Tributes continue for Richard Butcher

Numerous people from Richard Butcher's former clubs have continued to pay tribute to Richard Butcher. The talented midfielder died on Monday and his contributions, not only as a footballer, but as a person will be sorely missed.

Butcher, 29 at the time of death, played for Northampton, Rushden, Kettering, Lincoln (on three occasions), Oldham, Peterborough, Notts County and finally Macclesfield in a career that may not have been the longest, but left lasting memories of those that saw him play. He was an integral part of the alumni of the Playoff years, representing the Imps in both Playoff finals in 2003 and 2005.

In both the assistant at Lincoln was Gary Simpson, now manager at Butcher's final club Macclesfield. Speaking to Macclesfield's offical website, he said "When Butcher didn't turn up for training, I sensed something was wrong. It just wasn't like him not to ring in and say there was a problem."

It is the second time in 10 months that Simpson has had a close friendship with someone who has died, with the obvious other being Keith Alexander, and it was Simpson who convinced Alexander to give Butcher his chance. "I was closer to Richard than any other player I've worked with. I was the one who first spotted him playing in non-League and convinced the Big Man to give his chance. So to lose both of them in the space of ten months is extremely hard to take. He was like a son to me and I'd kept in touch with him throughout his career."

City had bought him from Kettering Town, albeit in controversial circumstances. Kettering director Ken Samuel told the Kettering Evening Telegraph ""Everyone at the club is devastated. It's a real shock. Richard was very well-liked and respected and will be remembered fondly by the fans. He was a great player and a very nice young man. He was very personable and was a good footballing prospect. We didn't want him to go but he had to make a living and he fulfilled his ambition of playing in the Football League."

Other tributes are as follows;

Kevin Pilkington - Friend and former team-mate at Notts County "I couldn't believe it when I found out and I still can't believe it. I'm in shock. He wasn't just an old team-mate, we were friends. I only spoke to him last Thursday and he was fine, so it's devastating. He was a top bloke, he really was, and I will miss him. He did not have a bad bone in his body. I went on his stag 'do' and to his wedding and for this to happen only a few months later is terrible." - (Nottingham Evening Post)

Mike Edwards - Former team-mate at Notts County - "I can only pass on my condolences to his family. It's so sad. He was a good lad in the dressing room and a very good player too. He scored some important goals for us to keep us in the League. He could not stop scoring in his first season. He always had a knack of being in the right place at the right time. He was well liked by everyone at the club, so it's terrible news that he has died. It's a tragedy." - (Nottingham Evening Post)

Jim Rodwell - Former team-mate at Rushden - "It is a massive shock. He was my boot boy during my time at Rushden and Diamonds. He was a great personality with a lot of friends and he will be sorely missed." - (Nottingham Evening Post)

Aaron McLean - Former team-mate at Peterborough - "“R.I.P Richard Butcher.. U were one of the nicest guys I’ve met in football.. God bless you.. You’ll never be forgotten xxx”. (Twitter)

Simon Yeo - Former team-mate at Lincoln and Peterborough - "It's so sad and I just cannot get my head around it all because he was one of the fittest blokes I have ever come across," he said. "The most devastating aspect is that when we were at Lincoln myself, Butch, Ben Futcher, Paul Morgan, Alan Marriott, Gareth McAuley – we were friends and we were team-mates.

"We were the boys, but now we've lost one of the boys and I cannot begin to tell you what that feels like. I had only spoken to him on Friday and he was as you would expect – full of life, laughing and joking and we were in the process of organising a night out for the ex-Lincoln lads. But now this. I just cannot believe it. He was such a great lad, a lovely, lovely, fella. I feel so sorry for his family and it was only last summer that he got married to his wife, Sarah. (Lincolnshire Echo)

Darren Huckerby - Lincoln City Legend - "Sorry to see Butcher from Macclesfield had died at 29, that's no age to go! Only 10 months since big Keith Alexander died too." (Twitter)

We'll update this list as more become available.