His path to First Division football with Manchester United being blocked by a formidable half-back line of Duckworth, Roberts, and Bell, Joe Curry became one of the first signings by Southampton’s new manager, George Swift. Reckoned by the Manchester Evening News to be

“energetic”

and with a reputation for being fond of heavy pitches, Joe would be denied, by a series of injuries, a decent opportunity to show off those, or any other, attributes at The Dell. After playing the first three games at left-half, he would make only four more League appearances, dotted across the season. Disillusioned, he returned to non-league football in his native north-east.