Butterworth: Frank Cyril (Frank)

1942-1946 (Player Details) (Leeds United War-time Guest Player Details)

Centre Half

Born: West Ham: 23-11-1914

Debut v Middlesbrough (h): 05-01-1946

6’0” 12st (1946)

Butterworth was later to find fame as Walthamstow Avenue's Centre-Half and Captain in the late 1940's when they had a strong team that contained Jim Lewis and Derek Saunders, both of whom played for Chelsea and England Amateurs. He also frequently captained Leeds as he made one hundred and eight Wartime Appearances for United. He also guested with Clapton Orient for one game in 1940-41 and Watford, for one game in 1942-43. Like Cyril Coyne and Jack Duthoit, his only peace-time appearances were when he played both Legs of the two-legged F.A. Third Round Cup-tie with Middlesbrough in the 1945-46 season. An amateur with Isthmian League club Barnet, he signed for Leeds in September 1942, after starring in a pre-season practice match, and left in February 1946. He played the majority of his war-time games with Leeds at Centre Half but he also played nineteen games at Right Half as well as one game each at Right Back, Left Back and Left Half. He played Right Half in the home leg and Centre Half in the away leg of the F.A. Cup Fixtures. He was the fourth on the Leeds War-time appearances list after Gerry Henry, Aubrey Powell and John Daniels. "He started with his local team Barking prior to the start of the Second World War, after playing with Leeds and also making one appearance for Watford, while stationed with the RAF in Hertfordshire in 1942-43, he returned to his first club, Barking, at the end of the war. Always an amateur, he then joined Walthamstow Avenue and then possibly moved to Redhill. During the 1951-52 season he played with Dagenham and in 1952-53 became their Manager. He was also Manager of Sutton United from June 1953 to February 1955. He regularly represented Essex County F.A. in the Southern Amateur Championships and was awarded an honours badge for making more than ten appearances." (Information kindly supplied by Neil Roche). He died at Wokingham, near Reading, in July 1999.