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Alan Curbishley
Llewellyn Charles "Alan" Curbishley (born 8 November 1957) is an English former football player and manager. He played as a midfielder for West Ham United, Birmingham City, Aston Villa, Charlton Athletic and Brighton & Hove Albion. He became manager of Charlton Athletic in 1991 and held the role until 2006, becoming the second-longest-serving manager of the club. He also managed West Ham United from 2006 to 2008, and had spells as both a technical director and coach at Fulham.
Curbishley was one of five children born to a London docker and his wife. He grew up a mile from West Ham station. He was educated at South West Ham Technical School. Curbishley is married. He is the younger brother of the rock band manager Bill Curbishley, who has been manager of The Who since the mid-1970s.
He began his football playing career with West Ham United, joining them as an apprentice on leaving school in the summer of 1974. After impressing in West Ham's South East Counties League side and owing to an injury crisis following pre-season training, he was named as substitute against Everton in August 1974 at the age of 16 and became the youngest-ever West Ham player to be named on the teamsheet, although he did not play. He made his first-team debut in a 1–0 home defeat against Chelsea in March 1975, coming into the team for the injured Billy Bonds, and in the summer, he was a member of the West Ham youth team, alongside Alvin Martin, Geoff Pike and Paul Brush which was beaten by Ipswich Town 5–1 on aggregate in the final of the FA Youth Cup.
Curbishley's first win with the club and first goal came in a 2–1 scoreline at home against Newcastle in October 1975, in which he had replaced an injured Trevor Brooking in the starting line-up. His arrival in the first team was so impressive that he was given the nickname "Whizz" by teammate Pat Holland. He appeared in both legs of the West Ham's European Cup Winners' Cup third-round tie against Den Haag in March 1976, aged 18, although he did not play in the semi-final games against Eintracht Frankfurt, nor in the final against Anderlecht. He made two league and cup appearances in 1974–75, 18 appearances in 1975–76, 12 appearances in 1976–77 and 36 appearances in 1977–78, while competing for a midfield position with Trevor Brooking, Alan Devonshire, Pat Holland, Geoff Pike and Billy Bonds.
After West Ham were relegated at the end of the 1977–78 season, he fell out with manager John Lyall, and although he made a further 28 appearances for West Ham in 1978–79, he subsequently transferred to Birmingham City in April 1979 for a fee of £225,000. He joined local rivals Aston Villa in 1983 but a change of managers saw him transferred again to Charlton Athletic the following year. He began his first period at Charlton Athletic in 1984, helping them to promotion to Division 1 in 1985–86. He then moved to Brighton & Hove Albion in 1987. He helped them win promotion to the Second Division as Third Division runners-up in his first season.
He returned to Charlton as player/coach under the management of Lennie Lawrence in 1990 and stayed there for 16 years.
Curbishley was capped at schoolboy level for England and was a regular in the England youth team. While at Birmingham City, he won his only England under-21 cap against Switzerland in 1980. He was selected for the England B squad in 1981, but a fractured kneecap ended his involvement with England.
When Lennie Lawrence left in July 1991, Curbishley became joint manager of the club with Steve Gritt, taking sole command from June 1995 and masterminding the revival of the club's fortunes with two promotions and consolidation into the Premier League.
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Alan Curbishley
Llewellyn Charles "Alan" Curbishley (born 8 November 1957) is an English former football player and manager. He played as a midfielder for West Ham United, Birmingham City, Aston Villa, Charlton Athletic and Brighton & Hove Albion. He became manager of Charlton Athletic in 1991 and held the role until 2006, becoming the second-longest-serving manager of the club. He also managed West Ham United from 2006 to 2008, and had spells as both a technical director and coach at Fulham.
Curbishley was one of five children born to a London docker and his wife. He grew up a mile from West Ham station. He was educated at South West Ham Technical School. Curbishley is married. He is the younger brother of the rock band manager Bill Curbishley, who has been manager of The Who since the mid-1970s.
He began his football playing career with West Ham United, joining them as an apprentice on leaving school in the summer of 1974. After impressing in West Ham's South East Counties League side and owing to an injury crisis following pre-season training, he was named as substitute against Everton in August 1974 at the age of 16 and became the youngest-ever West Ham player to be named on the teamsheet, although he did not play. He made his first-team debut in a 1–0 home defeat against Chelsea in March 1975, coming into the team for the injured Billy Bonds, and in the summer, he was a member of the West Ham youth team, alongside Alvin Martin, Geoff Pike and Paul Brush which was beaten by Ipswich Town 5–1 on aggregate in the final of the FA Youth Cup.
Curbishley's first win with the club and first goal came in a 2–1 scoreline at home against Newcastle in October 1975, in which he had replaced an injured Trevor Brooking in the starting line-up. His arrival in the first team was so impressive that he was given the nickname "Whizz" by teammate Pat Holland. He appeared in both legs of the West Ham's European Cup Winners' Cup third-round tie against Den Haag in March 1976, aged 18, although he did not play in the semi-final games against Eintracht Frankfurt, nor in the final against Anderlecht. He made two league and cup appearances in 1974–75, 18 appearances in 1975–76, 12 appearances in 1976–77 and 36 appearances in 1977–78, while competing for a midfield position with Trevor Brooking, Alan Devonshire, Pat Holland, Geoff Pike and Billy Bonds.
After West Ham were relegated at the end of the 1977–78 season, he fell out with manager John Lyall, and although he made a further 28 appearances for West Ham in 1978–79, he subsequently transferred to Birmingham City in April 1979 for a fee of £225,000. He joined local rivals Aston Villa in 1983 but a change of managers saw him transferred again to Charlton Athletic the following year. He began his first period at Charlton Athletic in 1984, helping them to promotion to Division 1 in 1985–86. He then moved to Brighton & Hove Albion in 1987. He helped them win promotion to the Second Division as Third Division runners-up in his first season.
He returned to Charlton as player/coach under the management of Lennie Lawrence in 1990 and stayed there for 16 years.
Curbishley was capped at schoolboy level for England and was a regular in the England youth team. While at Birmingham City, he won his only England under-21 cap against Switzerland in 1980. He was selected for the England B squad in 1981, but a fractured kneecap ended his involvement with England.
When Lennie Lawrence left in July 1991, Curbishley became joint manager of the club with Steve Gritt, taking sole command from June 1995 and masterminding the revival of the club's fortunes with two promotions and consolidation into the Premier League.