Stephen A. Buttle (1 January 1953 – 5 June 2012) was an English professional footballer who played as a

midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...

. He spent six seasons in England, six in the

North American Soccer League The North American Soccer League (NASL) was the top-level major professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984. It is considered the first soccer league to be successful on a national scale in the ...

and at least three in the Major Indoor Soccer League.

Career

Buttle was born in

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...

. In 1971, he began his professional career with Ipswich Town, but never played a first team game before being sent to

AFC Bournemouth AFC Bournemouth ( ) is a professional association football club based in Kings Park, Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset, England. The club compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. ...

in 1973. In 1977, Buttle signed with the Seattle Sounders of the

. In the summer of 1981, he rejected an overture from

Norwich City Norwich City Football Club is a professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was founded in 1902. Since 1935, Norwich have played their h ...

to sign him in order to remain with the Sounders. Ironically, the Sounders released him in 1982. By then he had already spent at least one season with the Pittsburgh Spirit in the Major Indoor Soccer League. During the 1979–80 MISL season, he scored 35 goals in 28 games. Buttle injured his knee at the beginning of the 1984–85 season. He spent most of the season on injured reserve. On 9 January 1985, the Pittsburgh Spirit hired Buttle as an assistant coach to replace

Mickey Cave Michael John Cave (28 January 1949 – 6 November 1984) was an English footballer who played as a midfielder. Career Born in Weymouth, Dorset Weymouth ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the Dorset (district), Dorset district, in th ...

, the previous assistant who had died in November 1984. In October 1985, the Spirit released Buttle. In September 1986, the Tacoma Stars hired Buttle as an assistant coach. The Stars fired Buttle, along with head coach Alan Hinton, on 22 February 1988. The Stars were sold to new ownership following the season. The new owners rehired Hinton as head coach and in August 1988 brought Buttle back in as assistant. Hinton and Buttle lasted until December 1989 when they were fired permanently. Buttle died on 5 June 2012 at his home in

, England after a long battle with cancer.

References

External links

Buttle career overview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Buttle, Steve 1953 births 2012 deaths Men's association football midfielders English men's footballers English expatriate men's footballers Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) coaches Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) players North American Soccer League (1968–1984) indoor players North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players Pittsburgh Spirit players Seattle Sounders (1974–1983) players AFC Bournemouth players Ipswich Town F.C. players English Football League players Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States Footballers from Norwich English expatriate sportspeople in the United States English football managers 20th-century English sportsmen