Fairclough: Courtney Huw (Chris)

1989-1995 (Leeds Player Details)(Player Details)

Defender

Born: Nottingham: 12-04-1964

Debut v Portsmouth (h): 25-03-1989

5’11” 11st 2lb (1989)

#56 in 100 Greatest LUFC Players Ever

Christened Courtney Huw Fairclough, he started with Parkhead Academicals but joined Nottingham Forest as an apprentice on 12th October 1981. He won the first of seven Under-Twenty-one caps in 1985 and after soring once in one hundred and seven League games, of which five were as substitute, and one goal in ten League Cup games, including one from the bench, and six starts in the F.A. Cup and nine starts and two games as a substitute in other games, he moved to Tottenham Hotspur on 3rd July 1987 for £387,000, the fee being fixed by tribunal. Fairclough proved to be a solid and reliable centre-back, being an ever-present throughout the 1987-88 season. The 1988-89 season however was blighted by injury for Fairclough and he only made twenty League appearances. He had scored five League goals in sixty starts and also started three F.A, Cup and seven League Cup games, when, after failing to reclaim his place in Terry Venables' team, Chris joined Leeds United on loan on 23rd March 1989. He had played three games for Leeds before, on 4th April 1989 he made the move permanent, moving for a fee of £500,000. He was immediately installed at the heart of the defence, making his debut on the same day as Gordon Strachan in a 1-0 triumph over Portsmouth on 25th March 1989,and the team gained promotion from Division Two in 1990, and went on to win Leeds' first Division One Championship in eighteen years in 1992. In his six years at Elland Road, he was almost ever-present and immensely popular with the fans, picking up the supporters' "Player of the Year" in 1990. His partnership with Chris Whyte in central defence was a key factor in the Championship win, but he was moved to defensive midfield to cover for David Batty’s departure to Blackburn Rovers. It was then that he slowly started to lose his place in the side and his six year stay at Elland Road came to an end when he signed for Bolton Wanderers on 4th July 1995 for £500,000. He helped Bolton to the First Division Championship in 1996–97, but, after scoring eight League goals in ninety games, one as a substitute, and starting five F.A. Cup and eleven League Cup games, he had a cruciate knee ligament injury and was given a free-transfer to Notts County on 28th July 1998. He scored once in the League and started sixteen games in the League, one in the F.A. Cup and two in the League Cup, while at Meadow Lane. On 18th March 1999, he was loaned to York City until the end of the season, starting eleven League games. The Minstermen signed him on a free-transfer on 25thy June 1999 and he went on to score one League goal in twenty-six League games, of which one was as a substitute, and also started one F.A. Cup game, two League Cup ties and one other game after signing permanerntly, before retiring on 7th February 2001. He joined the Nottingham Forest Youth Academy as coach and later progressed to become Assistant Coach to the first team. He stayed at Forest until the advent of new Manager Steve McLaren in June 2011. He was capped for England at “B” level as well as the seven caps he gained at Under-Twenty-One level. His sons were on the Nottingham Forest books and played for their Youth teams. Jordan is a full back and was in the Forest squad but did not make the first team. He now plays for Boston United who he joined from Corby Town during the latter stages of the 2010-2011 season, having spent the first half to the campaign with Evo-Stik League Division One South club Shepshed Dynamo after being released by Forest at the end of the 2009-2010 season. Ben was a striker and played eight times for Notts County, before being released at the end of the 2009-10 season. He now plays with Hinkley United having signed for them on 7th August 2011