117 Carl Harris

Position : Winger

Played : 1987-88 to 1988-89

Appearances : 25

Goals : 3

The first new signing after the financial crisis was the 31-year old ex- Leeds and Wales right winger who had been struggling to commute to Airdrie from his South Wales home after being released by Bury in the summer. Carl had begun his career with eight seasons at Leeds where he often shone (Ipswich and England full back Mick Mills rated him his most difficult opponent) but never really made himself essential to the first team. His best season was 1980-81 where he was leading scorer with 10 goals from 37 appearances. All his 24 caps (1 goal) were won while at Leeds. When Leeds were relegated in 1982 he was sold to Charlton for £100,000. His three seasons there were-injury-hit but he made 76 appearances scoring seven then had two years at Bury where he scored 5 in 38 appearances.



In his first few games he looked lethargic and uninterested and was having a stinker away at Crewe in January 1988 when suddenly something clicked into place and he started roasting the left back. Crewe eventually had to switch their full backs around to cope with him, a great compliment to the player. Thereafter he looked our most dangerous player after the departure of Mark Gavin. Some of his pace had gone but he still had great sleight of foot and could put a good cross over like the one from which Ernie Moss scored his last goal in League football at home to Leyton Orient in April. He stayed for a short while after Gray’s departure but was finding the travelling irksome and arranged his own transfer to Exeter.



He saw the 1988-89 season out with them, usually coming off the bench, then became player-manager of his local side Briton Ferry Athletic. After leaving them he spent another three years playing for a variety of sides in the Welsh Premier league until hanging up his boots in 1997 at the age of 41. He is now the proprietor of a removals business which he took over from his father-in-law.