Alan Curbishley

Club career

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…

Charlton Athletic

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. Under Alan Curbishley Charlton won promotion, via the play-offs in 1997–98 after a thrilling play-off final against Sunderland at Wembley. The match ended in a 4–4 draw with Charlton winning 7–6 on penalty kicks, to take their place in the Premiership for 1998–99. Charlton had a good first month of the season with a 5–0 home win over Southampton and credible 0–0 draws away to Newcastle United and Arsenal respectively, which saw Curbishley win Manager of the Month for August. However, after victory over Nottingham Forest, in the first game of October, Charlton won just one more game (against West Ham 4–2), before a dreadful run that yielded only three points from 13 games, including eight consecutive defeats, by February 1999. Charlton then won three in a row against Wimbledon, Liverpool and Derby, and Curbishley was again Manager of the Month, but the damage was already done. Charlton won just two more games before the end of the season. The double was completed over the Hammers and Aston Villa were beaten 4–3, leaving the Addicks needing a last-day victory over Sheffield Wednesday while hoping that Southampton failed against Everton. Charlton lost and Southampton won so the Addicks were relegated…

As player

West Ham United

FA Youth Cup runner-up: 1974–75 Birmingham City

Football League Second Division promotion: 1979–80 Charlton Athletic

Football League Second Division runner-up: 1985–86 Brighton & Hove Albion

Football League Third Division runner-up: 1987–88

As manager

Charlton Athletic

Football League First Division play-offs: 1998 Football League First Division: 1999–2000 Individual

Premier League Manager of the Month: August 1998, February 1999, February 2003