Butch Dunn – A Bromley FC Legend
I wrote the article that follows back in December 2017 for The Christmas Issue of ‘In There’ Fanzine. On hearing of Butch’s passing last weekend I thought it deserved another airing. Butch along with Junior Crooks, who sadly died back in 2001, were my two footballing heroes as a kid. They both lit up Hayes Lane with their ability and character giving me and many others fantastic memories that will live with me my whole life.
For the second in my series about Bromley Legends I’ve decided to go back to my childhood and a genuine goal machine of a striker Butch Dunn, who played for the club from 1978 to 1982, scoring 132 goals from 208 games.
Dunn joined Bromley from Cray Wanderers in September 1978, following manager John Biddle who switched from Oxford Road to Hayes Lane along with a number of his playing squad that summer. In just over a season at Oxford Road Dunn had scored 34 goals.
He quickly showed what a goal threat he was by scoring a hatrick against Hampton in a 4-2 win later that month and then went on to score regularly from then on. In the 1979/80 season Butch notched 48goals in all competitions and helped Bromley to promotion from the Isthmian League Division One back to the Premier Division (the equivalent to today’s National League South). Every time the ball came to him in the box there was a buzz of expectation in the crowd that it would end in a goal.
Dunn was only around 5ft 10, but his heading ability was phenomenal, similar to Les Ferdinand, he had great spring and timing to beat much taller central defenders in the air. A large number of his goal came from headers, but one scored with his feet stands out. At home to Billericay Town on a Tuesday night, Dunn scored a 30yard half volley that dipped over the 6ft 7inkeeper and under the bar which brought even the old guys in the stand to their feet. I can still remember where I was sat for that goal, sitting next to my Dad and both of us jumping up and down, speechless at what we had just witnessed.
He always wore the number 8 shirt, unusual for a striker in those days, cutting a distinctive figure with his trademark beard and shirt outside his shorts. Butch was a genuine cult hero, a slightly maverick character who did things his own way, but always delivered a regular supply of goals.
By the summer of 1981 Dunn was in demand from other local Conference clubs, Maidstone Utd had a bid turned down and Dartford, now managed by Biddle, kept calling. Dunn put in a transfer request, but Bromley refused to release him to join his old manager with a number of other ex-Bromley players at Watling Street. For a while he didn’t play at all, but then came back to finish the season at Hayes Lane in style, scoring a number of goals that helped Bromley avoid relegation,picking up a vital win on the final day of the season. His last goal for the club came in May 1982 at home to Chelmsford City in the Eastern Floodlit Cup Final Second Leg, we drew 1-1, but unfortunately lost the tie 4-1 on aggregate.
If you meet any Bromley fan from that era and mention the name Butch Dunn, watch the expression on their face change to a smile and a nod as they remember a true goal scoring legend of the club.
Col.
