Martin Butler

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Martin Butler
Personal information
Date of birth	September 15, 1974 (age 32)
Place of birth	Dudley, England
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Nickname	Butts
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Walsall
Number	9
Youth clubs
	Walsall
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1993–1997 1997–2000 2000–2003 2003–2006 2006–	Walsall Cambridge United Reading Rotherham United Walsall	074 0(8) 104 (41) 103 (32) 097 (28) 038 (11)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17:25, 31 March 2007 (UTC). * Appearances (Goals)

Martin Butler (born 15 September 1974 in Dudley, England) is an English professional football striker with Walsall.

Butler spent most of his youth in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, attending Castlefields Primary School and Secondary School Oldbury Wells School.

Butler started his career at Walsall, where he rose through the youth ranks. Following rave reviews, he made his senior debut in the 1993-94 season. However, his career at Walsall faltered, and he was allowed to join Cambridge United for £22,500 in the summer of 1997.

A prolific spell at the Abbey Stadium prompted Reading to pay £750,000 for his services in February 2000, where he continued his fine goal-scoring form - including a goal in the 2000-01 Football League Second Division Playoff Final in May 2001, although Reading went on to lose the match 3-2 to Butler's old team Walsall.

On 6 November 2001, Butler was stretchered off during Reading's 2-0 win over Wrexham, suffering serious damage to his ankle. He broke his ankle and fibula, and suffered ligament damage competing for a ball on the touchline after his foot stuck in the ground. He didn't play again until April 2002, but his goals that season still helped Reading to get promoted to the First Division in second place.

After his injury, Butler couldn't recapture the form for Reading that he'd shown before, and after floating in and out of the first team, he was sold to Rotherham United in a £150,000 deal in August 2003, and then moved back to Walsall three seasons later on a free transfer, signing a two-year deal on 1 July 2006.

[edit] External links

• Martin Butler profile at saddlers.co.uk
• Martin Butler career stats at Soccerbase

Walsall F.C. - Current Squad
1 Ince | 2 Pead | 3 Fox | 4 Gerrard | 5 Westwood | 6 Roper | 7 Wrack | 8 Dobson | 9 Butler | 10 Sam | 11 Bedeau | 12 Keates | 14 Wright | 15 Taylor | 16 Kinsella | 17 Picken | 18 Fangueiro | 19 Constable | 20 Demontagnac | 21 Gilmartin | 22 Nicholls | 23 Deakin | 24 Dann | 25 McDermott | 26 Bradley | 27 Smith | 31 Mckeown | 41 Bossu | Manager: Money

Persondata
NAME	Butler, Martin
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Footballer
DATE OF BIRTH	15 September 1974
PLACE OF BIRTH	Dudley
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH