Striker Hugh Curran began his career on the books of Manchester United before playing in Scotland for Third Lanark and Morton. After a short spell of playing Southern League football with Corby Town in season 1963/64, he was transferred to Millwall for £3,000 in March 1964 where he made 57 Football League appearances, scoring 26 goals. He subsequently played for Norwich City (112 appearances, 46 goals), Wolverhampton Wanderers (82 appearances, 40 goals) Oxford United (70 appearances, 28 goals), Bolton Wanderers (47 appearances, 13 goals) before then returning to the Manor Ground for a second time (35 appearances, 11 goals) to see out his Football League career. Whilst at Wolverhampton Wanderers he won five Scottish International caps scoring one goal.

Season 1979/80 had begun for Banbury United with a home game against Wellingborough Town on Saturday 25th August and it was a fine start for manger Brian Stone’s boys as they beat the Northamptonshire side 3-1 with two goals from Steve Slaughter and one from Kevin Wilson.

The Monday after the game, Brian Stone added to his squad by signing Hugh Curran who had left Oxford United at the end of the previous season but was also sought after by Witney Town. However, much to the delight of the Puritan faithful, he chose to join United in preference to their fierce local Oxfordshire rivals. Hugh would make his debut for Banbury on Tuesday 28th August away to Corby Town, coming on as a substitute and scoring United’s second goal in a 2-0 win, Mark Boyland scoring the first goal.

An article from the local press about Hugh joining Banbury appears below:
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Banbury’s fine start to the season would continue and after eight league games they were unbeaten, winning six of them and topping the table. However, at this point manager Brian Stone on Wednesday 17th October handed in his resignation commenting “I am packing it in. I just don’t enjoy it any longer. Though we have lost in several cup matches, Banbury United are top of the league and I feel it is the right time to go.”

The club immediately appointed Hugh Curran as manager, initially in a caretaker role.

Below is a photo of outgoing manager Brian Stone (on right) wishing Hugh Curran the best of luck prior to United’s game against Cambridge City on Saturday 29th October 1979.
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Banbury beat Cambridge City 2-0, then gained a point away to Witney Town and though losing their next two league games away to Trowbridge Town and Merthyr Tydfil, they bounced back with a four-match unbeaten league run, winning three of those games. The last of those four games was a 3-0 home win over Witney Town on Saturday 8th December, Hugh Curran being confirmed as permanent manager earlier that week. Kevin Wilson scored one of the goals against Witney in what was his last game for the club before he joined Derby County.

At the end of season 1979/80 United finished in 13th place out of 22 teams in the Southern League Midland Division and at this point Hugh decided it was best to resign the manager's position as he was finding the pressure of running a public house in Marston combined with being manager of Banbury United Football Club as being too much. Hugh made 26 appearances for the Puritans and scored five goals

Hugh subsequently returned to his native Carstairs and ran his own hotel and pub and later spent periods running shops and a hotel with his brother in Lanarkshire. After moving back to Oxfordshire, he ran pubs in Horton-cum-Studley and Islip and after that, bored with retirement, worked as a supervisor at the park and ride service in Thornhill, Oxford.

The final photo below shows (left to right): Hugh Curran with other former Oxford United players Roy Burton and Dave Roberts at the funeral of Oxford United legend John Shuker in January 2020.

The club sends its congratulations to Hugh on his 80th birthday and hope he has a great day!