Simon Butterworth is back for the Sting!

Sting player-coach Simon Offord was delighted to hear that his long time friend and team mate, Simon Butterworth, was re-joining the Sting for the 2011/12 campaign.  "I'm thrilled Buttsy is gonna be alongside me next season" he said as the Ashfield club announces one of the most important (re-)signings of the summer.  Offord went on, "Last season we made great strides at Sutton and it was Buttsy who convinced me to join the club.  He said we would have a great time and he was 100% right, we did."

The Offord and Butterworth influence last season can not be over-stated and both men played significant and pivotal roles in the way the Sting's season unfolded.  Butterworth himself had nbo doubts about signing-on again with Sutton and said today "Last year was a different year for me.  I wanted to concentrate on my profession with SIV and I was able to do just that as hockey took a backseat.  But, as the season wore on I found that I was really enjoying myself and although I saw the Sting as a sort of project, I knew that I was making a real difference to many of my team mates progression as players and I got a great sense of achievement from that."

Sting Chairman Ian Johnson has so many good things to say about Butterworth and was equally thrilled to capture his main man again and added "This team was built around Simon last season and I can't thank him enough for coming to help establish what we now see before us.  It took courage on his part and I know he took a lot of criticism from those who think he should be playing at a higehr level.  But, he didn't want that, he wanted to come and work with me and the other guys who are behind Sutton Sting and that is fine by me.  I'm so glad he's stood by us!"

Butterworth is a top player of that there is no question.  He is very highly regarded and is often labelled as onbe of the most naturally gifted skaters in UK hockey.  A strong and determined forward, Butterworth has all of the skills to terrorise the meanest of defences and the Sting are grateful for his commitment not just to playing but also to coaching.  A few weeks ago Butterworth and Offord began coaching the club's brightest youngsters at special player development sessions.  So far the outlook for the youngsters looks great and the two Simon's are getting to give a little bit back to the grass roots of the game they have both served so well.

Butterworth has been working alongside Offord and Johnson with player recruitment for the new season and he has already been successful in attracting some new very capable talent to the team.