"Arguably the Club's most
important signing in it's nine year history" is how local
journalist and Radio Diamonds presenter Ian Addis opened his
contribution to Garry Butterworth in the A-Z series in this
Season's Match Day Programme, and there are few people who
would take issue with that statement.
After being signed from Dagenham & Redbridge in the summer
of 1994 Butterworth went on to play 368 times for Rushden
& Diamonds, its a total that no one associated with the
Club has ever come close to and, in all honesty probably never
will. The £22,000 paid for Butterworth in 1994 was at
the time widely considered excessive for a non-league footballer,
but over the next eight years Butterworth repaid his fee many
times over with numerous man of the match performances in
midfield for the Diamonds.
Originally a central defender, sweeping behind Andy Peaks,
Butterworth eventually moved up into midfield, where his commitment
and skill earned him recognition as one of the finest player's
outside the Football League and during his time in non league
football Butterworth captained his country of many occasion's
for the England semi pro team.
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In his first Season at Nene Park Butterworth
soon became a pillar of strength in the side and when he started
the game at Gresley Rovers in October 1994 it was the start
of a Diamonds record 104 consecutive starts. The last of these
was against Hednesford Town at Nene Park in February 1997, seven
days later this record was broken as an injury forced him to
miss the Diamonds trip to Moss Rose to play Macclesfield Town.
During that run of 104 games Butterworth won the Maunsell Cup
beating his old team Peterborough United in 1995 and a year
later he captained the Diamonds in their Beazer Homes Premier
Division winning Season. Butterworth remained an ever present
during the Diamonds time in the Conference, only suspensions
and injury forced Butterworth to miss any games. In the Conference
winning Season Butterworth played over 30 time in the League
helping the Diamonds to win promotion to the Football League.
After a decade of non-league football Butterworth stepped back
into the Football League and never looked out of place. After
numerous 'Butts Like' performances injury forced him to miss
several games in then run into the play-offs. He returned to
the side on the last day of the Season at the Shay to help the
Diamonds into the play-offs in only their first season in the
Football League.
The following Saturday Butterworth was the hero as his 25 yard
strike earned Rushden a 2-2 draw at Nene Park against Rochdale
in the first leg of the Division Three Play Off Semi Final,
three days later Butterworth played his part in the 2-1 win
at Spotland which secured Diamonds their place in the Play Off
Final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
It was fitting that Butterworths final appearance for the Club
was at the superb Millennium Stadium as Rushden & Diamonds
took on old non-league rivals Cheltenham Town for a place in
Division Two of the Football League. Despite a normal gutsy
performance by Butterworth he ended up on the losing side as
Cheltenham won promotion by beating the Diamonds 3-1.
Butterworth was granted a testimonial in August 2001 against
a full strength West Ham United. Over 4,000 people showed their
appreciation to a player who will always be one of the best
ever players to have represented Rushden & Diamonds.
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