Paul Futcher
Encyclopedia
Paul Futcher is a former professional footballer who had a distinguished career as defender
in the English football league, for England under 21s
and as manager
of several non-league clubs. Futcher is also the father of fellow footballer Ben Futcher
.
. Paul was the most expensive defender in England when he became Manchester City's record signing for £350,000 on June 1, 1978.
Paul began his career with hometown club Chester
, who he made his debut for as a 16-year old against Cambridge United in March 1973. This came just a fortnight after his older brother Graham
had played his final game for the club and seven months before Ron made his debut for the Blues. Futcher quickly turned professional and had made 20 Football League appearances when Luton Town
snapped him up up for £100,000 in the summer of 1974. Ron joined him on the journey south, where Paul was to play more than 140 games and won ten England under 21 caps.
Paul replaced club stalwart Tommy Booth
in the side which failed to live up to expectations and as the major new signing he attracted criticism. Booth won his place back and on July 1, 1979 Paul left Maine Road
for a fee of £150,000 and joined Second Division
Oldham Athletic.
Futcher had twice been chosen for the England squad and each time a road accident had put paid to him fulfilling the invitation.
Paul was signed from Halifax Town reserves, aged 34, by Alan Buckley
for £10,000 as a short term replacement for Andy Tillson
. He went on to be a fans favourite for 5 seasons, winning the Supporters Player of the Year twice in that time. Then his son Ben Futcher
joined the club for their League Two play-off final season of 2005–06
before he left for Peterborough United
.
Whilst Futcher was at Grimsby, he was probably man of the match in nearly every game he played from 1991 until 1994 - at times his performances were just astonishing to the Grimsby faithful. The end came after manager Alan Buckley moved to West Brom and Brian Laws was brought in. Futch was given only one chance under Laws against Oldham and played poorly, and was duly sent on his way.
Futcher is one of Grimsby`s all time legends.
He later played for Dundalk
where he played in UEFA Cup
Qualifying Round against Malmo
.
was the club’s FA Trophy
final outing in 1998, where at 41; Futcher became the oldest player to appear in a competitive Wembley
final.
The Sandgrounders narrowly lost to Cheltenham Town, and the remainder of the former Manchester City man’s Haig Avenue tenure was blemished by successful relegation scraps.
. He subsequently failed to motivate the squad (using nearly 50 players in 10 months) and left in December 2005.
played in the Football League
as well as being a top scorer in the North American Soccer League
; and their older brother also Graham
played professionally at Chester City
. Paul's son Ben
has extensive Football League experience and he is the uncle of Danny Murphy. Paul is currently coaching both male and female academy sides at Huddersfield New College
who has started the careers of players such as Zoe Barrett and Birmingham City striker Cameron Jerome
.
Southport
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
in the English football league, for England under 21s
England national under-21 football team
England's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
and as manager
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
of several non-league clubs. Futcher is also the father of fellow footballer Ben Futcher
Ben Futcher
Benjamin Paul "Ben" Futcher is an English professional footballer currently playing for Mansfield Town on loan from Bury. He notably played for Lincoln City between 2002 and 2005 where he played in two play-off finals...
.
Playing career
Futcher was the defensive half of twin brothers. His brother was centre-forward RonRon Futcher
Ronald Futcher is a former professional soccer centre-forward. He was the fourth highest career scorer of the North American Soccer League, and made over 400 appearances in total for nine different Football League clubs....
. Paul was the most expensive defender in England when he became Manchester City's record signing for £350,000 on June 1, 1978.
Paul began his career with hometown club Chester
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
, who he made his debut for as a 16-year old against Cambridge United in March 1973. This came just a fortnight after his older brother Graham
Graham Futcher
Graham Futcher is a former professional footballer who played in the Football League his hometown club Chester. He is best known as the oldest of three brothers to play for the club during this period....
had played his final game for the club and seven months before Ron made his debut for the Blues. Futcher quickly turned professional and had made 20 Football League appearances when Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
snapped him up up for £100,000 in the summer of 1974. Ron joined him on the journey south, where Paul was to play more than 140 games and won ten England under 21 caps.
Paul replaced club stalwart Tommy Booth
Tommy Booth
Tommy Booth is an English former footballer who played in the Football League for Manchester City and Preston North End, and was capped four times for England at under-23 level.Booth was born in Middleton, Lancashire...
in the side which failed to live up to expectations and as the major new signing he attracted criticism. Booth won his place back and on July 1, 1979 Paul left Maine Road
Maine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England that was home to Manchester City F.C. from its construction in 1923 until 2003...
for a fee of £150,000 and joined Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
Oldham Athletic.
Futcher had twice been chosen for the England squad and each time a road accident had put paid to him fulfilling the invitation.
Paul was signed from Halifax Town reserves, aged 34, by Alan Buckley
Alan Buckley
Alan Peter Buckley is an English football manager. He was manager of League Two side Grimsby Town until his dismissal in September 2008...
for £10,000 as a short term replacement for Andy Tillson
Andy Tillson
Andy Tillson is a football coach and former player who was head coach at Team Bath. Following Team Bath's decision to disband at the end of the 2008/9 season, Tillson was initially appointed as Weymouth's Assistant Manager, but on June 15 2009 it was announced that he would instead join Exeter...
. He went on to be a fans favourite for 5 seasons, winning the Supporters Player of the Year twice in that time. Then his son Ben Futcher
Ben Futcher
Benjamin Paul "Ben" Futcher is an English professional footballer currently playing for Mansfield Town on loan from Bury. He notably played for Lincoln City between 2002 and 2005 where he played in two play-off finals...
joined the club for their League Two play-off final season of 2005–06
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
before he left for Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
.
Whilst Futcher was at Grimsby, he was probably man of the match in nearly every game he played from 1991 until 1994 - at times his performances were just astonishing to the Grimsby faithful. The end came after manager Alan Buckley moved to West Brom and Brian Laws was brought in. Futch was given only one chance under Laws against Oldham and played poorly, and was duly sent on his way.
Futcher is one of Grimsby`s all time legends.
He later played for Dundalk
Dundalk F.C.
Dundalk Football Club is a professional Irish football club based in Dundalk, County Louth. The club currently play in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. Founded in 1903, they are the second most successful team, in terms of trophies won, in the history of the League of Ireland. The...
where he played in UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
Qualifying Round against Malmo
Malmö FF
Malmö Fotbollförening, also known simply as Malmö FF, are a Swedish professional football club based in Malmö. The club is affiliated with Skånes Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Swedbank Stadion. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are sky blue and white...
.
Gresley Rovers
Paul led Rovers to the Dr. Martens Premier Division championship in 1997; unfortunately they were not promoted to the Conference because their ground failed to meet Conference standards.Southport
The highlight of his two-and-a-half year stint with SouthportSouthport F.C.
Southport Football Club are an English football club, based in Southport, Merseyside. They are currently in the Conference National, and play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6,008...
was the club’s FA Trophy
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...
final outing in 1998, where at 41; Futcher became the oldest player to appear in a competitive Wembley
Wembley
Wembley is an area of northwest London, England, and part of the London Borough of Brent. It is home to the famous Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena...
final.
The Sandgrounders narrowly lost to Cheltenham Town, and the remainder of the former Manchester City man’s Haig Avenue tenure was blemished by successful relegation scraps.
Ashton United
Paul was unable to save the Robins from relegation to the Northern Premier LeagueNorthern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
. He subsequently failed to motivate the squad (using nearly 50 players in 10 months) and left in December 2005.
Personal life
Futcher's twin brother RonRon Futcher
Ronald Futcher is a former professional soccer centre-forward. He was the fourth highest career scorer of the North American Soccer League, and made over 400 appearances in total for nine different Football League clubs....
played in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
as well as being a top scorer in the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
; and their older brother also Graham
Graham Futcher
Graham Futcher is a former professional footballer who played in the Football League his hometown club Chester. He is best known as the oldest of three brothers to play for the club during this period....
played professionally at Chester City
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
. Paul's son Ben
Ben Futcher
Benjamin Paul "Ben" Futcher is an English professional footballer currently playing for Mansfield Town on loan from Bury. He notably played for Lincoln City between 2002 and 2005 where he played in two play-off finals...
has extensive Football League experience and he is the uncle of Danny Murphy. Paul is currently coaching both male and female academy sides at Huddersfield New College
Huddersfield New College
Huddersfield New College is a former grammar school and current sixth form college located in Salendine Nook on the outskirts of Huddersfield, in the English county of West Yorkshire. The current Principal is Angela Williams.-Admissions:...
who has started the careers of players such as Zoe Barrett and Birmingham City striker Cameron Jerome
Cameron Jerome
Cameron Zishan Rana-Jerome is an English footballer who plays for Stoke City as a striker. He also played for Cardiff City in the Football League, and for Birmingham City in the Football League and Premier League, and at international level has several caps for the England under-21 team.-Early...
.
As a player
Grimsby TownGrimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
- Third DivisionFootball League Third DivisionThe Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
third place: 1990–911990-91 in English footballThe 1990–91 season was the 111th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Arsenal won the league. Runners-up spot was achieved by Liverpool, who had led the table for much of the first half of the season but had been shell-shocked in February by the sudden resignation of manager... - Grimsby Town Supporters Player of the Year: 1992, 1993
As a player manager
Gresley RoversGresley Rovers F.C.
Gresley Football Club are an English football club from Church Gresley, near Swadlincote, Derbyshire. Gresley are currently in the Midland Football Alliance, playing their home games at The Moat Ground...
1996-97 in English football
The 1996–1997 season was the 117th season of competitive football in England.Arrival into the league and exit out of the league returns in the fourth tier for the first time after its 3 season absence with only 1 relegation spot.- Premier League :...
Southport
Southport F.C.
Southport Football Club are an English football club, based in Southport, Merseyside. They are currently in the Conference National, and play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6,008...
- FA TrophyFA TrophyThe Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...
runner-up: 1997–981997-98 in English footballThe 1997-1998 season was the 118th season of competitive football in England.-Premier League:Arsenal overhauled Manchester United's lead during the final weeks of the season to win the Premiership title...