Jack Butler (footballer, born 1894)


John Dennis Butler was an English footballer, who played in the Football League for Arsenal and Torquay United as a centre-half. He made one appearance for the England national team and went on to a career as a manager, with Torquay United, Crystal Palace and Colchester United in the League. He also managed Royal Daring of Belgium and coached the Belgium national team.

Football career

Born in Colombo to English parents, Butler moved back to Britain as a child. He played for Dartford and Fulham Thursday as a youth, before signing for Fulham in 1913 and moving to Arsenal in 1914. He played in Arsenal's' reserve side in his first season, before World War I intervened. Butler duly signed up for the Royal Artillery and served in France during the war, and returned to Arsenal after the end of hostilities. By then he had come of age, and with the resumption of first-class football, he made his first-team debut for Arsenal, against Bolton Wanderers on 15 November 1919.
A tall, elegant and clean player, Butler initially played as a traditional "centre half" — i.e. as a central, deep-lying midfielder; he was in competition with Arsenal's' regular centre halves, Chris Buckley and Alex Graham, but by 1924-25, he was the undisputed first-choice centre half, playing in all but three games of the club's League campaign that season. He also won his first and only cap for England, against Belgium on 8 December 1924.
He made a total of 296 appearances for Arsenal, scoring eight goals.
After Arsenal he joined Torquay United, and stayed there for two seasons before becoming a coach at Belgian club Royal Daring, and was coach of the Belgian national side. He later had a spell as a trainer-coach at Leicester City, and the Danish national side in 1946. He later managed Torquay United, Crystal Palace and Colchester United.
He died in 1961, at the age of 66.

Honours

;Arsenal