Swansea City considering Alan Curtis U-turn after sacking club legend by text message

Exclusive: The 62-year-old, who first joined the club at 17, looks set to leave the Liberty

Ed Malyon
Thursday 05 January 2017 10:19 GMT
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Alan Curtis has stuck with Swansea through thick and thin
Alan Curtis has stuck with Swansea through thick and thin (Getty)

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Swansea are considering a U-turn over the future of club legend Alan Curtis.

The long-serving fan favourite, who first joined the club 45 years ago as a 17-year-old, was sacked by text message on Wednesday morning, The Independent understands.

But Swansea insist that he was merely advised to take a few days off while incoming manager Paul Clement decides on the make-up of his backroom staff, and that no long-term decision has been taken.

Those close to Curtis maintain that he has been relieved of his role.

Curtis, stepping in as caretaker manager once again for the club that he represented over 350 times as a player, handed Swansea a lifeline in the battle against the drop earlier this week by steering them to victory away at relegation rivals Crystal Palace.

But new boss Clement, who strode down from the Selhurst Park stands to coach alongside Curtis on Tuesday night, initially decided not to include Curtis in his backroom staff and City chairman Huw Jenkins informed the 62-year-old stalwart of the decision via a brief text message the morning after that win in south London.

Curtis had previously been promised a 'job for life' with the Liberty Stadium outfit, and the Swans are understood to have a desire to keep Curtis in the fold.

Whether the Rhondda-born former Wales forward would be so keen to switch team selection duties for hosting corporate clients or a more ceremonial role is, however, very much in doubt.

Uproar among fans in south Wales may now force Swansea into a rethink at a time when they are struggling to connect with fans after a recent change in the ownership structure of the club.

Tottenham coaches Nigel Gibbs and Karl Halabi are known to be joining Clement’s coaching staff, with Gibbs earmarked for the first-team coach role that Curtis had occupied under the previous four head coaches.

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