Thomas Butler (died 11 November 1923) was an English footballer who played as an inside-left. He played 60 league games in the English Football League, scoring 23 goals. He played for non-League Willenhall, before spending the 1921–22 season at Walsall. He joined Port Vale via Darlaston in December 1922. He broke his arm in a game on 3 November 1923 and died eight days later from a subsequent tetanus infection.
 Butler in a Port Vale squad photo in 1923 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Thomas Butler | ||
| Place of birth | Darlaston, England | ||
| Date of death | 11 November 1923 | ||
| Place of death | Hackney, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Inside-left | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Willenhall | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1921–1922 | Walsall | 28 | (12) |
| 1922 | Darlaston | ||
| 1922–1923 | Port Vale | 32 | (11) |
| Total | 60 | (23) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Career
editButler started his career at Birmingham & District League side Willenhall before joining Walsall in 1921.[2] He played 28 Third Division North games for the "Saddlers" in 1921–22, scoring 12 goals. He then returned to semi-professional football with Darlaston.
He had a one-month trial at Second Division Port Vale in December 1922, and manager Joe Schofield signed him permanently for £100 the following month. Butler was a huge success in the 1922–23 season, becoming top scorer with nine goals in 26 games. At the end of the season, he played in a defeat to local rivals Stoke in the North Staffordshire Infirmary Cup. He started 1923–24 by scoring in a defeat to Stoke at The Old Recreation Ground. However, after scoring in a 1–1 draw with Clapton Orient on 3 November, he suffered a compound fracture of the left arm; he died from tetanus (also called lockjaw) eight days later in Hackney Hospital after complications had set in.[3] The club paid his widow the rest of his wages. Other clubs donated money to provide his widow with a £700 benefit fund.[4]
Career statistics
editSource:[5]
| Club | Season | Division | League | FA Cup | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Walsall | 1921–22 | Third Division North | 28 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 34 | 15 |
| Port Vale | 1922–23 | Second Division | 25 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 9 |
| 1923–24 | Second Division | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | |
| Total | 32 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 11 | ||
References
edit- ^ "The lure of promotion. Port Vale". Athletic News. Manchester. 13 August 1923. p. 6.
- ^ Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 45. ISBN 1-899468-67-6.
- ^ Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 49. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
- ^ Fielding, Rob (6 June 2017). "Cult hero 63: Tom Butler". onevalefan.co.uk. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
- ^ Tom Butler at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)