his Wimbledon career was when he scored two goals to help defeat Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
in the "Landlords vs. Tenants" derby game at Selhurst Park
Selhurst Park
Selhurst Park is an English football stadium located in the London suburb of South Norwood in the Borough of Croydon. It is the current home ground of Crystal Palace Football Club. Its present capacity is 26,309.-History:...
. Following the Dons' relegation in 2000, Leaburn moved to where he played only one game before being released. He then dropped into non-league football
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
with where he scored nine times between December 2002 and May 2005 when he ended his football career.
After retiring, Leaburn completed a study for a BTEC
Business And Technology Education Council (BTEC)
The Business and Technology Education Council is the British body which awards vocational qualifications. Such qualifications are commonly referred to as "BTECs"....
Radio Broadcasting course. He worked for BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
as a match summariser and interviewer. He now works for Premier League productions as a match analyst and occasionally as a security guard for the Canary Wharf estate. Leaburn also worked with Redstone.fm, a community radio station for Redhill
Redhill, Surrey
Redhill is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead, Surrey, England and is part of the London commuter belt. Redhill and the adjacent town of Reigate form a single urban area.-History:...
, Reigate
Reigate
Reigate is a historic market town in Surrey, England, at the foot of the North Downs, and in the London commuter belt. It is one of the main constituents of the Borough of Reigate and Banstead...
and Banstead
Banstead
Banstead is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead in the county of Surrey, England, on the border with Greater London. It lies south of London, west of Croydon and of the county town of Kingston-Upon-Thames. Banstead is on the North Downs and is protected by the Metropolitan Green Belt;...
.