Crucial Curbs stays at Valley as Charlton plan for future

Jim van Wijk

Curbishley is in his 14th season with the south-east London club, during which time he has overseen their progression from homelessness into an established top-flight club.

The Addicks boss has so far resisted the allure of taking up a fresh challenge elsewhere, and it came as no surprise to find him linked with vacancies at both Liverpool and Tottenham during the summer.

After an indifferent start to the current campaign, Charlton are now back in the Premiership top 10 and have reached the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Curbishley is currently under contract until 2007, and with the club planning to improve their stadium and training ground facilities, Varney sees him as integral to their future.

“Alan has done a fantastic job with the team and now we’ve got to keep the momentum going off the pitch.”

“It’s crucial that Alan stays. He took a bit of stick earlier in the season, but I said at the time that he was the man who gave us top-10 finishes. He’s done an amazing job and I hope he will do that for a long time to come.”

Varney yesterday helped launch the ‘Valley Express’ travel scheme, where as part of Charlton’s ‘Target 40,000’ campaign, supporters living around the south-east can catch a bus to the ground for every home clash for just £5.

It’s been operating since August, and is now to be expanded to include some 30 pick-up points across the county.