The news emanating from Upton Park today is likely to spell disappointment not just for West Ham United fans but fans of football in general. It has been reported that Alan Curbishley has resigned as manager of the East London club.
There had been rumours that his job had been on the line despite having made an impressive start to the Premier League season. It appears Curbishley has simply had enough of not feeling in total control of the club regarding transfer policy.
He was understood to be furious at the board’s decision to sanction the transfers of George McCartney and Anton Ferdinand to Sunderland. He is reported to have told friends he felt “humiliated.” He is also disappointed that the board had failed to back him in his pursuit of Chelsea’s Paolo Ferreira.
He is expected to be replaced by Croatia manager Slaven Bilic.
I am not a West Ham fan, but I am quite upset about this news. Curbishley is a good man and a good manager who had done a good job on a limited budget under difficult circumstances.
He saved the club from relegation in 2007 and led them to a 10th place finish last season. In walking away Curbishley becomes the first Premier League managerial casualty of the season following the confusion surrounding Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle future.
This latest incident of interfering club owners spells out a dangerous and worrying precedent for English football. They seem to think, perhaps justifiably, that if they pour millions into a club they deserve a bigger role in the everyday running of the club. All I can say is, watch out Manchester City...
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