BUTLER Michael Anthony
Mick was not very big for a forward, but he was all heart and for his entire foot-balling career was a lethal goal predator in the penalty area. After playing local football with Worsborough Bridge, he signed for the Reds as an amateur following a successful trial period. He received a surprise call up to first-team duty in the match against Bradford City and found out in true “Roy of the Rovers” style. He was spending a few days at his wife’s parents in Royston when he read the headline “Reds draft local star into Derby game”. Much in disbelief he rang Johnny Steele at the club and received swift confirmation on his selection and a lecture on his responsibilities as a footballer, albeit an amateur earning £5 a week. The Reds ended up losing the encounter 2-1 but Mick made it a debut to remember by scoring a last minute consolation. He remained in the team for the rest of the season, scoring 9 goals in 14 appearances, the highlight being a well taken hat-trick away at Hartlepool United in a 4-1 win.
His performances were such that in May 1973 he was offered and accepted professional terms at the age of twenty two. In December 1973 he scored a match winning goal, again at Hartlepool and two weeks later notched both goal’s to beat Brentford 2-1 at Oakwell. The goal scoring machine was well and truly oiled now and the New Year opened with a spectacular hat-trick in the 5-0 defeat of Scunthorpe United. In his first season as a professional footballer, he slotted home 22 goals in 51 games and the fans recognised his contribution by voting him Player of the Year for 1973-4. The following season he had scored 7 goals in 20 games when he broke a small bone in his leg against Lincoln City. The injury kept him out for over 10 weeks and it was February before he made is return as a substitute against Bradford City, scoring twice in a 2-2 draw. In March he notched consecutive hat-tricks against Newport County and Rochdale, a feat not achieved since Lol Chappell in November 1954. On 12th April, after scoring the winning goal in a 2-1 win over Workington he broke his leg for a second time which finished his season on 19 goals from 32 games.
The 1975/76 season started with a winning goal against Watford, but by then he had been placed on the transfer list at his own request due to a pay dispute. After 11 goals in 34 games he was transferred to Huddersfield Town for a fee of £20000 which saw defender John Saunders moving in the opposite direction. At Oakwell he had scored 61 goals from 129 starts and 2 substitute appearances, which was a great record for a youngster who had come out of local football with no professional training. At Leeds Road he scored 21 times in 78 games, and then moved to Bournemouth where he had a similar strike rate of 19 goals in 68 games. Finally he ended his career at Bury scoring 15 goals from 82 games from 1980 until 1982.