The Butler did it...

This feature was included in the match programme for the Northern Premier League, Premier Division game between Prescot Cables and Ashton United on 19 December 2025.

Today we turn the spotlight on a player who left Prescot Cables for a long and successful career in professional football, amassing more than 650 first team games throughout the football league and an appearance at Wembley.

John Butler was a product of Edge Hill Boys Club and had been for trials at Altrincham and played for Burscough, before joining Cables at the start of the 1981/82 season. At Hope Street the young striker was the target of several league clubs including Liverpool and Bolton Wanderers, but it was Wigan player manager, Larry Lloyd and his assistant Chris Lawler, who swooped, in January 1982.

Butler had scored an impressive hat-trick for Wigan Athletic reserves in a trial match against the first team and was immediately offered full time professional terms. The 18-year-old was unemployed when he was offered the opportunity to sign professionally, and naturally jumped at the chance.

Wigan paid Cables a donation of £250, with a further £500 to be paid once the player had made 15 first team appearances. (Some reports say the deal included a set of kit).

Speaking about the move, in an interview in 1989, Butler said, ‘I have thanked my lucky stars ever since. I felt there were other players in that Prescot team just as good as I was, but I just happened to shine on the day when a Wigan scout was present. To be frank, I never thought about professional football when I left school. I just wanted a job and worked as a labourer for my uncle and in an industrial laundry before getting my big chance.’

Butler made one appearance for the first team in their promotion winning season of 1981/82, and established himself in the first team squad in the third division, the following season as a ‘play-anywhere’ player, just as likely to be selected as full-back, midfielder or striker, although his natural role was at full-back.

Also in that 1989 interview, Butler said, ‘I was not a prolific scorer at centre-forward and it was, perhaps, inevitable that I should drift into midfield and then to full-back, where I feel that I am best suited now. Full back play though has changed over the years. Now my breed are half wingers, half defenders for we are encouraged to get forward whenever possible. I always think that full-backs should be getting four or five goals a season now that we are encouraged to get forward.’

In December 1988, Wigan accepted a bid of £100,000 from Stoke City manager Mick Mills for Butler. Sheffield Wednesday - then of the first division - had been keen to sign him, but it was second division Stoke who won the race for his signature.

The 26-year old was Athletic’s longest serving player and had appeared in every position - including stand-in goalkeeper, replacing the injured Nigel Adkins - during his time with the Latics. In 1983/84 he had been named Wigan player of the season. Overall, he had been at Wigan for seven seasons, playing a total of 302 matches, and scoring 17 goals.

Commenting at the time of the sale, Wigan boss, Ray Mathais said, ‘John had already told me that he would not accept a new contract from us in the summer. I knew we would lose him because he is an ambitious lad. John is now 26 and he may have felt that a few doors were closing to him. I am sure he will do well for Stoke City. He is possibly the best professional I have ever worked with. His attitude has been just right since day one. John will always be a born winner. Butler is suited for a higher level of football and could still fulfil an ambition of playing in the first division. Butler’s versatility is his strength. He did everything I asked of him and I wish the lad well.’

Butler made his debut for The Potters in a 3 - 1 victory over Manchester City on Boxing Day 1988, and kept his place in the side for the remainder of the1988/89season. He scored his first goal for Stoke on 27 March 1989 in the return fixture with City, which ended in a 2–1 defeat. He became a virtually ever-present player in the Stoke sides of the early 1990s.

Under the management of Lou Macari, he collected a winners medal from a 1-0 win over Stockport County in the1991/92 Football League Trophy final at Wembley Stadium. In 1992/93 Butler’s Stoke City side broke records in winning the second division title, with a record of 93 points, including a club record of 25 League games without defeat. He spent two more seasons playing in the first division at the Victoria Ground, before being handed a free transfer in June 1995. In total, he served with Stoke City for seven seasons, making 319 appearances and scoring nine goals.

At the age of 33, Butler returned to Wigan in 1995 the following season he helped them to win the Third Division title on goal difference ahead of Fulham. He ended his career in professional football (the 16th of his career) after two seasons at Wigan, having appeared 66 times and scoring one goal.

In September 1997, aged 35, he joined Leek Town, but was quickly invited to train with Rochdale. However, he went on to play for Stalybridge Celtic, where he made just 8 appearances scoring once in the first half of the 1997/98 season, before being released at Christmas after injury ended his playing days