Life of Town legend Terry Butcher told in new doco

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.

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.

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."

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.

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