Terry Curran

Edward Terence (Terry) Curran is an English former professional footballer whose career lasted from 1975 to 1988. Curran was an attacking midfielder, who could also play as a winger, and as an out and out striker. During his 13-year career Curran played for many clubs, although he is especially remembered by Sheffield Wednesday supporters for his part in launching the clubs revival during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Not to be confused with Terry Curran (footballer, born 1940).

Terry Curran
Personal information
Full name Edward Terence Curran
Date of birth (1955-03-20) 20 March 1955
Place of birth Kinsley, near Hemsworth, England
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Position(s) Winger
Youth career
Kinsley Boys
Doncaster Rovers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1973–1975 Doncaster Rovers 68 (11)
1975–1977 Nottingham Forest 48 (12)
1977 → Bury (loan) 2 (0)
1977–1978 Derby County 26 (2)
1978–1979 Southampton 26 (0)
1979–1982 Sheffield Wednesday 138 (39)
1980 → Åtvidaberg (loan) 9 (1)
1982–1983 Sheffield United 33 (3)
1982–1983 → Everton (loan) 7 (1)
1983–1985 Everton 16 (0)
1985–1986 Huddersfield Town 34 (7)
1986 Panionios
1986 Hull City 4 (0)
1986 Sunderland 9 (1)
Grantham Town 2 (0)
1987 Grimsby Town 12 (0)
1987 Chesterfield 1 (0)
Total 435 (77)
Teams managed
1989–1992 Goole Town
1992 Mossley
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Football career

Terry Curran was born in Kinsley, near Hemsworth, West Riding of Yorkshire on 20 March 1955, he signed for Fourth Division Doncaster Rovers in July 1973 from non-league football. He made 68 appearances for Rovers scoring 11 goals in two seasons. Brian Clough was wanting to sign him but was put off by the asking price of £140,000 so he controversially told Curran's brother of his interest so Curran would not sign a new contract, thus reducing the transfer fee. He signed for Nottingham Forest in August 1975 with Rovers receiving £50,000 plus keeper Dennis Peacock and winger Ian Miller.[1] In two seasons, he played 48 games scoring 12 goals for Forest, helping them gain promotion to Division One in the 1976–77 season. Curran lost favour after a disagreement with Forest assistant manager Peter Taylor, and made a written transfer request in August 1977, which was accepted.[2] He was loaned out to Bury during October 1977 and eventually switched to Derby County in a £50,000 move the following month.

Curran stayed less than a year at Derby, making 26 appearances in Division One scoring two goals before switching for £60,000 to another First Division club Southampton in the summer of 1978. Once again Curran stayed less than a year at Southampton, making 26 appearances in the 1978–79 season and playing in the League Cup semi-final victory over Leeds United. It was after that semi-final in January 1979 that Curran was approached by Sheffield Wednesday manager Jack Charlton with the audacious request that Curran should drop down two divisions and sign for Third Division Sheffield Wednesday. Curran agreed to Charlton's approach and signed for Wednesday for £100,000 in March 1979. Curran started the 1979 League Cup Final defeat to his former club Nottingham Forest.

Curran's signing proved to an inspired acquisition for Wednesday, he was the final piece of Jack Charlton's side which went on to gain promotion from Division Three in the 1979–80 season. He was an immensely popular and successful player during his time at Hillsborough, scoring 24 goals in that promotion season. Such was his popularity that he had his own fan club and recorded a song called "Singing the Blues". Curran was involved in an incident the following season in a match at Oldham on 6 September 1980 when he was sent off after a fracas with Simon Stainrod causing Wednesday fans to riot, which led to the closure of Hillsborough terraces for the next four home games.

Curran stayed with Wednesday till the end of the 1981–82 season, he never repeated the scoring exploits of that first season and the team had a new goal ace in Gary Bannister, this and a deteriorating relationship with Jack Charlton led him to leave and sign for Sheffield United for £100,000. He made 33 appearances for United scoring 3 goals before moving to Everton for three years (having spent on time on loan there the previous season) during which time he made only 24 appearances. He was at the club when they won the First Division in the 1984-85 season, a triumph to which Curran contributed 9 appearances.[3] He then played briefly at Huddersfield Town before going abroad to play for Greek club Panionios NFC. He returned in October 1986 to play short spells for Hull City, Sunderland, Grantham Town, Grimsby Town and Chesterfield before retiring from playing in 1988.

Coaching career

Since retiring Curran has managed non-league Goole Town and Mossley, he left Mossley in December 1992 and invested in a hotel in West Yorkshire which he managed.

In October 2012, his autobiography "Regrets of a Football Maverick" was published.[4]

References
  1. Wilson, Jonathan (10 November 2011). Brain Clough: Nobody Ever Says Thank You: The Biography. ISBN 9781409123187.
  2. Wilson, Vince (28 August 1977). "CLOUGH GETS TOUGH: CURRAN CAN GO". Sunday Mirror. p. 39.
  3. "Everton FC » Appearances Premier League 1984/1985". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  4. Curran, Terry; Brindley, John (2012). Regrets of a Football Maverick: The Terry Curran Autobiography. Vertical Editions. ISBN 978-1-904091-69-1.
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