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Life of Town legend Terry Butcher told in new doco

Alice CunninghamSuffolk
George King/BBC A man with grey hair and glasses smiles. He wears a white shirt and a red lanyard around his neck.George King/BBC
England's former captain Terry Butcher has said criticism of players was worse when he played

A new documentary will tell the personal and professional life story of Ipswich Town legend and former England captain, Terry Butcher.

Butcher: Invisible Wounds has been commissioned by ITV and will premiere at King Street Cinema in Ipswich at 19:30 BST.

Viewers will be taken through Butcher's football career, as well as the loss of his son Chris - who died aged 35 after being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Butcher told BBC Radio Suffolk's Sarah Lilley it was important to him that the documentary encouraged people to open up about their mental health struggles.

Getty Images Two footballers during a tackle on a pitch. One wears a red shirt, shorts and socks. The other wears a blue shirt, white shorts and blue socks. Getty Images
Butcher joined Town at the age of 17 and made his debut two years later

Butcher, 67, lifted the UEFA Cup in 1981 with Bobby Robson's famous Ipswich Town team and also won 77 caps for England.

He said playing for Ipswich was "really the highlight of my career".

"Obviously playing for England was great too, but when you support the club and stand in the Churchman Stand, watch them through the start of the glory days with Bobby Robson, the aways in Europe, watching Barcelona and Real Madrid come to Portman Road, that was what I wanted to do."

As well as Butcher's own account of his football, the documentary includes contributions from other big names such as Gary Lineker, Ally McCoist, Kieron Dyer and Alan Brazil.

"There's a lot in there and I've seen a little bit of what they say which is very flattering and I'll have a go at them when I see them next because they're talking a load of rubbish," he joked.

Family handout A young man in the army who smiles at the camera. He wears camouflage uniform and wears a head strap with a microphone attached to it. Family handout
Chris Butcher died in 2017 after serving in the Army
Getty Images Two footballers raise their hands in the air and clap. They wear matching England white football tops and jumpers. Other footballers can be seen behind them. Getty Images
Terry Butcher (left) with Paul Gascoigne said the World Cup semi-final in 1990 was another highlight of his career

In 2017, Butcher's son Chris died at their family home. He had been a captain in the British Army and served in Afghanistan with the Royal Artillery.

An inquest in Ipswich concluded that he had been a "victim of war" and died from an abnormal enlargement of the heart, of uncertain cause, combined with the effect of drugs against a background of PTSD.

Butcher said by sharing Chris' story in the documentary, he hoped it would encourage more people to open up.

"That was the thing with [the director], when he came to us and talked about him, it was probably at the stage where I could talk bits about [Chris], but not a lot because of the grief.

"Eventually we got around and I found it cathartic in many respects because it made me talk more about him, understand him more and then my family did as well."

Sylver Entertainment/ITV A man with grey hair, glasses and white turtleneck jumper sits in a chair in front of cameras. There is a microphone above him.Sylver Entertainment/ITV
Gary Lineker, who played alongside Butcher in the England squad, features in the new documentary

Director Stuart Burley described Butcher as "humble" and said people would see this in the documentary.

"He's not your typical England captain, there's a lot more to him than that."

He added: "With the World Cup coming up, it's a really important time for men to open up and that's something that really shines through in the film.

"Terry putting himself out there, being vulnerable and being the alpha male that he is, showing himself in that way I think is going to start conversations amongst men."

The film will be shown in local cinemas from the end of May before it is aired on ITV in June.

Butcher: 'This is about something bigger than me'

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