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TO BE READ FROM THE BOTTOM UP (Sorry - GH)
Terry Butcher's blood splattered performance in the 0-0 draw in Sweden remains one of the most heroic of any England career. A month later, a stitched Butcher played his part as England drew 0-0 in Poland and secured their World Cup place. England played seven matches thereafter to prepare for the tournament and Terry was still installed as the first choice central defender - and vice-captain - as Robson announced his squad. A third World Cup for Butcher added him to an exclusive list of England players and England jetted off to Italy in form and hopeful. Terry won his 73rd cap in England's opener against the Republic of Ireland which ended 1-1 in an awful Calgiari gale, and stayed in the team for the 0-0 draw with Holland which followed as England abandoned the flat back four and brought Wright in as a sweeper. Butcher took a knock and Robson, aware that England again were in the position of needing a win to progress, removed Terry from the firing line and reverted Wright to a position as Walker's direct partner in a traditional four at the back. England won the game against Egypt 1-0 and Butcher was straight back in to captain the team after Bryan Robson's injury for the second round tie with Belgium as the system again was switched to three central defenders. England won 1-0 with a magnificent David Platt volley in the dying seconds (see a delighted Terry in the photo above celebrating the victory in memorable fashion with Chris Waddle) to book their place in the quarter-finals.
England stuck with it as Cameroon were then dispatched 3-2, allowing Butcher to line up, wearing the armband, for his 77th cap as England took on West Germany in the semi-finals in Turin. When the Germans took the lead, Robson altered the system again and removed Terry to throw on extra midfield presence. The subsequent comeback but ultimate loss on penalties ended England's interest in the tournament and Butcher unsurprisingly decided to quit international football on a high at the age of 31. Some wondered whether he could have gone on to the 1992 European Championships, but Robson's simultaneous departure as coach and Butcher's desire to get into management early vindicated the decision, and there's little doubt that England missed his colossal presence, with Graham Taylor unable to mould anyone into an iconic and super-courageous figure which Butcher had cut in his latter years. His 77 caps were won during the decade which produced England's revival at international level, and with three World Cups to his name, he deserves his status as one of England's toughest and most consistent defenders who was visibly driven on by his own patriotism as he was anything else. (Matthew Rudd)
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Photo & © George Herringshaw.
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After
the World Cup, Terry Butcher rejoined his England team-mates to begin
the qualification campaign for the 1988 European Championships. He won
his 50th cap in a qualifier against Northern Ireland in Belfast, which
England won 2-0, having acquired a brand new defensive partner in Tony
Adams in the previous match against Spain, which England won 4-2. Terry
Fenwick and Alvin Martin disappeared from the scene but Butcher's status
as first choice defender was untouched, with Mark Wright, Dave Watson
and a rejuvenated Gary Mabbutt now joined by Adams in the race to make
the squad for the finals in Germany, for which England qualified in
style and without defeat by the end of 1987. However, tragedy struck
Butcher when he then broke his leg playing for Rangers, ruling him
immediately out of the tournament and giving Robson six months to put
together a new partnership which was able to withstand the pressure of a
major competition overseas. Butcher could only watch as Adams and
Wright emerged as the prime duo, with Watson as back up, but England's
display without their defensive leader and chief organiser was a
shambles, while their creativity was stifled by fatigue after a
gruelling season.
Three straight defeats sent the squad home humiliated
and the return of Terry to the England fold in September 1988 - in a 1-0
friendly win over Denmark - was highly welcome, with a qualification
campaign for the 1990 World Cup ahead. Butcher was now almost 30 but was
as fit, brave and committed to the cause as he had ever been, and
Robson wouldn't dream of replacing him. England began their
qualification campaign with a goalless draw against Sweden at Wembley
before a double success over Albania early in 1989 fully kick started
their campaign. Terry featured in all three, now with another new
partner in Nottingham Forest's pacey stopper Des Walker, the first time
Butcher had been able to play alongside someone with the quickness of a
winger rarely seen in a central defender. The two settled down as a
partnership as 1989 progressed, with Butcher winning his 60th cap in a
goalless Rous Cup game against Chile at Wembley in the summer which was
then followed by a 2-0 victory over Scotland. A 3-0 victory soon
followed in an important qualifier against Poland (see photo above, Terry in familiar commanding pose)
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Photo & © George Herringshaw.
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Terry Butcher's place, as Robson had stated, was secure for England's World Cup opener against Portugal in Monterrey and the only question which needed answering was who would partner him. It was between Martin and Fenwick, as Wright and Watson had been omitted from the final cut. Butcher lined up with Fenwick as England's sleepy defence let in a sloppy goal against the Portuguese and lost 1-0; things barely improved when England drew 0-0 with outsiders Morocco in their next match, with the experience of Bryan Robson and Ray Wilkins disappearing thanks to an injury and a red card respectively. Butcher's experience was now crucial as England had to beat Poland in their final group match, and he expertly shut out the minimal threat of the opposition as Gary Lineker launched his name internationally with a hat-trick to put England into round two. Paraguay were also no match (the photo above shows Terry during the game), with Lineker scoring twice and Butcher hitting a shot straight at the keeper from a corner which bounced back to Peter Beardsley for England's other goal.
The quarter-finals and Argentina beckoned, with Terry and his England team-mates aware that Diego Maradona had the ability to beat them on his own - and he pretty much did, with Butcher in particular trying in vain to put a stop to the Argentine skipper. Maradona had already scored his illegal handball goal by the time he collected the ball inside his own half and beat Butcher, Fenwick and several others before rounding Peter Shilton and stroking the ball home. To Terry's credit, he chased the cause even after Maradona had turned him inside out, with a sliding tackle under the Argentinian as he scored, and there have been many suggestions since that it was Butcher who ultimately put the ball into the net, though the replays were inconclusive and the issue was meaningless - England were still behind. Lineker scored one and then nearly got another as England tried desperately to rescue the game, and Butcher infamously asked Maradona outright during the post-match dope-testing if he'd handled the ball for the first goal. Maradona denied it and Butcher had to accept his word. (Matthew Rudd)
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