Charlton Athletic 1998-2006: The calming touch of Alan Curbishley

Sometimes steady really is special. Charlton Athletic 1998–2006 Alan Curbishley era was defined by calming touch success, quiet consistency, and understated achievement. In a Premier League world of chaos and churn, Curbishley’s Charlton stood apart — mid-table masters who flirted with Europe, avoided crisis, and embodied stability in an age of excess.

For the most part, Charlton Athletic under Alan Curbishley’s tenure did little to set the world on fire. While they flirted with a place in Europe by finishing seventh in the 2003-04 season, they never really threatened to break through into football’s elite.

Neither did they ever look like drowning; 14^th was their lowest finish in five top-flights seasons under Curbishley.

Nor did the cups offer much excitement, with a couple of quarter-final ties marking the highpoint.

While Curbishley was at the helm, Charlton were calmly cruising in the top-flight.

Which is in contrast with most of what Charlton had done before, and were to start doing again immediately Curbishley left.

In 2006, Curbishley stepped down 15 years and 720 games after taking charge – initially as one half of the lessor spotted manager double act with Steve Gritt. He left with Charlton heading for their regular mid-table Premier League finish.

One year and three managers later, Charlton were relegated, and an unprecedented period of stability was gone.

That stability had initially begun under Curbishley’s predecessor, Lennie Lawrence, who during a nine-year spell in charge had guided Charlton back to the promised land for the first time in almost 30 years.

The footballing world waited to see which club he would manage next. As did Curbishley. And so began one of the most curious waits in football

But by then, the fallout of the club’s financial woes had hit home. Specifically, Charlton’s Valley home, which the club were forced to leave as they could not afford the required safety improvements. While there were multiple reasons for the financial challenges, the move a few years earlier to bring in Ballon D’Or winner Allan Simeonsen from Barcelona looks as financially unwise as it did unlikely.

Charlton did, after a lengthy spell playing at Selhurst Park, and a shorter period at Upton Park, return to the Valley in 1992. By then Curbishley was at the helm and Charlton were back in the second tier.

Curbishley initially took Charlton up to the Premier League in 1998 – courtesy of a memorable penalties play-off win against Sunderland after an incredible Clive Mendonca-inspired 4-4 draw (a game which came out of nowhere given Charlton had secured a play-off spot off the back of nine consecutive clean sheets).

Mendonca picked up the next season where he left off, scoring another hat-trick in a 5-0 over Southampton in Charlton’s first home win. But it wasn’t enough to keep Charlton up. But, helped by the goals of Andy Hunt, they bounced straight back up the following year – where they popped their slippers on and proceeded to settle into Premier League life.

That 2003-04 season was the high point. A run of nine wins and five draws in 16 had Charlton sitting in the Champions League places until a poor end to the season – something that was to be a regular feature of Charlton’s Premier League seasons.

But by 2006 Curbishley and Charlton sought new challenges. It worked out as neither would have wanted.

Charlton drifted between the Championship and League 1, going through 19 managers in 19 seasons in the process. That compares to two (or three if you count Steve Gritt) over the previous 24 seasons.

Curbishley meanwhile took the West Ham job – a homecoming he seemed destined for (despite having played more games for Birmingham, Brighton and Charlton). Having kept the Hammers up on arriving and steadying the ship the next season, he left acrimoniously in September 2008.

When a year later Curbishley successfully won a case against West Ham for constructive dismissal, the footballing world waited to see which club he would manage next. As did Curbishley. And so began one of the most curious waits in football. As despite regularly being installed among the bookies favourites every time a manager got the sack, Curbishley has never returned to the top job.

Whether he was too choosy or the right opportunity never came along, it leaves Curbishley’s managerial career as something of an anomaly. A hugely successful career, to the extent he was in the running for the England job at one stage, but one which ended aged 50 with an incredible 791 games under his belt.

How We Ranked Them

We have five categories of greatness from our five-star All-Time Greats category at the top to our one-star Blinkered Greats category at the bottom. While the high points of this team while limited, so too were the low-points, and this remains Charlton’s most successful period in the modern game.

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EDGE OF GREATNESS

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Listen To The Podcast

Join hosts Graham Dunn and Jamie Rooney — with London football expert Stuart Burgess — as they look back on Charlton 1998–2006, the Alan Curbishley era of calm, consistency, and quiet greatness in the Premier League.

👉 Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Podcasts

None less than current tracksuit supremo Gary Rowett graced Charlton colours during this era, albeit only briefly. Rowett joined Charlton from Leicester for £3.5 million in the summer of 2002, only for injury to limit him to just 13 games and one goal for the Addicks.