The year of living dangerously. It is almost one year to the day since Alan Curbishley returned to manage the club where he began his football career, coming through West Ham’s famous academy, but never achieving his potential as a player. It has now been one year since his return to ‘my club’ as he affectionately refers to West Ham, so where has he taken the club to, and where to from here?

Facing almost certain relegation 12 months ago, the Hammers had accumulated 14 points from 17 games when Curbs took the helm. His first match, at home to the mighty Manchester United, ended in a victory that broke the longest losing streak in the club's history. But the troubles at Upton Park were far from over and the 6-0 defeat at Reading on New Year's day highlighted the problematic issues.

In the transfer window, Curbishley spent a fair chunk of the new regime's money. The defence needed major repairs and Matthew Upson joined the club for a record fee. He was injured in his first appearance and did not play again that season. Lucas Neill proved to be a good acquisition at right full-back and Luis Boa Morte came in from Fulham along with Callum Davenport and Nigel Quashie (a man who has been relegated four times with four different clubs, in successive seasons).

'We have begun to play some good, sensible football and most of the fans are pleased with Curbs'


January saw a continuation of poor form. A Cup exit and a league defeat to fellow strugglers Watford accentuated the fact that the Hammers appeared doomed. Then it happened. Losing 4-3 at home to arch-rivals Spurs produced a glimmer of hope as Curbishley's men played their best football of the season. Young Mark Noble began to earn his stripes, Neill added steel to the defence, Matty Etherington seemed to regain his confidence and Bobby Zamora began to combine well with the controversial Argentinian Carlos Tevez.

We then won away at Arsenal with a gutsy performance from keeper Rob Green and then again at Blackburn through a goal that actually never was. The Upton Park faithful dared to believe. The furore surrounding the illegalities of playing the two Argentinians raged as the Hammers kept winning. Curbishley’s style was playing teams than can grind out results and that’s just what West Ham did.

It came down to the last game of the season, we beat Manchester United away, Wigan drew with Sheffield United and the rest is history, much to the disapproval of almost everyone except West Ham fans.

So we stayed up, but still Curbs was treated with suspicion by certain sections of the demanding Upton Park faithful. He was not doing it the West Ham way, a way that has been gloriously unsuccessful since England won the World Cup in 1966. Others saw Curbs was building a sustainable team, blending youth and experience and truly building a squad that could consolidate a mid-table position.

In the summer, Craig Bellamy, Scott Parker, Kieron Dyer, Julien Faubert, Freddie Ljungberg and Norberto Solano arrived with Nigel Reo-Coker, Marlon Harewood and Yossi Benayoun going and a net spend of almost zero. With Dean Ashton and Matt Upson coming back from long-term injury, a sense of quiet optimism reverberated around the Boleyn.

Then the injuries began, with Faubert and Parker breaking down pre-season and Dyer breaking a leg on his second outing. But we continued winning. There have been 12 players in the physio's room but still we are getting results. Not only that, we have begun to play some good, sensible football and most of the fans are pleased with Curbs. We are in tenth place and about to play in the quarter-final of the League Cup.

So, one year on, thank you for all you have done, Mr Curbishley. You pulled us back from the precipice of Championship oblivion. You have instilled discipline, courage, desire and passion in your players.

I am a believer and look forward to continuing our recent moderate success and improving upon it. Who knows? European nights at Upton Park again?