Tom Butler (footballer)

Tom Butler

Personal information
Full name	Thomas Butler
Place of birth	Darlaston, England
Date of death	11 November 1923
Place of death	Hackney, England
Playing position	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)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Thomas "Tom" Butler (died 11 November 1923) was an English footballer who played as an inside-left. He played 60 league games in the 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.

Playing career

Butler started his career at Birmingham & District League side Willenhall, before joining Walsall in 1921.^[1] 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.^[2]

Statistics

• Sourced from Tom Butler profile at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)

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

Honours

with Port Vale

• North Staffordshire Infirmary Cup winner: 1923

References

1. Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 45. ISBN 1-899468-67-6.
2. Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 49. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.