Alan Butterfield

[Alanbutterfield]

I played for Margate 1971-73 just wondering if anybody remembers

[Jeff Trice]

Ages since I looked at this forum so it's lucky that I did Alan - you and the other players from the Spurs game in 1973 are certainly fondly remembered by many around MFC.

 

Until about a year ago I ran a website devoted to the history for MFC, it was online for around 14 years and I created player profiles for every MFC first team player, here's what I wrote on yours...

 

Appearances: 148+1 Goals: 2

 

Date / Year of birth: 1947*

 

 

Position: Left-back

 

 

Season of first appearance: 1971/72

 

 

Season of last appearance: 1974/75

 

 

Also played for: Orient (0), Brentford (0), Southend United (0), Millwall (0), Brentwood Town and Chelmsford City

 

 

Pacy full-back who started his career as a winger in Orient's junior sides during the 1964/65 season. Alan later had spells with Brentford, Southend and Millwall before joining Brentwood for the 1968/69 campaign. Alan then became a Chelmsford player when the club merged with Brentwood.

 

 

He joined Margate in the summer of 1971 and after making his debut on 14.8.71 in a 3-1 home win over Telford in the Southern League Alan made the number three shirt his own during the 1971/72 season. He turned in a series of consistent displays and made 53 appearances. On 20.11.71 he featured in Margate's infamous 11-0 defeat at Bournemouth & Boscombe in the FA Cup 1st Round. Alan scored once during the campaign - in a 3-0 win over visitors Hillingdon on 7.2.72.

 

 

The 1972/73 season wasn't such a good one for him, Alan missed the early part of the campaign through injury and then struggled to gain a regular place in the first team with Ray Summers often being preferred at left-back. A nagging ankle problem hampered Alan but on 18.11.72 he was in the Margate side that beat Swansea 1-0 in an FA Cup 1st Round tie at Hartsdown Park. Alan also featured in a 1-0 win at Walton & Hersham in the 2nd Round on 9.12.72 and then played in perhaps Margate's biggest ever match - a 6-0 defeat against visitors Tottenham in the 3rd Round on 13.1.73. Alan ended the season having made a total of 31 first team appearances (one as sub) without scoring.

 

 

The 1973/74 campaign was another during which Alan suffered from niggling injuries and a groin problem kept him on the sidelines for several months. He was restricted to 32 appearances and scored once. The goal was a memorable one - a crashing shot from 40 yards in a 3-1 defeat at Dartford on 27.10.73. On 13.4.74 he was in the side that won the Kent Senior Cup with a 2-0 win at Maidstone.

 

 

Alan began the 1974/75 season fit and in good form and the Isle of Thanet Gazette praised his "timely interceptions and bold over-lapping" from left-back during a 2-0 defeat at home to Tonbridge on 20.8.74. According to the Thanet Times Alan's performances in the early part of the campaign showed his "usual touch of class" but he was once again hit by injuries during the second half of the season and only played a handful of matches after Christmas. At the end of the campaign he was released having made 33 appearances during the season.

 

 

In November 1997 Alan returned to Hartsdown Park as a guest when Margate played Fulham in the FA Cup.

[Jeff Trice]

Meant to say - if you're on Facebook there's a much more active group (this forum is pretty much dead) which can be found at https://www.facebook.com/groups/18899483093/

 

Ray Summers is a member of the group, think Terry Morris is and there might be other former team-mates too.