| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Carl Winston Leaburn | ||
| Date of birth | 30 March 1969 | ||
| Place of birth | Lewisham, England | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1987–1998 | Charlton Athletic | 344 | (53) |
| 1990 | → Northampton Town (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 1998–2001 | Wimbledon | 58 | (4) |
| 2001–2002 | Queens Park Rangers | 1 | (0) |
| 2002–2005 | Grays Athletic | 62 | (9) |
| Total | 474 | (66) | |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Carl Winston Leaburn (born 30 March 1969) is a former English football player who generally played as a striker.
Born in nearby Lewisham, Leaburn progressed through the youth set-up at Charlton Athletic 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 Manchester United 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 Wimbledon 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 Queens Park Rangers where he played only one game before being released. He then dropped into non-league football with Grays Athletic 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.
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