Tom Curley (footballer)

Thomas Curley (born 11 June 1945) is a Scottish retired professional footballer who played as an outside right. As a footballer, he made over 90 appearances in the Football League for Crewe Alexandra and Brentford and as a politician he was a member of the Scottish Labour Party for 30 years, before spending his final year in office (2016 to 2017) as an independent councillor outside the party.[2][3]

Tom Curley
Personal information
Full name Thomas Curley[1]
Date of birth (1945-06-11) 11 June 1945
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland
Position(s) Outside right
Youth career
1960 Portsmouth
1960–1964 Celtic
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1964–1965 Celtic 1 (0)
1965–1967 Brentford 40 (6)
1967–1969 Crewe Alexandra 52 (7)
1969 Hamilton Academical 4 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Football club career

Celtic

An outside right, Curley began his career in the youth system at Portsmouth in 1960, but suffered with homesickness and transferred to Celtic in his home city after just a few months.[4] He had to wait until September 1964 to make his senior debut, which came in a 4–2 defeat to Heart of Midlothian on 26 September 1964.[5] It proved to be Curley's only appearance for the Bhoys and he departed Celtic Park in September 1965.[4]

Brentford

Curley moved to England to sign for Third Division strugglers Brentford on a one-month trial in September 1965.[3] He made his debut in a 1–0 defeat to Gillingham on 30 October 1965 and impressed enough during his trial to win a contract.[3][6] He failed to make a breakthrough into the first team during the 1965–66 season and made just 14 appearances as the Bees suffered relegation to the Fourth Division.[6] He improved his appearance tally in the basement and made 27 appearances during the 1966–67 season.[6] The stricken club's dire financial situation saw Curley released in 1967 as a result of cost-cutting measures.[3] He made 41 appearances and scored 6 goals during his two seasons with Brentford.[3]

Crewe Alexandra

Curley moved to Fourth Division club Crewe Alexandra in August 1967.[1] Though he made just 19 appearances, he was part of the team which secured automatic promotion to the Third Division at the end of the 1967–68 season.[7] He broke into the team on a regular basis in the following season and made 33 appearances and scored seven goals, as Alex pushed for a second successive promotion.[7] Curley left Gresty Road in August 1969 and made 52 league appearances and scored seven goals in his two seasons with Alex.[1]

Hamilton Academical

Curley moved back to Scotland to sign for Second Division club Hamilton Academical on 16 August 1969.[8] He made just five appearances before being released.[9]

Football chairman career

Curley had a spell as chairman of Central Scottish Amateur League Premier Division club Bankhall Villa.[10] The club won the 1992–93 Scottish Amateur Cup under his chairmanship.[10]

Political career

Curley was a member of the Scottish Labour Party for 30 years and until 2017,[2] was a councillor, latterly for the Airdrie South ward.[10] He held positions of Junior Whip, Deputy Provost and Provost.[10] He was provost of North Lanarkshire until May 2012.[11] He resigned from the Scottish Labour Party in October 2016 and became an independent councillor, not standing for re-election in the 2017 North Lanarkshire Council election.[2]

Career statistics
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Celtic 1964–65[4] Scottish First Division 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Brentford 1965–66[6] Third Division 14 2 0 0 — 14 2
1966–67[6] Fourth Division 26 4 1 0 0 0 27 4
Total 40 6 1 0 0 0 41 6
Hamilton Academical 1969–70[9] Scottish Second Division 4 0 0 0 1 0 5 0
Career total 45 6 1 0 1 0 47 6

References
  1. "Tom Curley". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  2. Tonner, Judith (7 November 2016). "Airdrie South councillor resigns from Labour and plans to stand against party". dailyrecord. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  3. Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Harefield: Yore Publications. pp. 171–172. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  4. "Curley, Thomas". Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  5. "Celtic Player Tommy Curley Details". Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  6. White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 388–389. ISBN 0951526200.
  7. Crewe Alexandra F.C. at the Football Club History Database
  8. "Player's Transfers – 1969". Scottish Football Historical Archive. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  9. "Curley Thomas (1969)". Hamilton Academical Memory Bank. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  10. "Airdrie South". Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  11. "Standing down to clear my name". Retrieved 17 December 2014.
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