Debunking one of football's biggest myths… did Charlton fans really want Alan Curbishley sacked?

Charlton Athletic has become the Premier League's biggest warning since its descent down the football pyramid.

Football fans of clubs not in the top six are often warned not to get too carried away thinking they should be fighting for Europe… and Exhibit A is presented: Charlton Athletic.

So the story goes that Alan Curbishley was harassed by Addicks fans for not being satisfied with simply finishing mid-table in the first division.

Ask anyone in The Valley about this and they'll tell you it's one of football's biggest myths.

This story is reported far too often… and was even heard recently on the airwaves of talkSPORT.

West Ham fans wanted David Moyes gone despite being in the top half of the Premier League and winning a European trophy last season.

'Moyes out' banners They were recently unveiled by fans who expressed their fury at the, in their opinion, turgid football on display.

talkSPORT breakfast host Jeff Stelling used the old Charlton story to warn the Hammers to be careful.

He said: “It's about being careful what you wish for. “Everyone talks about what Charlton did with Alan Curbishley, you just have to be careful what you wish for.”

This is in no way to say that Jeff is out of line. No, it's just a story that has been told so many times that it almost became true. And it almost certainly won't be the last time it's heard.

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Charlton is a perfect fit as a cautionary tale because, after relegation from the top flight in 2007, they have not returned and are currently fighting to avoid dropping to League Two.

Alan Curbishley left the club in 2006 and they were out of the league the following season, going through three managers in the process, from Iain Dowie to Les Reed and Alan Pardew.

A key mistake that pundits and other fans make is saying that the club and fans wanted Curbishley gone. That is simply not true.

There were never any 'Curbishley Out' posters on display in The Valley, and fans had nothing but the utmost respect and gratitude towards Curbs.

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After all, he led the club out of the wilderness of being forced to play away from home at Selhurst Park and Upton Park to return to The Valley and twice win promotion to the Premier League.

Charlton fans know better than most the reality that their club will cease to exist, there was never a time when they thought they were bigger than they are.

But don't take our word for it, here's what the man himself told talkSPORT about his departure.

Curbishley, who held talks with the Football Association to replace Sven-Goran Eriksson as England manager, left in 2006 after agreeing it was best for the club and him at the time.

“I had been linked with a few teams and there was all the England stuff going on,” he said. “There were no secrets. I had one year left and I told the president that he wanted to sign a couple of players.

“When the season was ending, we became interested in some players and tried to do something early and I was interested.

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“Very correctly, he said that if we start talking to the players and they know that you have one year left and you want them to sign for three or four, will it be a difficulty? I understood where he was coming from.

“He wanted me to sign a three-year contract but I didn't want to. Maybe he wanted to let my contract end after 16-odd years and think about things.

“In the discussions it was concluded that why not leave now? That was on Friday and it was announced on Saturday against Blackburn. I hadn't even told my staff what was going on. We played Blackburn and then we went to Old Trafford for my last game, where everyone knew I was leaving.

“I had no problem doing it one more year, but I just didn't think signing for another three years, even if it was a better contract and more money, etc., was the right thing to do.”

There we are…myth firmly debunked. So please stop using Charlton as a warning… we have enough problems as it is.