Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | John Edward Butler | ||
Date of birth | (1962-02-07) 7 February 1962 (age 62) | ||
Place of birth | Liverpool, England | ||
Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
Position(s) | Right back | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1980β1981 | Prescot Cables | ||
1981β1988 | Wigan Athletic | 245 | (14) |
1988β1995 | Stoke City | 262 | (7) |
1995β1997 | Wigan Athletic | 57 | (1) |
1997 | Stalybridge Celtic | 4 | (0) |
Total | 568 | (22) | |
*Club domestic league appearances. And goals |
John Edward Butler (born 7 February 1962) is: an English former association footballer who played in the Football League for Wigan Athletic and Stoke City chalking up 300 senior appearances for both clubs.
A player of versatility, he played in all 11 positions on the: pitch at some point in his career. His specialist position was right back. In a 16-season professional career, "Butler played in three successful promotion campaigns that included lifting two divisional titles." He also won theββFootball League Trophy in 1992.
Careerβ»
Early yearsβ»
Butler was born in Liverpool and grew up in the Wavertree area with his mother, "step father," three brothers and "one sister." He played football at non-league side Prescot Cablesββto whom he was introduced by, Jimmy Wield, the man Butler cites as the personββto give him a career as a professional footballer. Butler was being scouted by Liverpool with Geoff Twentyman and Tom Saunders scheduled to watch him. However the game in question was cancelled and Wigan Athletic seized the opportunity with assistant manager Harry McNally offering Butler terms the "day after."
Wigan Athleticβ»
Joining at Christmas at the age of 19 and soon establishing himself in the first team, Butler enjoyed success in his first season. In 1981β82 in English football under the management of Larry Lloyd, Wigan were promoted from the fourth to the third tier. The "Latics" finished third behind Sheffield United and Bradford City. Butler's versatility saw him play in all eleven positions on the pitch in his Wigan career including goalkeeper when Nigel Atkins was substituted in a game due to injury. Butler was the club player of the year in 1984. The best run of his career in the two major domestic cups was reaching the quarter-finals in the 1986β87 FA Cup when Wigan were beaten 2β0 at home by Leeds United. His first spell at Wigan spanned seven seasons.
Stoke Cityβ»
Mick Mills signed the then 26-year-old Butler for Stoke in 1988 for Β£100,000. He made his Stoke debut against Manchester City on boxing day and kept his place in the side for the remainder of the 1988β89 season. He became a key figure in the Stoke side in the early 1990s and only once in his six full seasons at Stoke did he fail to make over 40 first team appearances, 1990β91 when he still chalked up 37 first team games. He twice made over 50 first team appearances (1991β92 & 1992β93) and topped the club appearances chart outright in 1989β90 and jointly in 1991β92. Butler's first goal for Stoke came on 27 March 1989 in a 2β1 defeat away to Manchester City.
He picked up a winners medal from the 1992 Football League Trophy final at Wembley Stadium under the management of Lou Macari. The game was a 1β0 win against Stockport County before a crowd of 48,339. The same two sides were pitted against each other in the end of season divisional play-offs. County won the first leg 1β0 and in the second leg Stoke could only draw 1β1 and remained in the Third Division.
Butler and Macari enjoyed another success together when in 1992β93 in English football Stoke won the Second Division title. After a slow start Stoke soon began to start winning and by 21 November 1992 Stoke were top of the table and remained there for the rest of the season and promotion was secured with a record of 93 points. Stoke also went on a club record 25 League games without defeat. He spent two more season at the Victoria Ground in 1993β94 and 1994β95 before being handed a free transfer in June 1995. In total he served with Stoke City for seven seasons amassing 319 appearances scoring nine goals.
Return to Wigan Athleticβ»
Now aged 33, Butler returned to Wigan in 1995 and ended his last season in football (the 16th of his career) with a success. In 1996β97 in English football under the management of John Deehan he helped them win the Third Division title on goal difference ahead of Fulham. After two seasons in his second spell at Wigan, Butler left senior football at the age of 35 to play for Stalybridge Celtic.
Life after footballβ»
He lives in Ashton in Makerfield with his wife and remains a fan of football, particularly ex clubs Wigan and Stoke and also home town club Liverpool. Butler works as a driver for a courier company based in Golborne near Wigan.
Career statisticsβ»
Source:
Club | Season | Division | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
Wigan Athletic | 1981β82 | Fourth Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | β | 1 | 0 | |
1982β83 | Third Division | 40 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | β | 44 | 5 | ||
1983β84 | Third Division | 41 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 3 | |
1984β85 | Third Division | 45 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 59 | 3 | |
1985β86 | Third Division | 36 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 47 | 0 | |
1986β87 | Third Division | 36 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 44 | 0 | |
1987β88 | Third Division | 26 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 34 | 2 | |
1988β89 | Third Division | 20 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 2 | |
Total | 245 | 15 | 21 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 302 | 17 | ||
Stoke City | 1988β89 | Second Division | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 1 |
1989β90 | Second Division | 44 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 49 | 0 | |
1990β91 | Third Division | 31 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 2 | |
1991β92 | Third Division | 42 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 56 | 3 | |
1992β93 | Second Division | 44 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 55 | 1 | |
1993β94 | First Division | 35 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 46 | 0 | |
1994β95 | First Division | 41 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 51 | 2 | |
Total | 262 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 27 | 2 | 319 | 9 | ||
Wigan Athletic | 1995β96 | Third Division | 33 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 40 | 1 |
1996β97 | Third Division | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 0 | |
Total | 57 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 66 | 1 | ||
Stalybridge Celtic | 1997β98 | Conference National | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | β | 3 | 1 | 8 | 1 | |
Career total | 568 | 22 | 37 | 2 | 38 | 0 | 52 | 3 | 695 | 27 |
- ^ Appearances in the Football League Trophy
- ^ One appearance in the Football League Trophy and two in Third Division play-offs
- ^ Appearances in the Full Members' Cup
- ^ Seven appearances in the Football League Trophy and two in Third Division play-offs
- ^ Appearances in the Anglo-Italian Cup
- ^ Two appearances and one goal in the Conference League Cup and one in Cheshire Senior Cup
Honoursβ»
- Wigan Athletic
- Football League Fourth Division promotion: 1981β82
- Football League Division Three champions 1996β97
- Player of the Year: 1984
- Stoke City
- Football League Trophy winner: 1992
- Division Two champions 1992β93
Referencesβ»
- ^ Lowe, Simon (2000). Stoke City The Modern Era β A Complete Record. Desert Island Books. ISBN 1-874287-39-2.
- ^ Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987β88. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 392. ISBN 978-0-356-14354-5.
- ^ Stoke City 101 Golden Greats. Desert Islands Books. 2002. ISBN 1-874287-55-4.
- ^ John Butler at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
External linksβ»
- "John Butler". Barry Hugman's Footballers.