Chris Fairclough: Leeds United’s Radebe Mark 1
I’ve got to admit – I forgot about Chris Fairclough – I’d only really ever heard his name in passing before in relation to Leeds. Maybe on a Radio Leeds matchday or around Elland Road or something, but I didn’t realise he actually spent six years with us between 1989 and 1995, after we bought him from Tottenham Hotspur for £500,000.
And how about this for a return as a defender? He hit 21 goals for us in 189 appearances, so I’m surprised he doesn’t get mentioned in the same breath as a Gordon Strachan or Tony Yeboah.
So, he was a key part of our team – especially the one which won the 1989/90 Second Division and the final season of the ‘old First Division’ in 1991/92 before it became the Premier League the following campaign. He also won the 1992 FA Charity Shield with us.
| Attribute | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Courtney Huw Fairclough |
| Nationality | English |
| Height | 1.80m (5’11”) |
| Weight | 73 kg |
| Position | Central Defender |
| Joined Leeds United | 1989 |
| Left Leeds United | 1995 |
| Leeds Appearances | 192 (all competitions) |
| Leeds Goals | 15 (all competitions) |
| Captaincy | Not club captain, but key leader at centre-back |
Indeed, in 1990, he won the Player of the Year award, after forming a great partnership with Chris Whyte at the back.
Was He As Good As Radebe?
To me, his form book suggests that he could, and maybe should be remembered in the same frame as the legendary Lucas Radebe, as far as centre-backs go, who perhaps came a few years ahead of him and became a firm fan favourite.
For context and – incredibly (I couldn’t believe this), Radebe never scored for us in his 201 appearances and now I’m not actually sure based on this whether Fairclough shades it in terms of all-round ability.
There would have been a brief cross-over between the two. Radebe arrived in 1994 following his transfer from Kaiser Chiefs and Fairclough left a year later, so they did play together briefly, but Radebe would still have been honing his game back then.
Fairclough Forged His Own Legacy
While he is probably not the most iconic player to play for us, I would be surprised if many of you (especially readers of a certain age) have forgotten him. From what I’ve researched, he did more than enough to make his mark for us and I’m sure there are numerous anecdotes that fans have about him from games you watched him play in.
The term ‘cult hero’ is often overused in football, but I guess he is one from a particular era and, while there might not be much publicity about him, I’m sure he’s earned that status.