Curbs had ‘fraud’ fears

ALAN CURBISHLEY admits he would have felt a “fraud” if he had stayed with Charlton after deciding not to renew his contract at the end of next season — and chairman Richard Murray insisted it served the best interests of all parties for the long-serving manager to leave this summer.

Curbishley had more than a year left to run on his current deal, but after lengthy talks with Murray and chief executive Peter Varney on Friday evening, it was decided for the continued stability of the south-east London club a change in management should be made over the summer.

Curbishley said: “I was going to stay, but I just felt I would be a little bit fraudulent. It is time now for someone else to come in here, walk around the training ground with a bit of a spring in their step, demand more from certain things, and keep this club where it is. This is the over-riding factor.”