Walter Garth Butler (7 February 1923 – 13 July 1995) was an English footballer. He was nicknamed "the assassin" for his habit of taking several different coloured pills before a match.

Career

Butler joined Port Vale from Derby County in June 1946. He played 12 Third Division South games in the 1946–47 season and featured in 39 league and one FA Cup game in the 1947–48 campaign. He continued to be a key part of manager Gordon Hodgson's first-team plans. He played 34 games in the 1948–49 season and made 43 appearances in the 1949–50 campaign. He featured just five times for the "Valiants" in the 1950–51 season. He was forced to retire from professional football in October 1951 after proving unable to recover from a knee injury. He had played 134 league and cup games during his five years at the Old Recreation Ground / Vale Park.

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueFA CupTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Port Vale1946–47Third Division South12000120
1947–48Third Division South39010400
1948–49Third Division South33010340
1949–50Third Division South39040430
1950–51Third Division South500050
1951–52Third Division South000000
Total1280601340