"He's ****ed off Tone" ... Tony Butler RIP

[Netherton Wolf]

RIP Tone, got to 88 great age x

 

[Baboon]

Tony Butler's Friday evening phone-in on BRMB, the Sporting Star on Saturday night and Star Soccer on Sunday afternoon. All great memories from a bygone era. Thanks Tone for your part in all of that. RIP.

 

[Kennedy]

Very sad news. RIP. X

 

[Werewolf of Wombourne]

THE legend of West Midlands football journalism and broadcasting. For many of us his Saturday afternoon show on BRMB was the only way to keep up with what was happening with the matches. Is the story about his phone in being the reason why the 2 second delay and beeping out of the swearing was introduced true or an urban myth?

Carrott’s sketch about him is so funny because it’s so close to the truth. I always remember coming back from a holiday in Wales as a kid circa ‘78 and listening to the show to keep up with the matches. He was playing the song that was no.1 at the time and interrupted it halfway through in his distinctive excitable way ‘….and we interrupt this song to go straight to the Hawthorns! Pete?’ ‘still no goals at the Albion Tone and neither team has had a shot on goal yet….’

Brilliant!

 

[Scallywolf]

I remember Tone watching us play amateur football on Windsor playing fields in Penn.

He always said all the matches were crap.

Always after a reaction, even then.

RIP Tony Butler.

 

[Scallywolf]

Legend. Last saw him in the Springhill Pub a few years back. A really nice guy. RIP

That was his local, as he lived just up the road.

I saw him in there a few times , sitting on his own, mainly at lunchtime and always very smartly dressed.

Really sad news.

 

[HICKO]

RIP

 

[Frank Lincoln]

He was certainly unique.

R.I.P.

 

[Torbay Wolf]

I lived in a small village just outside Stafford about 20 years ago, and Tony could be found in a pub called 'The Bell', enjoying a pint and sharing his wisdom most Friday nights if he wasn't working. Good times.

RIP Tony.

 

[Norway Wolves]

My first memory of football on the radio was "And we're going straight to Eindhoven".................

Anyone else remember this?

 

[BlahBlah]

did anybody ever see him outside a pub? ;-)

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

great memories. Was he still banned from Molineux? He did an infamous talk show with supporters and Wolves refused to field a club representative although it was held at Molineux....so he tore them a new one on air about all the problems at Wolves.
It was when Hoddle was manager and i remember he said something like "somebody should tell Hoddle the idea is to kick the ball in the bloomin' net and try and win games. This Wolves team isn't trying, they're using Saturday afternoons to practice passing triangles and ripping the fans off." Didn't go down that well to be fair.

I'd never heard of Tony Butler until just now. If this was his level of succinct, I think I'd have liked him. RIP.

The Hoddle era was an 18 month 1 1 draw, retaining the ball was the only tactic. Yawn.

I remember he invented the 'controversial' argumentative phone in that continues to this day, especially in Birmingham. He'd been to work in America and listened to the shock jocks over there and thought he could shake it up a bit over here.....it didn't matter if he agreed or not, just argue to get a reaction and they'll keep ringing you up. The template's been going for 40 years now.

 

[whitnash wolf ex.dewsbury]

Sad news indeed

 

[Rednal Wolf]

did anybody ever see him outside a pub? ;-)

I met him at the Cardiff play off final outside a pub waiting for it to open ! He was an ordinary bloke that simply loved football and was extremely knowledge about all the West Midland clubs .
I said to him on that day " we gonna win today Tone ? "
He replied " its in the bag , we're back in the big time for sure " Made me believe we were his club .
How right he was ........even if it was for that one season .......due to lack of investment.......ye reap what ye sow !
This thread will mean little or nothing to those that didn't know football in the 80s and 90s . He was a legend and I'm glad I experienced football during these decades .
Great character, sadly missed .

 

[WickedWolfie]

"Tone, Tone, you're a......" (allegedly on a one or two minute delay)

cue BRMB radio jingle...

RIP Tony, voice of an era in West Midlands sport.

 

[AndyY]

He was on ATV / Central for a while. Late 70’s early 80’s when Gary Newbon was presenting.
Local tv news / sport has gone a similar way to local radio, a pale shadow of what it was.

Thanks for correction, I couldn’t remember whether it was BBC or ATV.

 

[reanswolf]

I met him at the Cardiff play off final outside a pub waiting for it to open ! He was an ordinary bloke that simply loved football and was extremely knowledge about all the West Midland clubs .
I said to him on that day " we gonna win today Tone ? "
He replied " its in the bag , we're back in the big time for sure " Made me believe we were his club .
How right he was ........even if it was for that one season .......due to lack of investment.......ye reap what ye sow !
This thread will mean little or nothing to those that didn't know football in the 80s and 90s . He was a legend and I'm glad I experienced football during these decades .
Great character, sadly missed .

Did he ever admit who his team were?

I don’t think he ever did, which is credit to his necessary impartiality.

 

[Spitfire]

Thanks for correction, I couldn’t remember whether it was BBC or ATV.

He may have been on Midlands Today later, but I don’t recall that. Definitely ATV though.

 

[maws]

Did he ever admit who his team were?

I don’t think he ever did, which is credit to his necessary impartiality.

I always felt it was Blues he seemed to lean towards them slightly

 

[BlahBlah]

Did he ever admit who his team were?

I don’t think he ever did, which is credit to his necessary impartiality.

Morelike it kept the arguments and accusations of favouritism going. George Gavin took on the same job and did the same thing, then Paul Franks after him.
George Gavin was great, he kept the Brummies guessing between Villa and Blues for years....then said he was an Everton fan, just brilliant.

 

[O.W.E.I]

RIP Tone, condolences to his family.

TB invented the football phone in, not Stoke, Toss Sport or anyone else, also iirc his show was one of the first instances of a delay being used on the broadcast because of the effin & jeffin.

Along with John Peel, Tone was responsible for this radio, music & footy obsessed youth wanting to work in radio (rather than being a librarian as the school career officer suggested).
I can only imagine what a nightmare he was to produce

He was right about Goddle, too.

On yer bike Tone.

 

[O.W.E.I]

Morelike it kept the arguments and accusations of favouritism going. George Gavin took on the same job and did the same thing, then Paul Franks after him.
George Gavin was great, he kept the Brummies guessing between Villa and Blues for years....then said he was an Everton fan, just brilliant.

'...eees gorra gooo Franksay!'

 

[Welford Wolf]

An absolute icon of Midlands broadcasting, will be missed by many. Was always ready for a debate and not afraid of what he has to say!

Great radio, great character great broadcaster.

I had the privilege of sitting next to him at Matt Murray's golf day dinner, enjoyed his company, even though he was on his best behaviour!

RIP Tony

 

[Incognito]

Legend. Infinitely better than anyone on radio now, anywhere! RIP Tone!

 

[Spellbinder]

Does anyone out there have any recordings that might feature my late father -Tony Butler of BRMB Sport ?
I'm aware of how difficult it was to record in those days as you needed a microphone before the radio and and cassette deck to record the output....
If anyone has any old tapes or old cassette tapes I would love to know
Thanks in advance and please feel free to share as far and wide as possible...
David

 

[Mutchy]

Does anyone out there have any recordings that might feature my late father -Tony Butler of BRMB Sport ?
I'm aware of how difficult it was to record in those days as you needed a microphone before the radio and and cassette deck to record the output....
If anyone has any old tapes or old cassette tapes I would love to know
Thanks in advance and please feel free to share as far and wide as possible...
David

If you want to start a ‘looking for help’ thread to bring more attention to your request Spellbinder, that would be okay. Very sorry for your loss.

 

[Evthewolf]

Does anyone out there have any recordings that might feature my late father -Tony Butler of BRMB Sport ?
I'm aware of how difficult it was to record in those days as you needed a microphone before the radio and and cassette deck to record the output....
If anyone has any old tapes or old cassette tapes I would love to know
Thanks in advance and please feel free to share as far and wide as possible...
David

Sorry for your loss. I hope you manage to find some.

 

[Spellbinder]

If you want to start a ‘looking for help’ thread to bring more attention to your request Spellbinder, that would be okay. Very sorry for your loss.

Thanks very much...i have just posted a new thread...I hope thats okay