Members Blast From The Past: On This Day 1985 – Forest Swoop For Sky Blue Two (Ian & Stuart)
Stuart in the Sky Blue
Ian in the Sky Blue
On this day (28th May) in 1985 two days after the Sky Blues beat Champions Everton 4-1 to secure their place in Division One for another season CCFC ‘gaffer’ (and now CCFPA member) Don Mackay did some transfer business!
Famous Nottingham Forest boss Brian Clough came in for two of the young Sky Blues defensive stars. He signed both Stuart Pearce and Ian Butterworth for Forest in a joint deal costing the East Midlands club around £450k (as it proved, a bargain)!
‘Psycho’ Pearce & Ian Butterworth in the Sky Blue boot room
Sarah Morris presents Stuart with his CCFPA tie 2018
Snatched from non league Wealdstone in November 1983, in two Highfield Road seasons, Stuart played 54 times for the CCFC first team netting four times before he moved to Nottingham and international fame making over three hundred appearances for the Forest and starting an England international career that eventually netted him 53 Caps!
Mr & Mrs Stuart Pearce
Nicknamed “Psycho” by some fans for his uncompromising style of play Stuart went on to play top level football for Newcastle United, West Ham United and Manchester City before moving into coaching and management with many more than 700 games under his belt. He has been boss at the Blues of Manchester City, the Forest Garibaldi Reds and internationally for England U21s (briefly caretaking the senior squad in 2012) and the Great Britain side. He was last in Cov for the commemorative service at the Cathedral for John Sillett (above left).
Jim Melrose & Ian Butterworth excercising together
Ian, on the other hand, started as a Sky Blue apprentice, signing professional forms in August 1981 and debuting for the Sky Blues in January 1982. The reliable central defender spent four seasons with the Sky Blues clocking up just over a century of first team games without ever finding the net for CCFC!
Ian stayed at the City ground until transferring to Norwich City in December 1986 (after an initial loan period). Over a dozen years at Carrow Road he played over 250 games for the East Anglian side and became their captain. Ian also played at U21 level for England winning eight caps (two with the City).
Ian Butterworth (Norwich City)
After leaving the Canaries in 1995 he played lower level football in England, the USA, Sweden and Ireland before hanging up his boots towards the end of the 1990s. He has managed IK Brage (Sweden) in 1997 and Cobh Ramblers (RoI) in 1998 as well as being briefly the Canaries assitant then caretaker ‘gaffer’ in 2009. In that year Ian also helped Stuart scout opponents for the England U21s.
Most recently Ian undertaken a recruitment role with Burnley FC and has been Chief Scout at Queens Park Rangers.
We look forward to entertaining both again in Coventry at a Sky Blue Championship (or Premier League) game and/or Association event in the future.
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.
