Chris Leadbitter

Christopher Jonathan Leadbitter (born 17 October 1967) is an English former footballer who made more than 400 appearances in the Football League playing as a midfielder for Hereford United, Cambridge United, A.F.C. Bournemouth, Plymouth Argyle and Torquay United.[2][3]

Chris Leadbitter
Personal information
Full name Christopher Jonathan Leadbitter[1]
Date of birth (1967-10-17) 17 October 1967
Place of birth Middlesbrough, England
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
Grimsby Town
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1985–1986 Grimsby Town 0 (0)
1986–1988 Hereford United 36 (1)
1988–1993 Cambridge United 176 (18)
1989 → Barnet (loan) 12 (0)
1993–1995 A.F.C. Bournemouth 54 (3)
1995–1997 Plymouth Argyle 52 (1)
1997 Dorchester Town
1997–1999 Torquay United 63 (2)
1999–2001 Plymouth Argyle 40 (2)
2001–2002 Guisborough Town
2002–200? Whitby Town
2003–200? Peterlee Newtown
200?–2005 Thornaby
2005 Bishop Auckland 2 (0)
2005–200? Guisborough Town
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career

Leadbitter was born in Middlesbrough and began his career as an apprentice at Grimsby Town. He failed to make the breakthrough and moved to Hereford United in 1985 to make his league debut. He played 36 league games for them over two seasons,[2] then signed for Cambridge United before the 1987–88 season. After a brief loan spell at Conference club Barnet,[4] Leadbitter became a regular part of the Cambridge side under manager John Beck and helped the club gain consecutive promotions and reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in successive seasons.[5][6]

After 176 league appearances and 18 goals,[2] he moved onto A.F.C. Bournemouth for £25,000 in 1993[5] and then Plymouth Argyle in 1995. He played 63 games in all competitions for Plymouth,[1] spent time out of the Football League at Dorchester Town, returned to it for two seasons with Torquay United,[2] went back to Argyle to make a further 51 appearances, then retired from professional football in 2001.[1]

He returned to the north-east of England and played non-league football for Guisborough Town,[7] Whitby Town,[8] Peterlee Newtown,[9] Thornaby, Bishop Auckland,[10] and Guisborough again.[11]

References
  1. "Player: Chris Leadbitter". Argyle Review. Steve Pearce. Archived from the original on 10 October 2008. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  2. "Chris Leadbitter". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database. Neil Brown. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  3. "Chris Leadbitter". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  4. Harman, John (2005). Alliance to Conference. Tony Williams Publications. p. 66. ISBN 978-1-869833-52-7.
  5. Flatman, Barry (17 February 2008). "Caught in time: Cambridge United's rise under John Beck, 1990". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
  6. Maul, Rob (23 May 2004). "Caught in Time: Cambridge United, 1990 Fourth Division playoff final". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
  7. "The Albany Northern League". The Northern Echo. 9 November 2001. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
  8. "Blues fail to bury chances" (reprint). Whitby Gazette. FindArticles. 25 January 2002. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
  9. "Oliver out to revive Crook". The Northern Echo. 6 December 2003. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
  10. "Latest Moves". NonLeague Daily. 24 October 2005. Archived from the original on 26 September 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
  11. "Northern League: Consett Get By Without Striker Tate". The Northern Echo. 3 December 2005. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
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