Charlton enjoyed their greatest spell of modern times under the stewardship of Alan Curbishley. Things certainly did not go to plan following his departure in May 2006.

The following summer, the Addicks were relegated to the Championship and two years later, another demotion saw them playing in League One for three seasons.

After having Curbishley at the helm for fifteen years, Iain Dowie, Les Reed and Alan Pardew were all in charge before Christmas after Curbishley’s departure.

Things did not go entirely to plan for Curbs either. Following an enforced six months sabbatical – part of his severance package at The Valley – he was appointed to the West Ham hot seat.

His first match in charge at Upton Park saw Curbs do something he had failed to do in his time at Charlton, beat Manchester United.

Like Charlton, the Hammers were embroiled in a relegation battle when Curbishley came back to The Valley for the first time in February 2007. By then, the man who had started the season in charge at Upton Park – Alan Pardew – was Charlton’s boss.

The effective managerial swap captured the imagination of the media and fans alike. The Addicks cruised to a 4-0 win, the match all but decided by half-time. Things looked bleak for Curbishley’s team, while Pardew looked to have turned things round at The Valley.

Alas, it was not to be for the Addicks, a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Spurs in the last home game of the season, condemned them to relegation. Ironically, the final Premier League goal at The Valley was scored by the team’s nemesis, former Charlton trainee, Jermaine Defoe.

As the Addicks played their final game of the season at Liverpool, Curbishley’s West Ham were fighting for survival at Old Trafford.

An unlikely win, inspired by Carlos Tevez, preserved West Ham’s top-flight status but little more than a year later, Curbishley resigned.

Undermined by the selling of George McCartney against his wishes, Curbishley was to seek legal redress against the club, a case he eventually won. But he has not managed since.

The legal action would certainly not endear him to prospective employers and Curbs has been fairly uncompromising about the sort of club he would be willing to take on, but is there more to it than that?

Perhaps there are a couple of clues in the early season Charlton publications. The latest edition of Rick Everitt’s ‘Voice Of The Valley’ carries an extensive interview with current Ebbsfleet boss and former Charlton defender, Steve Brown.

Brown details how he was injured in a match at The Valley. Back pedalling to head the ball clear, he was head butted by an opposition striker, headed the post and had to be taken off. Brown’s bravery preserved a narrow lead and ensured a win.

As he passed the dug out en route to the dressing room, Curbishley did not said anything to him, nor did the manager say anything to his player after the match. Brown claims that Curbishley never once put his arm round his shoulder, nor expressed any appreciation of his efforts. Interestingly, Brown says Alan Pardew was totally different when he played under him at Reading.

The programme for the Middlesbrough carried a feature on Dean Kiely, in which the former keeper answered questions posed by fans.

Kiely said Curbishley more-or-less shrugged his shoulders, seemingly disinterested, when the keeper had recovered from a serious finger injury.

It was to be the manager’s final season at The Valley and Kiely claims the players knew, without actually being told, that Curbs would be leaving and that there was an air of apathy about the club.

If chairmen who were considering appointing Curbishley took soundings from some of his former players, it may have put doubts in their minds.

As times goes by, it seems ever more likely that the man voted by Charlton fans as the club’s greatest ever manager, will never be in charge of a football club again.