Butler: Walter John (Walter)

1920-1921 (Player Details)

Inside Forward

Born: Spalding, Lincolnshire: 00-00-1889

Debut v Boothtown (h): 11-09-1920

Height&Weight: Unknown

Butler was born in Spalding, Lincolnshire, in the first quarter of 1889, moving to the Hunslet area of Leeds at an early age. He attended Hunslet Carr School and started playing local football with Leeds Steelworks in 1907-08. He then moved to Stourton United where he remained for two seasons, having trials and playing for Leeds City Reserves. He had trials with Goole Town and Huddersfield Town and was thought to have played for Goole Town up to the start of the First World War. He rejoined Leeds Steelworks in 1919-20 before joining Leeds United in March 1920 and then moving to Doncaster Rovers in May 1921. He did not feature very much in the Leeds senior team and in fact his first two games were both in the F.A. Cup preliminary rounds when Leeds fielded a reserve team. His only appearance for the first team came on 19th February 1921 in a 0-2 loss to Stockport County in a an understrength Leeds team which saw Ernie Hart make his debut and George Stuart play his only game for Leeds. He did, however, manage to get a hat-trick in the second of the F.A. Cup games against his former club, Leeds Steelworks. Doncaster Rovers were playing in the Midland League and he played for them for one season. He died in Leeds and was cremated at Cottingley on 16th June 1979.(Thanks to Neil Roche for the research which has helped to shed new light on the career of Walter Butler).