George Curtis captained Coventry during their rise from the fourth to the First Division in the 1960s; he later helped guide the Sky Blues to FA Cup victory alongside John Sillett in 1987; centre-back also played for Aston Villa from 1969-72
Sunday 18 July 2021 12:24, UK
Former Coventry captain and FA Cup-winning assistant manager George Curtis has died at the age of 82.
The centre-back, affectionately named 'Iron Man', made a total of 543 appearances for the Sky Blues from 1956 to 1969 - the second highest in the club's history.
Curtis was a key figure in Coventry's rise from the fourth to the First Division in the 1960s before he joined Aston Villa, where he won the Third Division title in the 1971-72 season during a three-year stay.
After announcing his retirement as a player, Curtis was part of the management team alongside John Sillett that guided Coventry to top-flight safety in 1986 and FA Cup victory against Tottenham in the FA Cup final at Wembley in 1987.
He also served in a number of commercial roles and as managing director at Coventry from 1977 to 1994.
A Coventry club statement read: "The thoughts and condolences of everyone at Coventry City and the whole Sky Blue community are with George's family and friends at this very sad time."
