RIP Richard Butcher 1981-2011
At the ridiculously age of just 29 Macclesfield Town footballer Richard Butcher has died.
Butcher was born in Peterborough on January 22nd 1981 where he started as trainee with Northampton Town before signing professional forms.
He was unable to break into the first-team squad with the Cobblers and moved on to Rushden & Diamonds before switching to Kettering Town in October 2001.
After assisting the Poppies to promotion from the Southern League Richard was given a second chance in the Football League when Keith Alexander, who also died last year, took him to Lincoln City in November 2002.
Alexander was rebuilding the Imps at the time as the club had just emerged from administration and Richard joined a side which included a string of players signed from non-league football, a situation similar to the one at Roots Hall with manager Paul Sturrock at the moment.
Butcher went straight into the team at Sincil Bank, making his League debut against his former club Rushden, and went on from there.
He proved a key man in a team put together on peanuts and helped Lincoln reach the play-off final at the end of his first season. The Imps lost that game to Bournemouth but after a play-off semi final defeat in 2004 they were back at the Millennium Stadium the very next season in that defeat to their present manager Steve Tilson's victorious Southend side.
He left Lincoln in the summer of 2005, making the step up to League One with Oldham Athletic. Alexander, who was to sign Richard four times during his career, brought him back to Lincoln for a brief loan spell in October 2005, but he returned to Boundary Park and played regularly through to the end of the season.
Richard then joined Alexander again at Peterborough United for 2006-07.
He changed clubs when Notts County took him on July 2007, surprisingly finishing as their top scorer with 12 goals in his first season, including the goal that ensured the Magpies status as a Football League team.
Richard was back at Lincoln for the start of the 2009-10 season but could not keep his place in the first team after a new boss came in, however Alexander was the saviour once more and took him to Macclesfield Town on loan in February 2010.
He was at Moss Rose at the tough time when Alexander passed away, and although he returned to Lincoln at the end of last term he decided to sign for the Silkmen on a permanent basis.
Butcher played his final game for Macclesfield on January 3rd when he appeared in the home game against Rotherham United.
The Silkmen have called off this weekend's home League Two clash with Burton Albion as a sign of respect.
A brief statement on www.mtfc.co.uk said: "It is with great sadness that we have to announce the untimely death earlier today (Tuesday) of Richard Butcher. Richard passed away at his home in Manchester overnight. He was an exemplary professional and a thoroughly likeable young man. Our thoughts are with his wife and family at this very difficult time."
Professional Footballers Association chief executive Gordon Taylor was taken aback by the news and promised to do all he could to help Richard's family.
Taylor told www.givemefootball.com: "It is a terrible shock. We've lost Adam Stansfield at Exeter and to lose Richard Butcher is just terrible and quite tragic and on behalf of all the members and staff at the PFA we wish to offer our most sincere condolences to his family at this terrible time and our prayers and thoughts are with them. We will be in contact with the family to see what help we can provide at this sad time."
Present Macclesfield Town boss Gary Simspon speaks here:
www.mtfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10393~2263329,00.html
An obituary from sister site Lincoln-mad here:
www.lincolncity-mad.co.uk/feat/edw3/
rip_butch__magpie_silkman__forever_imp_618526/index.shtml
The Butcher Files
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Richard Tony Butcher | ||
| Date of birth | 22 January 1981(1981-01-22) | ||
| Place of birth | Northampton, England | ||
| Date of death | 9 January 2011(2011-01-09) (aged 29) | ||
| Place of death | Swinton, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1999-2000 | Northampton Town | 0 | (0) |
| 2000-2001 | Rushden & Diamonds | 0 | (0) |
| 2001-2002 | Kettering Town | 44 | (13) |
| 2002-2005 | Lincoln City | 104 | (11) |
| 2005-2006 | Oldham Athletic | 36 | (4) |
| 2005 | → Lincoln City (loan) | 4 | (1) |
| 2006-2007 | Peterborough United | 43 | (4) |
| 2007-2009 | Notts County | 80 | (18) |
| 2009-2010 | Lincoln City | 15 | (0) |
| 2010 | → Macclesfield Town (loan) | 8 | (2) |
| 2010-2011 | Macclesfield Town | 7 | (1) |
| Total | 341 | (54) | |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22:17, 10 January 2011 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). | |||
(Player info supplied by Wikipedia, for the full article go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Butcher)