He was a like a man possessed against Millwall at the Valley when we beat them 2-0 in 94ish. Was the game when Newton was battered by Van Den Hawe in the first minute or two. Carlo looked like he could have beaten them on his own. And then jump into the JSS and have it with their fans as well!
Really!!!! A goal every 7 games for a forward is a joke. I saw him on a one on one with the keeper and turn his back and pass it to midfield. 1 hatrick for a striker that started 350 is pathetic. Leaburn a hero but on current ratio BWP will score 175 goals if he start the same number of games as Leaburn but yet BWP gets stick. Worst post I've ever read. Wimbledon supporters treat him as a joke and other football fans do to. I was a junior red at the christmas party back in the late 80's and a kid, during the Q and A's asked Leaburn can he sleep at night getting paid to be a non scoring forward. That was from an 8 year old!!!! Has there ever been a forward to start more than 20 games with a worse record than big Carl
Anyone who knows anything about football will tell you that Leaburn wasn't a goal scorer. His game was about holding the ball up, grafting and bringing others into the game. If you don't know that, or didn't see it at the time, then maybe something like Basketball is more up your street? Of course, I bow to the encyclopaedic knowledge of football that most 8 year olds obviously possess...
Thing is with leaburn, as a kid you expect all centre forwards to score. You don't get certain intricacies of the game. I loved singing his name as a kid and liked how defenders bounced off him and the look on faces when he jumped up from the floor with purpose.
Any slight forward must have loved being up top with him.
Anyone who knows anything about football will tell you that Leaburn wasn't a goal scorer. His game was about holding the ball up, grafting and bringing others into the game. If you don't know that, or didn't see it at the time, then maybe something like Basketball is more up your street? Of course, I bow to the encyclopaedic knowledge of football that most 8 year olds obviously possess...
Could not agree more, if you understand football then you know what a very good player Carlo was - you don't play 400 games in the top two divisions of English football unless you are a very, very decent player.
I remember talking to poor old Tommy Caton back in 1990, we were talking about different strikers he had played against (he had just played against Tony Cascarino and Ian Wright in the space of a couple of weeks).
We were actually watching a reserve game at the training ground where Leaburn was playing up front with Gordon Watson and he said, "I tell you what, that bloke up front for us out there is a right bloody handful too."
Leroy is bang on the money. I've always automatically considered anyone who judges Leaburn on his goal tally alone as one if the many football fans who know nothing about football. Sure he could have scored more, but a lot of his very low scoring seasons came early in his career when he was playing regularly before he would have done if we hadn't been broke. Later in his career his goal scoring record was comparable to Kermorgant's who is a much fairer yard stick than a goal poacher like BWP.
Carl divided opinion like no other. He had limitations as a striker- I always thought he didn't have the striker's instinct - the thought that the defender might miss that header even though it is a simple one, or if I put myself here the ball could fall to me.... But he was also a very good player and a very important part of the team. He was a player that the opposition didn't enjoy playing against and would have always been high up on their list of threats.
Some fans only saw his limitations, but I'm afraid it showed up their lack of football knowledge more than anything else. He frustrated me because I think he was that striker's instinct away from being a top player, but we have to be honest and say that if he had that, he wouldn't have been playing for us for long.
I always felt frustrated with Carl in that he wasnt mean enough, with his size and strength he should have dominated more defences. Perhaps its because we forget that he was often much younger than the people he played against, and was possibly a bit intimidated at the start. He was built like a brick outhouse but was just a young lad. He seemed to improve with age and a wound up "LEABURN!!" was a sight to behold.
I recall that we played against a young Jason Roberts (and again with the young lad at Chelsea whos name I forget (not Cole though), and I remember comparing the two as you could see the difference. Roberts was noticibly more aggresive, annoying, intimidating, dirtier and quicker than Carl and as a result a real handful in a way that Carl rarely was.
Other fans may have wondered why we used to chant "Lea-burn, Lea burn" for a player who many thought was a bit of a comic figure, however he was OUR!! comic figure, and a bit of a Charlton legend.
I agree with the agression bit- and he was a very decent player - we shouldn't forget that - him and Robert Lee were our main men for a while - I think he was at his best for us when we played at Upton Park. He could certainly be a handful but sometimes underused his physical attributes. Very unfair to call him a comic figure - that was for the people , like I said, that don't really understand football and what he brought to the team.
He was shit - i saw him play hundreds of times and he was truly awful - he wasonly liked because people used to chant that moronic LeeeeeeeBurn thing. WOuldnt let him serve the burgers let alone play up front. Give me John Pearson any day and thats saying something.
Some people watch football and others study it - that's all I am going to say. Those that understand what I'm saying are the ones I am aiming this comment at. Those that simply watch - carry on watching.
I remember slapping him on the back after a Welling friendly and he was sold. Literally all muscle.
But I also remember him leaping like a salmon to head the ball towards an open goal in front of the North Stand in a Tuesday night game in the min-90s. He mis-timed it and the ball slapped him on the face so hard that I heard the echo off the East Stand.
Great player on his day. But when he was bad, he was dire.
He was shit - i saw him play hundreds of times and he was truly awful - he wasonly liked because people used to chant that moronic LeeeeeeeBurn thing. WOuldnt let him serve the burgers let alone play up front. Give me John Pearson any day and thats saying something. </blockquote
He was my favourite player when I was a little kid, used to think him and Lenny Henry were the same person (no joke). At Selhurst I leant over the tunnel and he gave me a high five, my hand stung but I was so chuffed did not wash my hand for days haha. Met him in the club shop in 2008 and he signed my little nephews Charlton ball.
I'm not sure if my mind is playing tricks on me, but did he debut in an evening match against Wimbledon? And if so, did he hit his own crossbar that night? I have the vision in my mind at Selhurst, but not sure if I have mixed up some other memories...
THE CULT HERO Leaburn... Many a reason, one being i went to a Wedding reception at the Charlton conservative club over 20 years ago on the way back i had to walk past the ground with my mum, sister, and grandparents. My Grandfather (R.I.P) was quite tipsy and was shouting out one name and one name only as we walked round the back of the covered end. LLLLLLEEEEEAAAAAABBBBBUUUUURRRRRNNNNN!!! repating the chant at late time of night much to my Nans disgust but mine and my sister absolute hilarious loud childish laughter A few years after my Dad started taking me to the Ground upon returning to the Valley and the crowd were chanting Leaburns name...automactically i was there on my first game shouting for the same man due to my Grandfather! That is a cult hero!
Comments
Carlo looked like he could have beaten them on his own. And then jump into the JSS and have it with their fans as well!
Leaburn was like a fine wine and got better with age.
Any slight forward must have loved being up top with him.
A few more goals would have helped though!
I remember talking to poor old Tommy Caton back in 1990, we were talking about different strikers he had played against (he had just played against Tony Cascarino and Ian Wright in the space of a couple of weeks).
We were actually watching a reserve game at the training ground where Leaburn was playing up front with Gordon Watson and he said, "I tell you what, that bloke up front for us out there is a right bloody handful too."
"Watson?" I said, "No!" he replied, "Carlo!"
Either way, Leaburn, total ledge.
Some fans only saw his limitations, but I'm afraid it showed up their lack of football knowledge more than anything else. He frustrated me because I think he was that striker's instinct away from being a top player, but we have to be honest and say that if he had that, he wouldn't have been playing for us for long.
I recall that we played against a young Jason Roberts (and again with the young lad at Chelsea whos name I forget (not Cole though), and I remember comparing the two as you could see the difference. Roberts was noticibly more aggresive, annoying, intimidating, dirtier and quicker than Carl and as a result a real handful in a way that Carl rarely was.
Other fans may have wondered why we used to chant "Lea-burn, Lea burn" for a player who many thought was a bit of a comic figure, however he was OUR!! comic figure, and a bit of a Charlton legend.
But I also remember him leaping like a salmon to head the ball towards an open goal in front of the North Stand in a Tuesday night game in the min-90s. He mis-timed it and the ball slapped him on the face so hard that I heard the echo off the East Stand.
Great player on his day. But when he was bad, he was dire.
Legend in my eyes!
A few years after my Dad started taking me to the Ground upon returning to the Valley and the crowd were chanting Leaburns name...automactically i was there on my first game shouting for the same man due to my Grandfather!
That is a cult hero!
Proper Charlton legend is Carl, Leroys summary is bang on the money.
My favourite Leaburn goal has got to be Southend away