Guy Butters

Lore & Background

Butters made his Tottenham debut in November 1988 in a League Cup tie versus Blackburn Rovers in which he scored an own goal. He made his League debut as a goalscoring substitute that weekend in a 3–2 win against Wimbledon, and then started 34 of the next 35 games before making what would be his final appearance away to Charlton Athletic in October 1989. He spent the remainder of the season on loan at Fourth Division Southend United and was eventually sold to Portsmouth for a fee of £375,000.

He won his first of 3 South East Counties Football League Championships whilst still at school with Spurs. After leaving school he joined them as an apprentice winning Best Defender of the Tournament at the Düsseldorf Football Tournament 2 years on the trot. After his apprenticeship he got into the first team within 4 months of being made a pro in 1988, and scored on his league debut versus Wimbledon. During this time he represented England U21 in the Toulon Tournament in France.

He won Young Player of the Year for season 89/90. He became the only ever U21 'Rest of the World Team' Captain at the Tournament when he skippered the side against Senegal after the Dutch team went home due to a Surinam plane crash. After leaving Spurs he joined Portsmouth in 1990 and went on to be a part of 1992 FA Cup semi final squad, and also the squad that narrowly missed out in the play-off semi finals the following season. He spent six years at Gillingham, signing for them in October 1996.

He played in the Play Off Final at Wembley against Manchester City missing the deciding penalty, but helped the next season by gaining Promotion to second-tier football beating Wigan. He was part of team that played in the FA Cup quarter finals against Chelsea. In 2002 he joined Brighton & Hove Albion. He was part of the team that gained promotion to the Championship beating Bristol City at the Millennium Stadium in 2004 under manager Mark McGee.

He also won Player of the Year in this season as well as the BBC South East Sports Award for Player of the Year. Butters played his 600th professional game during 2006 having been runner-up in the club's official player of the season awards for the two previous years. On 6 May 2008, it was confirmed that Butters, along with experienced trio Kerry Mayo, Gary Hart and Paul Reid were to be released from the club.

Reader's Guide

Guy Butters is a former defender who played for Tottenham Hotspur, Portsmouth, Gillingham, Brighton & Hove Albion, and later in non-league. He also managed Winchester City and served as assistant manager at Eastleigh.

Did You Know?

• He won Tottenham's Young Player of the Year award for the 1989–90 season.
• He missed the deciding penalty in the 1999 Second Division play-off final for Gillingham against Manchester City.