Career
He played as a defender. After playing for Darwen for a number of years, Fairhurst joined fellow Lancashire club Blackpool in May 1919 after previously playing for them during the 1916-1917 and 1917-1918 World War I wartime seasons. Fairhurst first played for Blackpool in the 1917-1918 wartime season, on 1 September 1917 against Oldham Athletic, while he was serving at the Royal Army Medical Corps Depot in the town.
He made a total of 27 appearances for the club that season.
He returned to the club on 8 February 1919, in a 1–1 draw at Burnley and made a total of ten appearances for the Seasiders that season. The club then signed him in May 1919.
He made 27 league appearances as Blackpool finished fourth in Division Two. He was initially named in the Blackpool team to face N ottinghamshire County on New Year"s Day, but he had "a touch of gastritis" and did not traveling
He died at home on 7 January 1921 as a result of the injury, with the club stating, "We have lost one of the best backs in England".
He was buried at Tonge Cemetery on 13 January. He had made just short of 50 league appearances for the Seasiders.