Exeter City fan favourite Jamie Cureton reflects on his remarkable footballing career, his special connection with the Grecians and the stories behind his new book, 'Last of the Goalhangers: The man who completed English football'.
If you ask an Exeter City supporter to name their favourite striker of the past 20 years, Jamie Cureton's name is sure to be near the top of the list.
The veteran forward arrived at St James Park at the start of the 2010/11 season, approaching his 35th birthday but with more than 200 career goals already to his name. It did not take long for him to make his mark in red and white.
Cureton made his Exeter debut against Colchester United on August 7, 2010, before quickly finding his goalscoring touch. A brace against Yeovil Town in a 3-1 Football League Trophy victory was an early indication of what was to come.
He went on to enjoy an outstanding campaign, scoring 17 league goals in 34 starts and 20 in all competitions as City finished eighth in League One. His performances earned him a Player of the Year award and cemented his place in the hearts of the Grecians faithful.
Across two permanent spells and a loan stint at St James Park, Cureton made 96 appearances and scored 42 goals, earning a reputation as a classic ‘fox in the box’ who always seemed to be in the right place at the right time.
Yet his time at Exeter represents just one chapter in a footballing journey that has spanned more than three decades.
Now 51, Cureton is still involved in the game and closing in on another remarkable milestone, just six appearances away from reaching 1,100 matches as a player. In 2019, he joined an exclusive group of footballers, including Xavi and Raul, to have passed the 1,000-game mark.
With more than 400 goals to his name, he is also the only player to have scored in all of the top 10 divisions of the English football pyramid.
His longevity is extraordinary, having continued to play in the Football League until almost the age of 40. Earlier this year, he added another achievement to his collection as part of the England Veterans side that won the Seniors World Cup, featuring in several matches and scoring in the final.
And there are little signs of him slowing down. Cureton is now managing Clevedon Town in the Western League Premier Division, the fifth step of English Football, where the club have made an encouraging start to the season, sitting second after 13 matches with 30 points.
Away from the touchline, he has also turned his attention to a new project: his book, Last of the Goalhangers: The Man Who Completed English Football.
The book offers an honest account of a life spent in football, exploring the highs and lows of his playing career alongside the experiences away from the pitch. From the changing face of the game to personal struggles, partying in the 1990s, financial difficulties and a bizarre attempt to smuggle £40,000 out of South Korea in his underwear, it promises a revealing insight into a footballer whose story goes well beyond the goals.
We caught up with the former Grecian to discuss how the book came about, his extraordinary longevity and the memories of his time at Exeter City.
Despite having been asked about writing a book for around a decade, Cureton admits it took time for him to decide that the moment was right.
“I'd been asked for a good few years about doing one and I've sort of turned it down probably over the last 10 years,” he explained.
“Probably last year, or a year or so ago, I just decided, you know, why not? So I reached out to Sid Lambert, who wrote the book, and asked if he was still interested. He was like, ‘Yeah, definitely’, and that was sort of it. It took about a year to get everything down.
Rather than documenting every season and every club in chronological order, Cureton wanted to tell a broader story about his life and career. The result is a book that explores the defining moments, the decisions behind transfers and the experiences that shaped him both as a footballer and as a person.
“It's not season to season and club to club,” he said. “It's different things that had gone on in my career, sort of highs and lows, bits about my life outside of football and how I'm still playing. It's a bit of everything, really.
“It's more of a life story rather than what I would say a biography on my football. It delves into all different things about my whole life.
“It's got times at clubs, reasons why moves happened and why certain things didn't, and times when I had good times and bad times. It gives everyone an insight into the clubs I played for and maybe the decisions that were made, with a bit more of an understanding of the reasons behind stuff.”
With more than 30 years of football to draw upon, there was never going to be room for everything. Instead, Cureton and Lambert focused on the key moments that defined his journey, revisiting experiences that had not necessarily been discussed for many years
“There's stuff that's been left out, and there's stuff that probably could have gone in, but I think we just tried to work on key points,” he said.
“I probably could have written another book, to be honest, with the amount of time I've been in the game. It was more about trying to focus on key things throughout my career and key things in my life alongside my playing time.
“It was a bit of therapy going back and forth over old times and having things brought up that I hadn't forgotten about, but just hadn't talked about.
“So far, the reviews I've had from people who've read it have been very good and very honest.”
The process also gave Cureton the opportunity to take stock of a career that has often moved at such a relentless pace that there has been little time to appreciate what he has achieved.
“When you play, you just keep moving on and you keep playing,” he reflected. “You don't tend to look back at things you've achieved. You're always constantly in the moment, thinking about what's next
“So it was nice to look back and realise there were things I'd done in my career that maybe I didn't realise how big they were or how much of an achievement they were at the time.
“It was quite nice to look back and sit there and go, ‘You know, I have actually had an amazing career and done some wonderful things’.”
For many players, reaching 1,000 appearances would represent the ultimate career milestone. For Cureton, it was another achievement to celebrate before turning his attention to the next challenge.
“It's a bit crazy at times,” he admitted. “It wasn't anything that was ever on my radar when I started playing. You never think 1,000 games are possible.
“When I did it, the event was brilliant, but I was then moving on to the next thing. It's more so now, when you look back, that you realise what an achievement it is to get to that many games and still have the drive, still be fit enough and able to keep doing it.”
With 1,100 appearances within touching distance, Cureton is determined to tick off the milestone.
“I've got six more games to get to 1,100, so I'll try to tick that off this season,” he said.
“Then that sort of ticks off the last massive milestone that I'm close to. The other targets would mean playing for another three or four seasons, so I'm not sure that's going to happen!”
Even so, the idea of retirement remains far from away from Jamie’s thoughts. He credits a combination of good fortune, sensible habits and an enduring desire to play for his ability to keep going.
“I've been quite lucky, I suppose. I've been quite clear of big injuries and I've just managed to keep myself fit. My mind is always ready to play.
“I've just tried to do everything possible to keep my body available, so I can at least go out and play. Nothing outrageous, just looking after yourself, eating and drinking the right stuff and not overindulging or going out like I used to.
“There's not a magic recipe for it. It's just being lucky!”
His appetite for the game remains as strong as ever, even after more than three decades in the sport. He admits there have been periods when the demands of football have taken their toll, but a recent spell playing for enjoyment helped reignite his enthusiasm.
“Especially in the low times, you have moments when you think, ‘Is that it?’ The last couple of years, I've probably had a bit more time out.
“I played a lot last year just for fun, and that really got my joy back for the game. I really enjoyed playing and was sort of a player-manager.
“Having that little bit of time out of what you'd consider serious management made me feel rejuvenated. Then this job came up and I thought I'd had enough time out and was ready to go again.
“For me, it's the love of the game. It's something I've done from day one, so I've always wanted to be involved in it.”
Jamie’s recent appointment at Clevedon Town has given him the opportunity to return closer to his roots in Bristol while taking on a new challenge in management. After spending more than 20 years in the Essex area, a change in his personal circumstances prompted him to consider a move back home.
“I've been in the Essex area for the best part of 20-odd years, so I've been away from Bristol for a long time,” he explained.
“With what's happened in my personal life, my thought process was to potentially come home. I was looking out for stuff and this job came up, which is ideal.
“It's a great club and the people running it are brilliant. They've got big plans for the place, so to be offered that was a no-brainer for me. It gave me the opportunity to come home, but also a great job opportunity.
“It's all fallen into place quite quickly over the last few weeks. I'm still back and forth sorting things out, but the plan is to be down full-time and start a new chapter and a new part of my life.”
The early signs have been encouraging, with Clevedon challenging near the top of the table. For Cureton, the immediate focus is on helping the club achieve promotion while continuing to enjoy the game himself.
And, true to form, he has not ruled out adding another unusual achievement to his already remarkable list.
“I might drop down to the 11th division and try to score a goal and take another division off, just to make sure no one can catch me,” he laughed. “You've only have to sign on and play one game, hopefully score, and then that ticks it off. If there's a club locally around Bristol at that level, I might do that.
“For now, it's concentrating on managing and, for us at Clevedon, we want to get promoted. On the playing side, I'll just dip in and out.I might not ever officially retire. You never know.
For Exeter supporters, one of the most appealing aspects of Last of the Goalhangers will be the chance to revisit Cureton's time in red and white.
His two permanent spells at St James Park produced goals, memorable moments and a connection with supporters that has endured long after his departure.
Cureton looks back on his time with the Grecians with genuine affection, insisting that his exits were not the result of any major falling-out with the club.
“Enjoyable. I really enjoyed it,” he said. “I think it was a very good spell for me.
“Probably the second time around, I didn't want to leave, but the club had made a choice on that. There was no major fallout or major decisions. Everything was always very good.
“I got on very well with the club, and the two spells I had were unbelievable, to be honest.
“The first time around, when I left, it was basically to move back to where my wife was at the time. Again, it was more of a personal decision rather than anything against Exeter.”
Cureton scored 20 goals in each of his two permanent spells, helping City enjoy some memorable occasions along the way.
One standout achievement was reaching the two-legged semi-final of the Football League Trophy during the 2010/11 campaign, when the dream of a Wembley appearance came tantalisingly close.
“I think scoring my 250th career goal against Yeovil Town was a big thing,” he recalled.
“Bradford away was a standout moment. I think I scored and we won 1-0. There were loads of moments. It seemed like I scored most weeks there, especially in my first spell when we were flying and had a really good year.
“The dream was to get to Wembley. I scored in the away leg against Brentford and, unfortunately, we lost, but it was a massive occasion and scoring in that game was great.
“The moments I had were brilliant throughout. I always seemed to be scoring and winning games of football, and I met some great people and played with some good teammates who I still speak to.”
His success at Exeter also came during a period when he felt he was playing some of the best football of his career, despite being well into his thirties. That experience was helped by his relationship with then-manager Paul Tisdale, whom Cureton credits for creating an environment in which he could thrive.
“It was really good,” he said of playing under Tisdale. “I was an experienced player at the time, and he treated me like that. We got on really well.
“I thought he ran the club perfectly. He had full control, recruited very well, and his tactics and how he was as a person were great. I can't say a bad word about him.
“I played some of my best football in my mid-thirties, which was really good for me.”
Cureton also remembers the supporters and the welcome he received in Exeter, despite living in Bristol and travelling to the club.
“I enjoyed it. I loved the place and the fans were great,” he said. “I haven't been back for a while, so I know the stadium has changed and they've improved it and obviously improved the training ground as well. But I thoroughly enjoyed it. The people were brilliant, and I got on very well with the fans. I hope they enjoyed me being there.
The fact that his name still regularly comes up in conversations among City supporters is something he does not take for granted
“For a footballer, that's all you want,” he said. “You want to leave something at a club you've played for and hope the fans appreciate what you give the club.
“I think that's part of our duty. We turn up for the club we're at, give everything and try to give the fans joy on a Saturday or a midweek. That's our job, ultimately, to entertain them, and hopefully they appreciate the job you've done.”
Despite his many clubs and the demands of a career that has kept him involved in football year-round, Exeter remains close to his heart.
“Definitely. I keep an eye out on all my clubs,” he said. “It's difficult at times because there are so many, but I always want my old clubs to do well.
“If ever I can get down to watch games, I will, but because I've always stayed in football, I've never really had Saturdays off. It's been difficult to get around, and I've been invited to a lot of clubs to watch games.
“But Exeter is a club close to my heart. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and I always wish them every success.”
For Jamie, Last of the Goalhangers is an opportunity to reflect on a career that has taken him across the country, through 10 divisions and into the record books.
But it is also a reminder that, even after more than 1,000 appearances, hundreds of goals and countless experiences, there is still more to come.
With the 1,100-game milestone in sight, a new managerial challenge at Clevedon Town and the possibility of further adventures on the pitch, the final chapter is nowhere near being written.
And for Exeter City supporters who remember the goals, the celebrations and the excitement he brought to St James Park, the book offers another chance to reconnect with a player who clearly retains a special affection for the club.
Last of the Goalhangers: The Man Who Completed English Football is available to purchase now by clicking here.
Watch below as we caught up with Jamie in 2020 to discuss his time as a Grecian: