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Born in Forest Gate and brought up in Canning Town in East London, there
could only be one club for boyhood West Ham fan Alan Curbishley. The
midfielder, who had won England caps at both schoolboy and youth level,
came through the acclaimed West Ham youth ranks under the watchful eye
of Hammers youth coach John Lyall. Curbishley made his first team debut
at age 17, as replacement for the injured Billy Bonds in a 1-0 home
defeat against Chelsea in March 1975, at the time becoming West Ham's
youngest ever player. Alan, however, was to make only one other
appearance as a substitute that season. Although not part of the Hammers
FA Cup Final squad in 1975, Curbishley did play in the West Ham youth
side defeated by Ipswich Town in the FA Youth Cup Final in the same
year.
Alan had to wait until two months into the 1975/76 season before
starting again in claret and blue, replacing the injured Trevor Brooking
in a 2-1 victory over Newcastle United at Upton Park. It took the young
midfielder just two minutes of the match to score his first Hammers
goal and later in the game he also laid on the winner for Alan Taylor.
He went on to make 12 league appearances during his second season at
Upton Park, plus two as a substitute. Curbishley also got a taste of
European action during the 75/76 campaign, playing in the Cup Winners
Cup quarter-final away leg against Dutch side Den Haag and also as a
substitute in the dramatic 3-1 win in the return leg at Upton Park.
He
was also a non playing substitute in the Final against Anderlecht, the
Belgians taking the trophy with a 4-2 victory. The following season
Curbishley again saw his first team opportunities limited, making only 8
full league appearances. However, 1977/78 was to be his best season for
West Ham, as he made 32 league appearances, scoring one goal (in a 1-0
win against Birmingham on Boxing Day). The campaign, however, was to end
in disappointment for the club with relegation to Division 2. Despite
being favourites for promotion, West Ham's first season back in the 2nd
Division ended in a disappointing fifth place finish, with Curbishley
again finding it hard to fully establish himself in the side (he made 27
league appearances) and eventually losing his place during the last two
months of the season.
Frustrated at the lack of first team opportunity
Alan finally decided that his future lay away from Upton Park and as a
result he was sold in July 1979 to Birmingham City for a fee of £225,
000. Curbishley was unfortunate that his emergence at West Ham came at
the time that the club was blessed with considerable midfield talent and
he found himself consistently behind the likes of Trevor Brooking, Alan
Devonshire, Geoff Pike and Pat Holland in the midfield pecking order.
He has, though, subsequently admitted that he regrets not staying longer
and fighting for his place at the club. (Mark Matthews)
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