Curt: Still a media darling
By Andy Pearson
Amongst all the tub thumping across Swansea this summer, most of the city’s key football figures have retained an image of businesslike calm.
Defender Alan Tate was quick to distance himself from a Twitter interloper posing as him.
Skipper Gary Monk has not publicly expressed concern that one of Brendan Rodgers’ signings will clearly threaten his centre-back berth.
Cool
And chairman Huw Jenkins, having a busy few weeks chasing high-earning players of Premier League calibre, played it cool when Ipswich Town flung some muck towards the Liberty Stadium over a payments question.
And showing them all how it’s done has been Alan Curtis.
As an example to all you won’t find anyone better than Curt. He’s a man with an instinctive, sure-footed feel for handling his own PR.
Illustrious
Since the 1990 end of his illustrious playing career – Swansea City twice, Leeds United, Southampton, Cardiff City, Wales – he has had a number of coaching roles at the Liberty and Vetch.
As happens in football, he was sacked at least twice through no fault of his own, as new managerial regimes were introduced.
Yet he never grumbled in public, he never fled to the media in protest. He kept his own counsel and, as a result, remains one of south west Wales’ most engaging sporting characters.
Featured
So it’s good to see him featured in the new edition of Sporting Wales, a glossy photo-based magazine that circulates in the country’s athletic circles.
Newport-based photographer Steve Pope pictured Curtis at the Liberty and the accompanying words fit the man perfectly.
Looking back at his parts in the Swans’ promotions to the top flight in the early-80s and this year, he says: “We’re very proud and protective of what we did 30 years ago, but I think that what we’ve achieved now dwarfs that a little bit.”
Winning
And the Rhondda-born 57-year-old is quick to praise Rodgers as the main mover in rolling out the club’s winning strategy.
He says: “We work with the first team every day but it’s Brendan’s programme. You’re involved in the training sessions and he makes you feel a huge part of it.”
To enjoy the Sporting Wales feature on Curt, click here.
