Pot Calls the Kettle Back – Alan Curtis Returns to the Dug Out

Alan Curtis KettleConsider this an official thank you to new Swans manager, not only for restoring a Legend to his rightful place but also for giving me the opportunity of using such a brilliant headline. Yes, Alan Curtis, the man that famously looks after the kettle at the Liberty, is back on the bench as part of Potter’s backroom staff.

Curtis has often joked that the reason he’s survived all the managerial changes at the club is because he’s the only one that knows where the kettle is (hence my awfully clever article title!). Alas whilst he’s always been allowed into the kitchen to put that kettle on he hasn’t always been allowed on the training field.

I’ve cautiously welcomed Potter’s appointment and today’s move to bring Curt back into the fold has increased my feeling that we have appointed a shrewd man, and also someone that is not weighed down by ego.

Curtis found himself immediately demoted when Paul Clement was appointed manager, Curt relinquishing the reigns after yet another spell as caretaker. In my opinion Clement felt threatened by someone that has done just about everything at the club and is rightly revered by the fan base.

Who knows if Clement would still be in the Liberty hot-seat if he’d kept Curt close but I bet the fans would have been more forgiving when things started going off the rails.

Smart Move

Potter though clearly has no such hang-ups and he’s quickly moved to bring in a man that can help him adapt to the far more competitive English game. Not only that, Potter knows that with more than four decades service under his belt nobody knows better than Curt what constitutes ‘The Swansea Way’.

Curt’s comments on the official site sum it up perfectly:

With the experience I’ve had in the past and my knowledge of the club, he [Potter] feels I can be an asset to him.

I’ve been at the club for such a long time. If it enables Graham to get to know the players more, understand the environment of the place, know the club, supporters and general atmosphere then, hopefully, we can have a successful season.

It’s a smart move by Potter, one that gains another few ounces of respect from the fans and also gives him access to a wealth of knowledge and experience that he can tap into and make use of.

The Loan Ranger

For Curtis it marks a triumphant return to the dug-out after the ignominy of being relieved of his coaching duties by text – which was a disgraceful act by Huw Jenkins – and shunted into the role of Loan Player Manager.

Now that post is one that the club was obliged to create as per Premier League rules, but filling it with someone like Curtis was a ludicrous decision. Some bright spark in the corridors of power thought that turning Curt into the Loan Ranger would defuse the fans’ anger at the Legend’s removal and treatment. It was another example of the monumentally stupid decision making that has wrecked our club over the last couple of years!

Devoted

Of course none of that matters to Curt; he’s simply devoted to the club. No matter how shabbily he gets treated by the club (and its happened a few times over the years) he just shrugs it off and answers the clarion call when it comes.

It’s why I rate Alan Curtis as my all time hero – because he was the best player I had the privilege of watching in a Swans shirt and he’s carried on giving everything for that shirt since he hung up his boots, no matter what’s been thrown at him.

It’s fair to say that Potter has it all to prove…but the reinstatement of Alan Curtis is a smart and popular move that will radically improve his chances of doing just that.

It’s a Legendary decision by our new gaffer.

The Editor and his all time hero – Alan Curtis, The Legend
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