| Beattie and Butcher 07:59 - Apr 25 with 1274 views | GlasgowBlue |
It’s noticeable that the best XI from the players in the 1979-82 era go for a central defensive pairing of Beattie and Butcher.
I don’t recall seeing that combination together much at all due to Beattie’s injury issues. PJH can probably say how many times it happened but Russell Osman played 60+ games in our treble chasing season, mostly alongside Butcher.
With all due respect to Osman, would we would have won far more silverware had Beattie stayed fit or were Butcher/Osman a better partnership? Sometimes the best eleven players isn’t always the best team. |  |
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| Beattie and Butcher on 08:34 - Apr 25 with 1191 views | PJH |
In League games it appears that Butcher and Beattie only played as a pair in central defence three times-in 1978/79 when Osman was not playing.
Osman was ever present in 1979/80 as well as 1980/81 and he actually established himself in the first team before Butcher did-in 78/79 Osman started 39 to Butcher's 21.
Butcher played a lot at LB in 1979/80 because Mills was sometimes in MF and sometimes Allan Hunter was playing.
Butcher only missed two games in 1980/81 but occasionally was LB.
As good as Osman and Butcher were as a pair I always go for Hunter and Beatie in my best ever team.
Beattie could play with anyone but I think him and Osman would have been a better pairing than Beattie and Butcher.
Hope all that makes sense, it does to me! [Post edited 25 Apr 2020 8:37]
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| Beattie and Butcher on 09:00 - Apr 25 with 1135 views | Churchman |
| Beattie and Butcher on 08:34 - Apr 25 by PJH |
In League games it appears that Butcher and Beattie only played as a pair in central defence three times-in 1978/79 when Osman was not playing.
Osman was ever present in 1979/80 as well as 1980/81 and he actually established himself in the first team before Butcher did-in 78/79 Osman started 39 to Butcher's 21.
Butcher played a lot at LB in 1979/80 because Mills was sometimes in MF and sometimes Allan Hunter was playing.
Butcher only missed two games in 1980/81 but occasionally was LB.
As good as Osman and Butcher were as a pair I always go for Hunter and Beatie in my best ever team.
Beattie could play with anyone but I think him and Osman would have been a better pairing than Beattie and Butcher.
Hope all that makes sense, it does to me! [Post edited 25 Apr 2020 8:37]
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Beattie of course could partner anybody. But his best partner would I think have been Butcher in his prime. There’s actually little in it between Butcher and Hunter. Both internationals, both hard as nails, both could play, both real characters. Either would be the anchor that Beattie could play off.
Osman was a lovely player in his own right in his prime and often gets forgotten. He could really play and didn’t mess about either. I’ll never forget the meat sandwich he and I think Butcher put the Bristol City’s best player Geoff Merrick in after Merrick had damaged his shoulder at Ashton Gate. That was the end of his day! He’d have fitted as well with Hunter as he did with Butcher. We were so lucky to see two great pairings like that during that period. [Post edited 25 Apr 2020 9:09]
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| Beattie and Butcher on 09:04 - Apr 25 with 1118 views | GlasgowBlue |
| Beattie and Butcher on 08:34 - Apr 25 by PJH |
In League games it appears that Butcher and Beattie only played as a pair in central defence three times-in 1978/79 when Osman was not playing.
Osman was ever present in 1979/80 as well as 1980/81 and he actually established himself in the first team before Butcher did-in 78/79 Osman started 39 to Butcher's 21.
Butcher played a lot at LB in 1979/80 because Mills was sometimes in MF and sometimes Allan Hunter was playing.
Butcher only missed two games in 1980/81 but occasionally was LB.
As good as Osman and Butcher were as a pair I always go for Hunter and Beatie in my best ever team.
Beattie could play with anyone but I think him and Osman would have been a better pairing than Beattie and Butcher.
Hope all that makes sense, it does to me! [Post edited 25 Apr 2020 8:37]
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Great story from Butcher about when Alan Hunter caught him crossing himself before a game.
“I recall one incident at Ipswich before a reserve game when I crossed myself, something I'd seen Alan Brazil do.
"Big Allan Hunter was sitting in the stand, and after the game he grabbed me and asked if I was a Catholic. I told him I wasn't. I was an English Protestant. Why, then, he asked, did I cross myself?
"I told him it was for luck, but he told me to remember I was a Protestant and warned me never to do it again - if I did, he would really sort me out." | |
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| Beattie and Butcher on 09:21 - Apr 25 with 1071 views | Fixed_It |
Butcher and Beattie were both left-footed, so as a pair would have lacked balance. Osman was a great player in his own right, as was Hunter. You'd probably go for Butcher and Beaatie if you were going to pick the best two, but would be safe in picking either of the other two to complement one of them if you wanted a more balanced defence. But the problem is always going to be....how do you leave Butcher or Beattie out? |  |
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| Beattie and Butcher on 12:09 - Apr 25 with 947 views | Keno |
| Beattie and Butcher on 09:21 - Apr 25 by Fixed_It |
Butcher and Beattie were both left-footed, so as a pair would have lacked balance. Osman was a great player in his own right, as was Hunter. You'd probably go for Butcher and Beaatie if you were going to pick the best two, but would be safe in picking either of the other two to complement one of them if you wanted a more balanced defence. But the problem is always going to be....how do you leave Butcher or Beattie out? |
If only we had those sorts of decisions nowadays!, |  |
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| Beattie and Butcher on 12:26 - Apr 25 with 932 views | PJH |
| Beattie and Butcher on 12:09 - Apr 25 by Keno |
If only we had those sorts of decisions nowadays!, |
Back then it was really Hunter and Beattie's injuries that allowed Osman and Butcher to develop and flourish so SBR rarely had to actually make a direct choice of who to play.
I suppose if not for the injuries to the first two then Osman and Butcher would either have had to be more patient or would not have had the chances at ITFC to become the players that they became.
Hunter and Beaatie only ever started one more game in the same team after the 1978 F.A. Cup Final and even in that one Hunter was number 3 and Osman 5 so I think The Beat must have played at LB with Mick Mills in MF. | | | |
| Beattie and Butcher on 15:39 - Apr 26 with 792 views | WeWereZombies |
| Beattie and Butcher on 09:04 - Apr 25 by GlasgowBlue |
Great story from Butcher about when Alan Hunter caught him crossing himself before a game.
“I recall one incident at Ipswich before a reserve game when I crossed myself, something I'd seen Alan Brazil do.
"Big Allan Hunter was sitting in the stand, and after the game he grabbed me and asked if I was a Catholic. I told him I wasn't. I was an English Protestant. Why, then, he asked, did I cross myself?
"I told him it was for luck, but he told me to remember I was a Protestant and warned me never to do it again - if I did, he would really sort me out." |
I can understand why, given where Hunter came from and the situation there at the time he admonished Butcher, but it still disappoints me to hear that. He could have explained his position to the young man rather than going off on one.
Compare it with the story in The Lisbon Lions documentary about the Rangers supporting doctor who treated a twenty year old Stevie Chalmers for tuberculosis meningitis and probably saved his life. Asked later on if he regretted the good service he had given to a Celtic great, and scorer in the European Cup Final, the doctor only said that he was happy to have done his job and to have ensured that a footballer was able to continue playing. That's my idea of a great story. |  |
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