Do Charlton fans forever rue the day they forced Curbishley out?
It’s fair to say that after leaving Charlton Athletic neither Alan Curbishley or the South London club have enjoyed much success, with the Addicks enduring a massive fall into the third tier of English football.
In 15 years at the club Curbishley made Charlton into a respected and established mid-table Premier League side. In just one year after his departure all of that hard work was undone when the club were relegated to the Championship. Two years later that hard work became even more difficult to re-build after the team suffered another relegation to League 1. To think that a few years ago the club were attracting players like Paolo Di Canio and Danny Murphy, they now find themselves signing players like Gary Doherty and Alan McCormack.
When Curbishley decided to leave in 2006 fans were already growing tired with the brand of football being played at the Valley and mediocre mid-table finishes, the fans wanted to see some more excitement and somebody to take the club forward. Whilst the fans were very appreciative to Curbishley for all he had done in his time at the club everybody, probably including Curbishley himself believed that he had taken Charlton as far as he can.
Ironically the season the club went down the side were going to make a real push for Europe, with chairman Richard Murray agreeing to give Curbishley’s successor Iain Dowie the next seasons’ transfer money to make it happen. The club already made a terrible decision in choosing Iain Dowie as the next manager and things were made worse when he decided to waste the money on players who were not good enough. Charlton went on a poor run of form and this coupled with Dowie’s bizarre management, such at getting the team lost on a run the morning of their game away to Newcastle saw him last just 15 games before he was sacked.
Dowie’s assistant Les Reed then came in but he too was replaced after seven games the club then turned to recently sacked West Ham manager Alan Pardew. At this point of the season Charlton were involved in a relegation battle along with Pardew’s former club West Ham who soon appointed Alan Curbishley as manager. Whilst results picked up for Charlton under Pardew things did not at West Ham and a 6-0 thrashing by Reading and 4-0 thrashing by Pardew’s rejuvenated Charlton made it seem as though Charlton would be staying up at the Hammers’ expense. However results tailed off for Charlton and West Ham put together a good run of form which inexplicably saw them stay up, and at the same time Charlton were relegated.
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no real charlton fan ever wanted him out and only the idiots booed him.
i like many knew we were doomed when that shock announcement came before the blackburn game.
he left the club due to murray wanting a commitment as he only had a year left on his contract.
To echo the previous poster – not one single sensible CAFC fan ever wanted Curbishley out, and to be honest I’m a bit fed up with this complete myth being trotted out yet again by a media just looking to put a spin on a ‘Charlton demise’ story. Talk about the decline of Charlton if you like, but please don’t insult the fans like this by inferring that they deserved it because they forced Curbs out it’s just not true.
Well believe it or not I am a Charlton fan and never once in the article did I mention Charlton deserving it for letting him go. The only I said was that it was ironic how after we let him go and tried to push for Europe we got relegated.
we did not want him out, but there were a few personal battles with players (info from a senior insider) that suggested he had lost control of the dressing room!! Players like Bryan Hughes never came close to Murphy, Smertin etc. We had some great players, many of whom are still in the prem league. The football since we went down twice!! is still more exciting than his last couple of years, where we played effective, but boring footie. I ould rather be charlton in Lge 1 than Bolton (who limp it) in the prem
Haha not sure if I agree with the comment on Bolton especially as their brand of football looks to be changing. But I do agree that I think our brand of football has gotten better and I think at the start of last season in League 1 we did play like a ‘League 1 Arsenal’ at times.
This claim is becoming an urban myth,with pundits from t.v and radio who have probably never set foot in SE7 jumping on the bandwagon.
The truth is Curbishley wanted out , and before West Ham came sniffing , he courted Spurs.It was him who thought he had taken Charlton as far as he could.In our Prem years we attracted Johnny come lately fans , and it was them who wanted more.Where are they now I wonder.
Yet again another nonsense article saying the Charlton Fans forced Curbs out which as every addick like myself knows is complete rubbish. Curbs was offered a new contract to stay but wanted to try his luck elsewhere after 15 years with the club. As those of you who were there like me will I’m sure remember he was given a standing ovation when this was announced at the Blackburn game and as he has said himself “left the club by the front door instead of the back”
I’m inclined to agree with Phil, there.
The basis of the story is extremely ‘fact-free’. A slow news day me-thinks!