Ben Futcher
Futcher with Bury in 2009
Personal information
Full name Benjamin Paul Futcher
Date of birth (1981-02-20) 20 February 1981
Place of birth Manchester, England
Height 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Position(s) Centre back
Youth career
Oldham Athletic
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2002 Oldham Athletic 10 (0)
2001 → Stalybridge Celtic (loan) 17 (1)
2002 Stalybridge Celtic 9 (0)
2002 Doncaster Rovers 2 (0)
2002–2005 Lincoln City 126 (14)
2005–2006 Boston United 14 (0)
2006 Grimsby Town 22 (3)
2006–2007 Peterborough United 25 (3)
2007–2013 Bury 119 (3)
2010–2011 → Oxford United (loan) 6 (0)
2011 → Mansfield Town (loan) 13 (1)
2012 → AFC Telford United (loan) 3 (0)
2012 → Macclesfield Town (loan) 10 (0)
2012 → FC Halifax Town (loan) 0 (0)
Total 376 (25)
Managerial career
2012 Bury (joint-caretaker)
2023 England U20s (interim)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Benjamin Paul Futcher (born 20 February 1981) is an English football coach and former professional footballer, he works for the Football Association as a youth coach developer. He is currently the interim head coach of the England Men's Elite League squad, formerly the U20s.[1]

As a player, he was a defender from 1999 to 2013 notably playing for Lincoln City between 2002 and 2005 where he played in two play-off finals. He has also played for Oldham Athletic, Stalybridge Celtic, Doncaster Rovers, Boston United, Grimsby Town, Peterborough United, Bury, Oxford United, Mansfield Town, AFC Telford United, Macclesfield Town and F.C. Halifax Town. He is the son of former professional footballer, defender Paul Futcher.

He was assistant manager of Mansfield Town, following his then-manager at Swindon Town, David Flitcroft, who was appointed to Mansfield Town on 1 March 2018, until the contracts of both were terminated 14 May 2019.[2][3][4]

Club career

Oldham Athletic

Futcher started off playing for Oldham Athletic, signing professional terms in July 1999. Futcher struggled to grasp first team opportunities at Boundary Park and in August 2001 was made available for a loan transfer to gain experience.[5] He linked up with Stalybridge Celtic, the club being managed by his father Paul,[6] where he spent three months on loan, making 17 appearances and scoring once.[7] On 3 January 2002 his contract with the Latics was cancelled by mutual consent.[7]

Stalybridge Celtic and Doncaster Rovers

It was to be Stalybridge who Ben would sign for permanently in the January transfer window of 2002. Futcher went on to play in ten games for the Celtic, before joining fellow Conference side Doncaster Rovers.

Lincoln City

After playing in only two games for Rovers, manager Dave Penney released Futcher two months later at the end of the season. On 10 May 2002, he along with Dene Cropper became Lincoln City manager Keith Alexander's first signings of his second spell in charge at Sincil Bank.[8] With The Imps struggling in the previous season, it was to be a different string of events in the new season, despite a rocky start, Lincoln climbed the league, and with the help of Futcher, for his goals more than anything, The Imps qualified for the play-offs. As well as this, Ben finished the season as the club's top goal scorer, scoring eleven goals, the majority of them being close range headers, from set pieces. In honour of this he was voted "Young Player of the Season" by the club's management team.[9] A Simon Yeo inspired Lincoln dumped Scunthorpe United out of the Play-off semi-final and thus giving them the task of overcoming AFC Bournemouth in the final at the Millennium Stadium. Lincoln lost the match 5–2, with Ben amongst the City scorers. For the next two years, Futcher was at the heart of the Lincoln defence and faced two more Play-off defeats: losing out in the semi-finals to Huddersfield Town in 2003/2004 and going down 2–0 after extra time against Southend United the following season in yet another final at the Millennium Stadium.

Boston United

In a shock move in the summer of 2005, Futcher announced he would be leaving Lincoln, to sign for county rivals Boston United. With United boasting such ex-Premiership stars as Julian Joachim and Noel Whelan Bostons squad was arguably equipped to combat the league, but the club struggled to live up to its expectancies, and performances saw them hover around the relegation zone. On 12 January 2006, Futcher called time on his Boston career, and moved onto yet another Lincolnshire club.

Grimsby Town

This time he signed with promotion challenging Grimsby Town, who bolstered their squad as well with the signing of Curtis Woodhouse for the final promotion push. Futcher found it rather hard to break into the Grimsby side and often had to play second fiddle to Justin Whittle and Rob Jones. The Mariners, missed out on automatic promotion on the last day of the season, and this set them up with a Play-off semi final tie against Ben's former team, Lincoln City, who were now in the play-off's for the fourth season running. After a 1–0 Grimsby victory at Sincil Bank, Futcher scored in a 2–1 win in the leg at Blundell Park to send Grimsby into the final at Cardiff. The Mariners however failed to earn promotion, losing to Cheltenham Town in the final, thus meaning Futcher had now been on the losing team in a League Two play-off final, 3 times in the past 4 seasons.

Peterborough United

Ben then went and signed a contract with Peterborough United. Futcher linked up with Keith Alexander, once again but United achieved nothing that season, and with the installation of Darren Ferguson as manager, following Alexander's departure, Futcher left at the end of that season.

Futcher (centre) at Bury with teammates Glynn Hurst and Chris O'Grady

Bury

His next port of call was to sign for Bury where Alexander had just been appointed as the club's Director of Football. In Ben's first season, he helped the club to a mid table finish, and scored Bury's first goal in a 2–1 victory over Leeds United in the Football League Trophy. In the next season he became an integral part of the Bury team and at the end of the season the club activated a clause in his contract for Ben to stay for another year.

On 11 November 2010 Ben signed for fellow Football League Two side Oxford United on loan.[10] He returned to Bury on 4 January 2011 having played six games during his eight-week loan period.[11] After his return he played more regularly for the team, and in May 2011 he signed a new one-year contract extension.[12] In August 2011 he joined Mansfield Town on loan for an initial month.[13] In January 2012 he joined AFC Telford United on loan, making his club debut on 21 January against Cambridge United.[14]

In May 2012 he was offered a new contract by Bury as a player/development coach.[15] On 2 July 2012 he signed with Conference North side F.C. Halifax Town on a season long loan deal.[16] However a few weeks after signing for Halifax he was recalled to Bury without making a first team appearance as he was appointed joint-caretaker manager at the club.[17]

Coaching career

Futcher was appointed Player/Development coach in the summer of 2012, however he reverted to his coaching priorities after not being handed a squad number for the 2012–13 season. Futcher assisted Peter Shirtliff as joint-caretaker manager before the appointment of Kevin Blackwell. In June 2015 Futcher was made Assistant Manager to David Flitcroft after Chris Brass was made Head of Football Operations.[18] In June 2017 he was appointed assistant manager of Swindon Town,[19] and followed Flitcroft to Mansfield Town on 1 March 2018 until 14 May 2019.[2][4]

Futcher now works for the Football Association as a youth coach developer.[20]

Personal life

Ben is the son of ex-Manchester City, Oldham Athletic, Luton Town and Grimsby Town defender Paul Futcher. Other footballing members of Ben's family include his uncles Ron Futcher and Graham Futcher (both ex-Chester), cousins Danny Murphy (England international) and Stephen Futcher (ex-Wrexham). Futcher is studying part-time for a bachelor's degree in Sports Performance at the University of Salford.[21]

In January 2011 Futcher was rocked by the death of close friend and former Lincoln and Macclesfield teammate Richard Butcher, in September 2012 he still claimed he is still affected by the passing of Butcher.[22]

Honours

Grimsby Town

Lincoln City

Career statistics

Club Season League Cup[23]
Apps Goals Apps Goals
Oldham Athletic 1990-005010
2000–015000
2001–020000
All 10 0 1 0
Stalybridge Celtic (loan) 2001–029[24]0 10
Stalybridge Celtic 2001–0210[24]1 00
Doncaster Rovers 2001–022[24]0 00
Lincoln City 2002–0343863
2003–0443380
2004–0535370
All 121 14 21 3
Boston United 2005–0614051
Grimsby Town 2005–0615200
Career totals (Football League Only) 160 16 28 4

References and notes

  1. ↑ "Report: England Elite League squad 0-3 Italy". England Football. 17 November 2023.
  2. 1 2 David Flitcroft joins Mansfield Town as new manager This is Wiltshire, 1 March 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2018
  3. ↑ "David Flitcroft: Mansfield Town appoint former Swindon manager as boss". BBC Sport. March 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Club statement". mansfieldtown.net. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
  5. ↑ "Three players made available". Oldham Athletic A.F.C. Official Website. 3 August 2001. Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  6. ↑ "Futch to link up with his Dad". Oldham Athletic A.F.C. Official Website. 13 August 2001. Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  7. 1 2 "Futcher to Staylbridge?". Oldham Athletic A.F.C. Official Website. 3 January 2002. Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  8. ↑ "City in Double Signing Swoop". Lincoln City F.C. Official Website. 10 May 2002. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  9. ↑ "Morgan Picks Up Silverware". Lincoln City F.C. Official Website. 3 May 2003. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  10. ↑ "Futcher joins Oxford". Bury F.C. 11 November 2010. Archived from the original on 13 November 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  11. ↑ "Two back in, two out". Oxford United F.C. 4 January 2011. Archived from the original on 9 January 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2011.
  12. ↑ "Ben Futcher signs new one-year deal at Bury". BBC Sport. 27 May 2011. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
  13. ↑ "Mansfield Take Giant Defender on Loan". Football Conference. 19 August 2011. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
  14. ↑ "AFC Telford 1 – 2 Cambridge Utd". BBC Sport. 21 January 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  15. ↑ "The Retained List". Bury FC. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  16. ↑ "FC Halifax Town Have Signed". Archived from the original on 2 July 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  17. ↑ "BlueSq North Latest news on the new Blue Square Premier, North and South season | Shaymen suffer Futcher blow". bluesqnorth.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  18. ↑ "Bury: New roles for Chris Brass, Ben Futcher and Chris Sedgwick". BBC Sport. 15 June 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  19. ↑ "Flitcroft Brings in Futcher As Assistant Boss". Swindon Town F.C.
  20. ↑ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-futcher-019766190/?originalSubdomain=uk
  21. ↑ "Futcher looks to perform on and off the pitch". Bury Times. 4 February 2010. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
  22. ↑ "Richard Butcher loss 'still raw' – Bury's Ben Futcher". BBC Sport. 27 September 2012. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  23. ↑ Includes FA Cup, League Cup, Football League Trophy, FA Trophy and playoffs
  24. 1 2 3 Non-League
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