17: Terry Butcher, England, Match 2000 Millennium Collection

“I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, straining upon the start. The game’s afoot; follow your spirit, and upon this charge cry ‘God for Harry, England and Saint George!” Shakespeare’s Henry V said this to his armies ahead of the decisive Battle of Agincourt in The Hundred Years War and many a proud patriot has turned to the words of the ‘Once more unto the breach’ soliloquy whenever England has been on the verge of glorious victory. There are a few problems here however. Henry V’s incredible military successes were undone when he carelessly died of dysentery and passed the throne to his infant son in 1422. It’s highly unlikely he said anything of the sort to his troops at Agincourt as it was absolutely pissing it down and Shakespeare’s versions of all of the Lancastrian kings were all over exaggerated ideals to suit the purposes of Tudor propaganda. Even The Hundred Years War took 116 years to come to an end. And now I’ve taken a metaphorical dump on the work of the Immortal Bard it’s time to turn to Terry Butcher.

During a vital World Cup qualifier against Sweden in September 1989 Terry Butcher sustained a deep cut to his forehead early in the game. A few stitches later and Butcher was back on the pitch but the consistent heading of the ball required from the centre-half meant that the bandages fell to pieces and by the time he walked off the pitch he looked more like he’d been inside Hell in A Cell with Triple H than marshalling his side to a 0-0 draw. His heroism was lauded in the British press and the image of a blood soaked Butcher continues to be wheeled out whenever it’s time to suggest that Gareth Southgate’s charges aren’t as tough as their predecessors.

The iconic image of Butcher was matched by his reputation on the pitch. Having come through the ranks at Ipswich Town he was a key part of a Tractor Boys’ side that won the UEFA Cup under the guidance of Bobby Robson. He moved on to Rangers in 1986 as part of the ‘English Invasion’ following Ipswich’s relegation and the ban on English clubs from European competitions and he collected three Scottish League titles and three League Cups during his time at Ibrox. During an Old Firm derby match in 1987 Butcher was part of a four man brawl resulting in a court appearance for “behaviour likely to cause a breach of the peace” further cementing his credentials as a hardman and putting him £250 out of pocket. Whilst it was Ron Greenwood who gave Butcher his first England cap in 1980 it was under Robson that he established himself as an integral part of the national side earning 77 caps, scoring three goals and even captaining the Three Lions at Italia ’90 once ‘Captain Marvel’ Bryan Robson’s tournament was curtailed by injury. He retired from international duty before Chris Waddle’s penalty re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere but had short spells at Coventry City, where he briefly served as the Sky Blues’ manager, Sunderland and Clydebank before hanging up his boots in the 1993/94 season.

So far, so Henry V. Throw in Butcher’s passionate support of both Iron Maiden and the Conservative Party and he might even outdo the hero of Agincourt for patriotic fervour. After all, could old Henry of Monmouth do it on a cold Tuesday night in Stoke? However, developments in neurological science since Terry Butcher’s heyday cast the famous image of him in a very different light. The death of former West Bromwich Albion great Jeff Astle in 2002 was found to be as a direct result of multiple minor traumas caused by his heading of a football. Campaigning and research by the foundation set up in the Baggies’ legend’s name has subsequently revealed that professional footballers are over three times as likely to die of dementia. Whilst much of the attention towards long term brain injuries has been very much focused on the high impact world of rugby union it is clear that football has its own issues to address regarding the long term health of its players. Whilst both rugby codes introduced compulsory head injury assessments into the elite game in 2015 no such process has been introduced in professional football.

When Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Raul Jimenez and Arsenal defender David Luiz jumped to meet the ball in their Premier League fixture in November 2020 the Mexican striker was forced off the pitch with a fractured skull. Luiz remained on the field of play until half-time despite the obvious effects of the pair’s clash of heads. FIFPro, the international footballer’s union, called for football to adopt a similar ten minute temporary substitute for such cases very much in line with the practice in place in rugby. Concussion charity Headway suggested the allowance of an extra substitution similar to those introduced for the current season to prevent muscular injuries caused by the Covid-enforced fixture congestion. On top of this a range of ex-pros, including the likes of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton, called for the FA and Premier League to re-examine their rules regarding head injuries.

Perhaps most significant among these voices was none other than Terry Butcher. In an interview with the Daily Express the former England skipper reflected on his career-defining moment against Sweden by saying “it was foolish” before admitting that he felt exhausted for several days after the match. Butcher went on to state that he now believed that “the brave thing would have been to come off – which would have been the right thing to do. It is a medical issue, it is not about being a Lionheart.” The former Ipswich and Rangers man may have drawn parallels to a different medieval monarch to the one we started this post with but his message was clear. No one wants to see football become a non-contact sport and all fans want to see their team’s stars put their everything into every match. At the same time it is unfair to expect people to shorten their lives for the sake of three points. Maybe the next time the image of a battered and bloodied Terry Butcher resurfaces it will be as more of a cautionary tale than a battle cry.