ThomasCurley (born 11 June 1945) is a Scottish retired professional footballer who played as an outside right. As a footballer, he made over 90 appearances in the Football League for Crewe Alexandra and Brentford and as a politician he was a member of the Scottish Labour Party for 30 years, before spending his final year in office (2016 to 2017) as an independent councillor outside the party.[2][3]
. . . Tom Curley (footballer) . . .
An outside right, Curley began his career in the youth system at Portsmouth in 1960, but suffered with homesickness and transferred to Celtic in his home city after just a few months.[4] He had to wait until September 1964 to make his senior debut, which came in a 4–2 defeat to Heart of Midlothian on 26 September 1964.[5] It proved to be Curley’s only appearance for the Bhoys and he departed Celtic Park in September 1965.[4]
Curley moved to England to sign for Third Division strugglers Brentford on a one-month trial in September 1965.[3] He made his debut in a 1–0 defeat to Gillingham on 30 October 1965 and impressed enough during his trial to win a contract.[3][6] He failed to make a breakthrough into the first team during the 1965–66 season and made just 14 appearances as the Bees suffered relegation to the Fourth Division.[6] He improved his appearance tally in the basement and made 27 appearances during the 1966–67 season.[6] The stricken club’s dire financial situation saw Curley released in 1967 as a result of cost-cutting measures.[3] He made 41 appearances and scored 6 goals during his two seasons with Brentford.[3]
. . . Tom Curley (footballer) . . .