.jpg) Fleming in 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1968-10-08)8 October 1968 (age 57) | ||
| Place of birth | Manchester, England | ||
| Position | Right-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Charlton Athletic (assistant manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1987 | Belvedere | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1987–1989 | St Patrick's Athletic | 60 | (2) |
| 1989 | Swindon Town | 0 | (0) |
| 1989–1991 | St Patrick's Athletic | 62 | (2) |
| 1991–2001 | Middlesbrough | 266 | (3) |
| 2001 | →Birmingham City (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2001–2004 | Crystal Palace | 45 | (0) |
| 2004–2005 | Darlington | 27 | (0) |
| 2005 | Shelbourne | 10 | (0) |
| 2006–2007 | Billingham Synthonia | 18 | (0) |
| Total | 494 | (7) | |
| International career | |||
| 1989–1990 | Republic of Ireland U23 | 2 | (0) |
| 1989–1990 | Republic of Ireland U21 | 5 | (0) |
| 1996–1998 | Republic of Ireland | 10 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2012 | Crystal Palace (caretaker) | ||
| 2019–2020 | Punjab FC II | ||
| 2020–2021 | Punjab FC | ||
| 2023 | Bristol City (interim) | ||
| 2024 | Charlton Athletic (caretaker) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Curtis Fleming (born 8 October 1968) is an Irish professionalfootballmanager and former player, who is the assistant manager ofEFL Championship clubCharlton Athletic.
Fleming playedright back and won international honours for theRepublic of Ireland at under-21, under-23 (twice), and senior level. He played youth football forBelvedere before starting his senior career withSt Patrick's Athletic in theLeague of Ireland and spent the majority of his career withMiddlesbrough.
Fleming played for the Dublin-based youth clubBelvedere,[1] and was signed byBrian Kerr for St. Patrick's Athletic in the summer of 1987. He was one of a number of young players signed as Kerr sought to build a squad that could challenge for honours. In his first season, he ousted former international playerEamonn Gregg from the first eleven and quickly established himself as one of the most exciting talents in the league. He won four caps for the Republic of Ireland under-21 side and was the only home based player when playing for the Republic of Ireland under-23 side againstNorthern Ireland in 1989. He was transferred toSwindon Town in March 1989 but returned in the summer having not played for the first team. After finishing second in his first season, Fleming won the league with St. Pat's in 1989–90 season and earned the monikerBlack Pearl ofInchicore Mark II (SeePaul McGrath andPaul Osam). In November 1990 he was awarded the FAI's Under-21 Player of the Year award. He also played in theEuropean Cup andUEFA Cup while atRichmond Park.
Despite signing forShamrock Rovers[2] Fleming moved to England in the summer of 1991 to joinMiddlesbrough on a £50,000transfer.[3] He helpedLennie Lawrence's side gain promotion to the newly formedPremier League in his first season. After being relegated, it took 'Boro' until 1995 to be promoted again, this time withBryan Robson in charge they won the first division title. As Middlesbrough alternated between the Premier League and First division, Fleming remained a constant in the side and as part of Robson's squad he was on the losing side in theLeague Cup finals in 1997 and 1998 and theFA Cup final in 1997. On 5 August 2001, Middlesbrough playedAthletic Bilbao in atestimonial match for Fleming. He played 266 league games for Middlesbrough before finally moving on.
Fleming went on loan toBirmingham City in November 2001, playing six games for them. He then completed a move toCrystal Palace at the end of December 2001, for a fee believed to be "in the region of £100,000".[3] Unfortunately for Fleming injuries would curtail his involvement at Palace, althoughIan Dowie was impressed enough to make him club captain. After2+1⁄2 seasons at Crystal palace, Fleming moved back toNorth East England in July 2004 to sign forDarlington on a one-year contract.[4] He remained at the club until the end of the 2004–05 season.
Fleming briefly joinedShelbourne in theLeague of Ireland (managed by former St. Patrick's Athletic colleaguePat Fenlon), and played in theChampions League qualifiers, but at the end of the Irish 2005 season, Fleming officially retired.
Fleming was born in England to a Jamaican father and Irish mother, and moved to Ireland when he was a few months old.[5] He made his international debut for Ireland inPrague against theCzech Republic national team on 29 April 1996 (and in the process netting St. Patrick's Athletic another £50,000 as part of his transfer deal). He would go on to win 10 caps underMick McCarthy.
Fleming later worked as a pundit onSetanta Sports for a period during 2006[citation needed] and was linked with the position of assistant manager toPat Fenlon atDerry City in the League of Ireland.[citation needed] His playing career has continued at an amateur level, with Fleming appearing regularly in the 2006–07 season forNorthern League sideBillingham Synthonia as a central defender.[citation needed] Curtis is a valued supporter of the charityShow Racism the Red Card and spoke with passion and humour about his experiences of racism in the game at SRTRC's fifteenth anniversary event atUNISON HQ on 3 August 2011.[citation needed]
Curtis Fleming is also a patron of the charity Justice First and took part in a fundraising event at Goals Soccer Saturday with his team The Misfits losing 5–2 in the final to Hope athletic. Despite this Curtis graciously handed over the trophy to the winners.
Fleming later coached at youth level atMiddlesbrough[6] and joinedLivingston in June 2007, as assistant manager toMark Proctor.[6] In July 2011, Fleming joined former clubCrystal Palace, managed by former Eagles teammateDougie Freedman, as Development Coach. In July 2012, Fleming was promoted to the role of first team coach atCrystal Palace, yet moved on four months later to join Freedman in a similar role atBolton Wanderers.
In February 2016, Fleming joined former Boro teammateCraig Hignett atHartlepool United as Assistant Manager. After less than a year at Hartlepool he was headhunted byIan Holloway in December 2016 and moved toQueens Park Rangers as Assistant Manager. He moved toMiddlesbrough as First Team coach in 2018 and left the club after the departure ofTony Pulis in May 2019.[7] In 2019, he was appointed as the reserve team coach of Indian clubPunjab FC for 2019–20 season. On 15 June 2020, he was appointed as the head coach of the main team.[8][9][10]
On 28 July 2021 Fleming was appointed as a temporary coach for Championship sideBristol City to stand in forPaul Simpson who took time off to receive treatment for renal cell carcinoma.[11] On 22 September 2021 Fleming was appointed as assistant manager at Ashton Gate on a permanent basis.[12] Following the sacking ofNigel Pearson, Fleming took charge of Bristol City as the interim manager.[13] Fleming took charge of Bristol City againstSheffield Wednesday winning 1-0.[14] Fleming resigned on the day of the appointment ofLiam Manning as Nigel Pearson's successor.[15]
On 12 January 2024, Fleming became assistant head coach atCharlton Athletic underMichael Appleton.[16]
On 24 January 2024, it was announced that Fleming would take interim charge of the side following the departure ofMichael Appleton.[17]
St Patrick's Athletic
Middlesbrough