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HARRY BUTLER
Full Name: Henry E. Butler
Came from: West Bromwich Albion Went to: Retired
First game: 02 February 1946 Last game: 01 April 1946
Appearances: 5 (5/0) Goals: 0
Although the Second World War was at an end, the Football League divided its competition into regional sections for the 1945-46 season because of the exceptional conditions at that time, with so many players still serving in the Armed Forces or employed on essential war work. Argyle played in the Football League South that season, against first-class opposition such as Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs, Aston Villa and Wolves. It proved impossible for the Pilgrims to field a regular side; 72 players made an appearance and performances inevitably suffered. From week to week the club called on Armed Services players, guest footballers from other League clubs and local amateurs to supplement its registered playing staff.
Butler was one of 21 players whose only first team games for Argyle were in the Football League South season and who usually played in local football or for the Armed Forces. He began his footballing career six years before, signing for West Bromwich Albion in May 1939, but he only played one first team game for them, away at Stoke on 14th Nov 1942, and he also guested for Mansfield Town three times in the 1941-42 season. His wartime service was in the Royal Marines, which probably brought him to Plymouth, and with his West Brom contract terminated the year before, he left the Marines and signed for Argyle as a full-time professional on 17th January 1946, although he appears to have played for Argyle Reserves in the preceding weeks. His first first team game, a week later, was a friendly against Crystal Palace (a 4-7 defeat) and his first League match, on 2nd February 1946, was Argyle's first win of the season.
Butler was retained for the 1946-47 campaign, the first conventional Football League season for eight years, but made no further first team appearances. One source suggests he went to Walsall, but there are no official Football League records that support this. Another source says that he retired in the summer of 1947 because of a leg injury. With no first team appearances in his final campaign, only two for the Reserves and six for the Plymouth & District side, perhaps it was a serious injury that finished his career.
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APPEARANCE DETAILS [reselect competitions]
The details below reflect appearances in all first-team competitions.
I'm very grateful to many who have helped write GoS-DB's player pen-pictures, and to Dave Rowntree, the PAFC Media Team and Colin Parsons for their help with photos. Thanks also to staff at the National Football Museum, the Scottish Football Museum and ScotlandsPeople for their valuable assistance.
The following publications have been particularly valuable in the research of pen-pictures: Plymouth Argyle, A Complete Record 1903-1989 (Brian Knight, ISBN 0-907969-40-2); Plymouth Argyle, 101 Golden Greats (Andy Riddle, ISBN 1-874287-47-3); Football League Players' Records 1888-1939 (Michael Joyce, ISBN 1-899468-67-6); Football League Players' Records 1946-1988 (Barry Hugman, ISBN 1-85443-020-3) and Plymouth Argyle Football Club Handbooks.
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