Terry Butcher facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Terry Butcher

Butcher as Inverness Caledonian Thistle manager in 2010
Personal information
Full name	Terry Ian Butcher
Date of birth	(1958-12-28) 28 December 1958 (age 66)
Place of birth	Singapore
Height	1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Playing position	Centre back, sweeper
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1976–1986	Ipswich Town	271	(16)
1986–1990	Rangers	127	(8)
1990–1992	Coventry City	6	(0)
1992–1993	Sunderland	38	(0)
1994	Clydebank	3	(0)
Total		445	(24)
National team
1979–1980	England U21	7	(0)
1979	England B	1	(0)
1980–1990	England	77	(3)
Teams managed
1990–1992	Coventry City
1993	Sunderland
2002–2006	Motherwell
2006–2007	Sydney FC
2007	Partick Thistle (caretaker)
2007	Brentford
2009–2013	Inverness Caledonian Thistle
2013–2014	Hibernian
2015	Newport County
2018	Philippines
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Terry Ian Butcher (born 28 December 1958) is an English football manager and former player. He was a strong defender who even captained the England national team. He played in 77 international matches over ten years, including three FIFA World Cups. Terry also had a very successful club career, especially with Ipswich Town and Rangers. After retiring as a player, he became a manager for clubs in England, Scotland, Australia, and Wales, and even managed the Philippines national team for a short time.

Terry Butcher: A Football Legend

Early Life and First Steps

Terry Butcher was born in Singapore. His father was serving in the Royal Navy there. Terry spent most of his childhood in Lowestoft, Suffolk, where he went to Lowestoft Grammar School. He was a big fan of Ipswich Town, so he turned down a chance to join their rivals, Norwich City. He joined Ipswich in August 1976 after a three-week tryout.

Playing Career Highlights

Ipswich Town: Winning the UEFA Cup

Terry made his first team debut for Ipswich Town in April 1978. Over the next eight seasons, he became their best central defender. He was known for his leadership, great ability to head the ball, and bravery. His skills quickly caught the eye of England manager Ron Greenwood. Terry made his England debut in 1980.

In 1981, Terry was a key part of the Ipswich team that won the UEFA Cup. This was a big European trophy! They also nearly won the League title that year, but Aston Villa just beat them. Terry was voted Player of the Year in both 1985 and 1986. In 1986, Ipswich was moved down to a lower division.

Rangers: Scottish Success

In 1986, Terry left Ipswich and joined the Scottish club Rangers. He was one of the first English players to move to Scotland after Graeme Souness became manager there. Rangers paid Ipswich £725,000 for him. As captain, Terry led Rangers to win three League titles in four seasons. They also won two Scottish League Cups.

In November 1987, he broke his leg during a game, which meant he couldn't play for the rest of that season. In 1988, he had some trouble after a match and was fined by the SFA. He almost joined Manchester United in July 1988, but Rangers said no. His last game for Rangers was in September 1990.

Coventry City and Sunderland

In November 1990, Terry became the player-manager of Coventry City. He played six league games for them before deciding to focus only on managing. He helped Coventry avoid being moved down a division in his first season. In the 1991–92 season, Coventry had some good results, including a surprise win against Arsenal. However, their form dropped, and Terry was let go in January 1992.

In August 1992, Terry started playing again and signed for Sunderland. He played 38 games for them. He also became their player-manager in January 1993 and helped them stay in their division. He was sacked in November 1993. After this, he played three games for Clydebank before finally stopping his playing career.

Playing for England

Butcher (No. 6) is sad as Diego Maradona celebrates his second goal during the 1986 World Cup. This goal is often called the 'goal of the century'.

Terry's great performances for Ipswich caught the attention of England manager Ron Greenwood. He made his England debut in May 1980 when he was 21. He quickly became a regular player for the national team.

He was the youngest defender for England at the 1982 World Cup in Spain. He also played in the 1986 World Cup. In that tournament, he played in the famous quarter-final match against Argentina. In this game, Diego Maradona scored a goal that is often called the 'goal of the century'.

A broken leg meant Terry missed the 1988 European Championship.

The Iconic Bloody Shirt

One of Terry Butcher's most famous moments happened during a World Cup qualifying match against Sweden in September 1989. Early in the game, he got a very deep cut on his forehead. He had some quick stitches put in by the team's physiotherapist and, with his head wrapped in bandages, he kept playing! Because he kept heading the ball, the bandages came undone, and the cut reopened. By the end of the game, his white England shirt was completely red with blood. This image is now very famous and shows his incredible bravery and commitment.

England reached the semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup with Terry as a key defender. He also took over as captain during the tournament. After the World Cup, Terry retired from international football. He had played 77 games for England and scored three goals over ten years.

Managerial Career

Coventry City and Sunderland

Terry became player-manager of Coventry City in November 1990. At almost 32, he was the youngest manager in the Football League. He helped Coventry finish 16th in the league and avoid relegation in the 1990–91 season. However, he was sacked in January 1992.

In February 1993, Terry became manager of Sunderland. He helped them stay in their division that season, but he was sacked the following December.

Motherwell and Sydney FC

In October 2001, Terry became an assistant coach at Motherwell in Scotland. A year later, he became the main manager. He was praised for his work during a difficult financial time for the club. Motherwell even reached the 2005 Scottish League Cup Final, but lost to his old team, Rangers.

In May 2006, Terry became the head coach for Sydney FC in Australia. He was sacked in February 2007 after the team was knocked out of the finals.

Brentford and Scotland National Team

Terry had a short time as assistant coach at Partick Thistle before becoming manager of Brentford in April 2007. After a tough period with only 5 wins in 23 matches, he left Brentford in December 2007.

In 2008, Terry became assistant to George Burley, the manager of the Scotland national team. Terry had strong feelings about Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" goal from the 1986 World Cup. Before a friendly match against Argentina, managed by Maradona, Terry spoke about his views. Scotland lost the game. Terry left his role with Scotland in November 2009.

Inverness Caledonian Thistle

The Inverness team celebrates winning the First Division title in May 2010 at the Caledonian Stadium. Butcher is to the left of the stage.

On 27 January 2009, Terry Butcher was appointed manager of Inverness Caledonian Thistle. He signed an 18-month contract. In May 2009, Inverness was moved down from the Scottish Premier League.

After a difficult start to the 2009–10 season, Terry managed to turn things around for Inverness. By March, he had guided his club from being 16 points behind the league leaders to four points ahead! He won the "Irn Bru Phenomenal" manager of the month award for March. Inverness won the Scottish First Division on 21 April, which meant they returned to the Scottish Premier League. Terry was the last manager to lead the team to promotion.

In April 2010, his contract was extended. In the 2010–11 season, the club finished seventh, just missing out on a top six spot. Terry was added to the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in November 2011. In the 2012–13 season, he won another manager of the month award. He led the club to second place by the end of 2012.

In January 2013, Terry turned down an offer to manage Barnsley. He said he believed Inverness could make history and he was happy to stay in Scotland. His efforts were recognized when he was nominated for the PFA Scotland Manager of the Year award.

Hibernian and Newport County

On 5 November 2013, Terry moved to another Scottish team, Hibernian. He signed a three-year contract. In January 2014, he won his first Edinburgh derby match. However, Hibernian's results got worse over the next few months. They dropped to the bottom half of the league and were at risk of being moved down a division.

On 25 May 2014, Hibernian was moved down to the Scottish Championship after losing a playoff. Terry called this his "darkest day in football." He was sacked by the club on 10 June 2014.

On 30 April 2015, Terry became manager of the Welsh club Newport County. He was sacked on 1 October 2015, after the team had a very tough start to the season.

Philippines and Guangzhou R&F

On 14 June 2018, Terry was announced as the new head coach of the Philippines. However, he later decided not to take the role, saying he didn't believe the system was ready for him to succeed. His assistant coach took over. In July 2019, Terry joined the coaching staff of the Chinese club Guangzhou R&F as a defensive coach.

Return to Ipswich Town

In February 2020, it was announced that Terry would return to Ipswich Town. He worked mainly with the club's youth academy and also helped the first team. He left the club again in July 2021.

Media Career

Terry Butcher has also worked in the media. He has been a football expert and commentator for different TV and radio channels, including BBC Radio Five Live and BBC Sport. He also worked as an English co-commentator for the Pro Evolution Soccer and ISS Pro Evolution video games.

Personal Life

Terry Butcher got married in 1980 and lives in Bawdsey. His parents and his wife Rita's parents still live in Suffolk. He has three sons. Sadly, one of his sons, Christopher, passed away in October 2017. Terry is a cousin of the Scottish former footballer Pat Nevin.

Terry is a fan of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden and is friends with their bassist, Steve Harris. He also supports the Conservative Party.

Career Statistics

Club

Managerial

Honours

Player

Ipswich Town

• UEFA Cup: 1980–81

Rangers

• Scottish Football League Premier Division: 1986–87, 1988–89, 1989–90
• Scottish League Cup: 1986–87, 1988–89

Individual

• Ipswich Town Player of the Year: 1984–85, 1985–86
• Rangers Hall of Fame: inducted 2000
• Ipswich Town Hall of Fame: Inducted 2010
• Scottish Football Hall of Fame: inducted 2011
• English Football Hall of Fame: Inducted 2021

Manager

Inverness Caledonian Thistle

• Scottish First Division (second tier): 2009–10

Individual

• Scottish Premiership Manager of the Month: February 2004, September 2004, March 2006, October 2010, November 2012, August 2013

See also

In Spanish: Terry Butcher para niños

• List of England international footballers born outside England