Curbishley Speaks

Alan Curbishley has explained the events leading up to his resignation. He says that after the sale of Ferdinad he was promised there would be no more players sold. He then told the players this, as they were becoming worried and also the press after the Macclesfield game. When the board went ahead and sold McCartney it kind of made Curbishley's position untenable.

"I went to a meeting on September 1 — the last day of the transfer window. It was a continuation of a conversation which began the previous day with Gianluca Nani and Scott Duxbury.

On the Sunday I told them we must keep McCartney and if that meant no players coming in then I was happy to stick with the squad I had.

But when I arrived at 1pm I discovered that George was already at Sunderland having a medical. I told them that we needed to get a defender in because having sold half of my first choice back four — Anton and McCartney — we needed cover.

Chelsea defender Paulo Ferreira was mentioned and I agreed on a move for him as he is a versatile player and that’s what we needed.

Both Di Michele and Ilunga were mentioned to me. However, I told Nani and Duxbury that I had never seen either player play. And for that reason I couldn’t comment on them. And I stressed again the necessity of getting a defender in.

They went ahead and signed Di Michele and Ilunga and had I stayed on, then I would not have known them on the training ground.

Walter Lopez — who was also signed on loan — had been on trial with us for nine days but, along with the coaching staff, we opted not to take him and he was sent back. Then, mysteriously, he’s been signed for a year as well.

It’s important to me that I make it very clear I had nothing to do with those players. I hope they are good players and help West Ham but I want people to know they were signed without my input or permission and that’s unacceptable.

When Ferdinand was sold to Sunderland, Scott Duxbury told me that he was the last player out.

The other players were becoming a bit anxious at what was going on and I reassured them by telling them what I had been told. Then, on the Tuesday ahead of the Carling Cup game with Macclesfield, I said the same thing publicly in my Press conference.

Again the subject of selling players was raised after the Blackburn game at home and once more I stated that no one else would be sold. Then, of course, the following Monday McCartney was sold and I’d been completely undermined making my position untenable.”