Curbishley wins case against Hammers
FORMER manager Alan Curbishley could be set for a seven-figure windfall from West Ham after winning his case for wrongful dismissal.
The 51-year-old resigned as Hammers boss in September 2008 following the club’s decision to sell Anton Ferdinand and George McCartney against his wishes.
A Premier League managers’ arbitration tribunal upheld Curbishley’s claim yesterday while also dismissing a counterclaim by the Hammers. They will now assess the amount of compensation the club will have to pay.
Curbishley said: “I am obviously delighted with this result. I very much enjoyed my time at West Ham and never wanted to leave, but on joining the club I insisted that my contract contained a clause confirming that I would have final say on the selection of players to be transferred to and from the club.
“The club completely ignored my contract when selling Anton Ferdinand, and when George McCartney was sold, the club having given me assurances that no players would be leaving the club after the sale of Anton Ferdinand, I had no alternative but to resign. My authority and integrity were undermined and my position was made untenable.”
The ruling comes a month after Kevin Keegan was awarded £2m after winning his case against Newcastle.