*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.
Lee Butcher
Appearances: 4 Goals: 0
Clean Sheets: 3
Date / Year of birth: 11th October 1988
Position: Goalkeeper
Season of first appearance: 2008/09
Season of last appearance: 2008/09
Also played for: Norwich City (0), Arsenal (0), Tottenham Hotspur (0), AFC Wimbledon, Grays Athletic, St.Albans City, Leyton Orient (37+1,0) and Welling United
6' 1" tall keeper born in Waltham Forest who was brought up in Chingford and swam for Essex as a schoolboy. Lee was on Norwich's books from a very young age and then became part of Arsenal's youth set-up aged just ten.
He progressed through the Gunners' ranks over the years that followed and won the 'Goalkeeper of the Tournament' award at the Cannes Football Festival in the summer of 2004. Lee eventually played for Arsenal's Under-18's and made 16 appearances for them in the Academy League during the 2006/07 season before being released in May 2007.
Immediately after leaving the Gunners he had trials with Leeds and then Wycombe but in July 2007 Lee signed for Tottenham as a professional.
He made 11 appearances in Spurs' Academy side during the 2007/08 campaign and also had a loan spell with Isthmian League Premier Division club AFC Wimbledon from January to February 2008. Lee played seven times there.
In September 2008 he joined Margate on a month's loan as a replacement for injured keepers Scott Chalmers-Stevens and Pat Mullin and Lee made his debut in a 1-0 win at Ashford (Middlesex) in the Isthmian League Premier Division on 20.9.08. The Thanet Times said he "made one outstanding reflex save" in the first half and noted that his presence "seemed to lift Blues".
Lee then featured in Margate's next three games and after he'd kept a second consecutive clean sheet in a 0-0 draw with Tonbridge at Hartsdown Park on 23.9.08 The Non-League Paper spoke to him. He told the paper "Two clean sheets is a pretty good start and it's been a great experience so far. I signed on the Friday and played on the Saturday so it was very sharp - I didn't have time to train or anything. You do get a little bit nervous because you're going into a club where you don't know anyone at all but I've really enjoyed it. I'm just looking forward to playing more games."
Lee's final appearance came in a 1-0 win at Dartford on 11.10.08 - his third clean sheet from four outings - but he then picked up a hand injury in training and missed a 1-0 home defeat against Hendon in the FA Trophy on 18.10.08 before going back to White Hart Lane.
In January 2009 Spurs loaned Lee to Conference club Grays but he didn't feature in their first team and he then had a spell with St.Albans of the Conference South where he made six appearances during March 2009.
Lee went back to Grays in April 2009 and made three Conference appearances before the end of the 2008/09 season.
In the summer of 2009 he signed a new one-year contract with Spurs and at the start of September 2009 Lee joined Grays on loan for the third time. He made eight appearances before returning to Tottenham.
In October 2009 he joined League One club Leyton Orient on loan but Lee didn't play in any first team games during his time there. At the end of the 2009/10 campaign he was released by Spurs.
In May 2010 Lee signed a one-year contract with Leyton Orient and told the Romford Recorder "It's a great chance for me and a good step to move on and make my career. I'm really pleased to have signed for Leyton Orient and I'm looking forward to the opportunity."
Lee made his debut for the O's as a substitute in a 1-1 draw at Oldham in League One on 2.10.10 when he replaced the injured Jamie Jones a minute before half-time and he then made his first start in a Football League Trophy tie against Brentford at Brisbane Road on 5.10.10. Lee kept a clean sheet as the match finished 0-0 after extra time but Brentford won 5-4 on penalties. He enjoyed a good run in the side but after a 3-2 home win over Dagenham & Redbridge on 16.11.10 Lee didn't feature in the first team again until 25.4.11 when he played in a 1-0 win at Carlisle. He finished the season having made a total of 12 senior appearances (one as sub).
Lee was a fixture in Orient's side for much of the 2011/12 campaign and made 26 appearances before suffering a serious knee injury in a 3-1 defeat against Scunthorpe in a League One game at Brisbane Road on 18.2.12. He didn't play again before the end of the season and Lee didn't feature in the O's first team at all during the 2012/13 campaign. He was released at the end of the season.
In the summer of 2013 Lee signed for Conference newcomers Welling and he made his debut for them in a 2-1 defeat at Wrexham on 10.8.13. Former Margate player Jamie Turner was the Wings' back-up keeper at that time.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
ILC |
KSC |
| |
|
2008/09 (MFC) |
4 (46) |
0 |
0 |
ISTHMIAN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (19TH OF 22) |
1QR |
1QR |
2R |
1R |
|
Margate finished in
relegation position but were reprieved and remained in the Isthmian League
Premier Division. | |||||||||