Curbs turns supporter

Youngsters playing for a Charlton U12s side in Spain surged to the top of their league earlier this month - after being inspired by the watching Alan Curbishley.

The Addicks manager joined parents to see the Avelins (U12s) side of the Charlton Athletic European Soccer School take on CD Cox in their first game of the season.

And, just as in the Premiership, it was a successful start to 2005/06 for the Addicks as they emerged with all three points.

"It was great for the kids to have a Premiership manager on the sidelines, cheering them on," said soccer school director David Greene.

"Alan interrupted his holiday during the international break to come and watch the youngsters, and he spent plenty of time talking to parents and having his picture taken with the players afterwards.

"It just shows how seriously everyone is taking the club's overseas work. From the players' point of view, they know they are being watched, if not by Alan all the time then the club's other scouts, and that can only give them a greater incentive to do well."

The Addicks manager and soccer school director David Greene

Curbishley's visit, near Sotogrande, came just days after the launch of the soccer school's partnership with a language school in Malaga, and was covered in the local Spanish press.

Aaron Greene (2), Daniel Beeden and Lewis Allen grabbed the goals in the win against CD Cox, which sees Charlton competing in grade 10 of the 24-grade league.

David added: "It's a huge league set-up, and covers around 100km along the Costa Blanca coast, so it's a great opportunity for our coaches and scouts to see a massive amount of youngsters in the area."