Tony Currie
Encyclopedia
Anthony William Currie commonly known as Tony Currie (born 1 January 1950 in Edgware
, Middlesex
) is an English
former footballer
who had significant spells for Sheffield United
, Leeds United
and Queens Park Rangers
as well as representing England
.
He was an effervescent and exuberant attacking midfield
player with the vision and ability to strike long dangerous passes. His nephew, Darren Currie
, also is a midfielder
.
as an amateur, whilst working for a building firm. He joined Chelsea
as an apprentice, but was released and moved to Watford
to complete his apprenticeship, earning England Youth honours in the process. He turned professional in May 1967 and made his league debut the following season.
He was transferred to Sheffield United
on 1 February 1968 for £26,500. He scored on his debut against Tottenham Hotspur
with a header on the 26th but missed the next game on 2 March as it was his wedding day. 'TC' as he was nickname
d by Sheffield United fans, was idolised in his time at Bramall Lane
. He went on to score 54 goals in 313 appearances and was also made captain by manager Ken Furphy
in March 1974.
In June 1976 he moved to Yorkshire rivals Leeds United
for £250,000, making his Leeds debut in a 2–2 draw with West Bromwich Albion
. His skills made him a firm favourite at Leeds and he played arguably the best football of his career during his 124 games and 16 goals at Elland Road
. His curling shot during United's November 1978 4-0 home win against Southampton F.C.
won ITV's The Big Match
Goal Of The Season that year. Currie's form helped Leeds reach the League Cup
semi–finals in 1978 and 1979, and in the 1978–79
season Leeds finished 5th to qualify for the UEFA Cup
. However, disputes with manager Jimmy Adamson
resulted in his sale to Queens Park Rangers
in August 1979.
Currie captained Rangers in the 1982 FA Cup Final
replay, but his career was badly affected by injuries and, after 5 goals in 81 games, he dropped out of league football and into semi-retirement from the game. He moved to Canada
and spent 2 months playing for the Toronto Nationals
, joining Chesham United
on his return to England. He subsequently joined Southend United
on non-contract terms before being persuaded by David Webb
to join Torquay United
in February 1984. He scored once in 16 games for the Gulls.
He moved to Tranmere Rovers
in October 1984, but left without appearing in their first team, leaving him with 81 goals in 528 league games. He moved into non–league football, playing for Dunstable Town
, Hendon
and Goole Town before being appointed Football in the Community co-ordinator at Sheffield United in February 1988, a post he still holds today.
team, winning the first of his 17 caps in 1972. He was capped 11 times whilst at Leeds.
He played in the dramatic World Cup qualifier against Poland
, which was held at Wembley Stadium in 1973. England dominated the match, but could only draw 1–1 and failed to qualify.
Edgware
Edgware is an area in London, situated north-northwest of Charing Cross. It forms part of both the London Borough of Barnet and the London Borough of Harrow. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
) is an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
former footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who had significant spells for Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
, Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
and Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
as well as representing England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
.
He was an effervescent and exuberant attacking midfield
Midfield
Midfield is the part of a sports pitch that lies approximately in the center. It is a term most commonly associated with football to refer to the area in and around the center circle, as well as the players who occupy that region, but it can be used in field hockey to describe the same area, or in...
player with the vision and ability to strike long dangerous passes. His nephew, Darren Currie
Darren Currie
Darren Paul Currie is an English footballer who plays for Hendon in the Ryman League Premier Division...
, also is a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
.
Career
Currie was a talented schoolboy footballer who represented Hendon Boys before joining Queens Park RangersQueens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
as an amateur, whilst working for a building firm. He joined Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
as an apprentice, but was released and moved to Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
to complete his apprenticeship, earning England Youth honours in the process. He turned professional in May 1967 and made his league debut the following season.
He was transferred to Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
on 1 February 1968 for £26,500. He scored on his debut against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
with a header on the 26th but missed the next game on 2 March as it was his wedding day. 'TC' as he was nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
d by Sheffield United fans, was idolised in his time at Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
. He went on to score 54 goals in 313 appearances and was also made captain by manager Ken Furphy
Ken Furphy
Ken Furphy is an English former football player and manager.Despite being on the books at Everton between 1950–1951, Furphy was a lower league player with Runcorn Darlington and then Workington...
in March 1974.
In June 1976 he moved to Yorkshire rivals Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
for £250,000, making his Leeds debut in a 2–2 draw with West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
. His skills made him a firm favourite at Leeds and he played arguably the best football of his career during his 124 games and 16 goals at Elland Road
Elland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
. His curling shot during United's November 1978 4-0 home win against Southampton F.C.
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
won ITV's The Big Match
The Big Match
The Big Match is a British Association football television programme, which screened on ITV regularly between 1968 and 1992 ....
Goal Of The Season that year. Currie's form helped Leeds reach the League Cup
League Cup
In association football, a League Cup or Secondary Cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament to be called "League Cup" was held in Scotland in 1946/47 and was entitled the Scottish...
semi–finals in 1978 and 1979, and in the 1978–79
1978-79 in English football
-FA Cup:Manchester United had seemingly pulled off a remarkable comeback against Arsenal in the 1979 FA Cup Final to make the score 2–2 after being two goals down, but a last-minute goal from Alan Sunderland saw Arsenal lift the trophy with a 3–2 scoreline...
season Leeds finished 5th to qualify for the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
. However, disputes with manager Jimmy Adamson
Jimmy Adamson
James "Jimmy" Adamson was an English professional footballer and football manager. He was born in Ashington, Northumberland...
resulted in his sale to Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
in August 1979.
Currie captained Rangers in the 1982 FA Cup Final
1982 FA Cup Final
The 1982 FA Cup Final took place on 22 May 1982 at Wembley Stadium. It was contested between Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers.Spurs were the holders of the trophy, and were hot favourites, while unfancied QPR had just missed out on promotion from the Second Division.After three and a half...
replay, but his career was badly affected by injuries and, after 5 goals in 81 games, he dropped out of league football and into semi-retirement from the game. He moved to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and spent 2 months playing for the Toronto Nationals
Toronto Nationals
The Hamilton Nationals are a Major League Lacrosse professional men's field lacrosse team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They began play in the 2009 season from Toronto, Ontario as the Toronto Nationals, becoming the first-ever Canadian team in MLL history...
, joining Chesham United
Chesham United F.C.
Chesham United is an English football club based in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, currently playing in the Southern League. They are nicknamed "The Generals" because they were once the football team of the General Baptist Church in Chesham. Chesham Generals merged with Chesham Town to form United...
on his return to England. He subsequently joined Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
on non-contract terms before being persuaded by David Webb
David Webb (footballer)
David James Webb is an English former professional footballer who made 555 appearances in the Football League playing for Leyton Orient, Southampton, Chelsea, Queens Park Rangers, Leicester City, Derby County, A.F.C. Bournemouth and Torquay United. He became a manager, taking charge of A.F.C...
to join Torquay United
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
in February 1984. He scored once in 16 games for the Gulls.
He moved to Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
in October 1984, but left without appearing in their first team, leaving him with 81 goals in 528 league games. He moved into non–league football, playing for Dunstable Town
Dunstable Town F.C.
Dunstable Town have always been associated with Royal Blue and White, in a number of combinations. Unlike some of the larger clubs who hold an identity with one particular pattern, Dunstable have had stripes, hoops, halves, quarters, pin stripe and plain shirts...
, Hendon
Hendon F.C.
Hendon Football Club are an English football club based in Hendon, in the London Borough of Barnet. They currently play in the Isthmian League Premier Division.In the 2003-04 season they finished fourth in the Isthmian League Premier Division...
and Goole Town before being appointed Football in the Community co-ordinator at Sheffield United in February 1988, a post he still holds today.
International career
During his time at Sheffield United, he broke into the EnglandEngland national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
team, winning the first of his 17 caps in 1972. He was capped 11 times whilst at Leeds.
He played in the dramatic World Cup qualifier against Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
, which was held at Wembley Stadium in 1973. England dominated the match, but could only draw 1–1 and failed to qualify.
Sheffield United Career
| Season | Division | League Apps (Sub) | League Goals | FA Cup Apps (Sub) | FA Cup Goals | FL Cup Apps (Sub) | FL Cup Goals | Other Apps | Other Goals | Total Apps (Sub) | Total Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967–68 | One | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 4 |
| 1968–69 | Two | 35 | 4 | 0 (1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 39 (1) | 4 |
| 1969–70 | Two | 42 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 48 | 12 |
| 1970–71 | Two | 42 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 48 | 10 |
| 1971–72 | One | 38 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 11 |
| 1972–73 | One | 39 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 52 | 5 |
| 1973–74 | One | 29 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 35 | 8 |
| 1974–75 | One | 42 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 51 | 10 |
| 1975–76 | One | 33 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 43 | 2 |
| Total | 313 | 54 | 10 (1) | 2 | 22 | 3 | 30 | 7 | 375 (1) | 66 | |