Ray Butler, a former Headington United footballer who was connected with Abingdon Town for many years, has died at Stowford House, Shippon, near Abingdon, aged 83.

An inside forward, he made seven appearances for Headington United in 1952, and was offered professional terms, but declined them.

In a successful playing career, he also lined up for Oxford City and Wycombe Wanderers.

He joined Abingdon Town after leaving the army, and after a short spell, transferred to Headington, with whom he won a Metropolitan League Cup medal.

He then spent two seasons at Oxford City, winning Oxfordshire Senior and Benevolent Cup medals.

At Wycombe he was a member of the side which won the Isthmian League in successive seasons.

He won representative honours with the league, and a Battle of Britain Cup medal against Tottenham Hotspur Reserves, before returning to Abingdon Town.

He spent the rest of his playing days at Culham Road, winning the Hellenic League more than once and beat Aylesbury 2-1 in the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup at Wycombe’s Loakes Park in 1958.

Following a spell as manager at Abingdon, he took charge of the MG & Rileys works team and then Wallingford Town, before becoming chairman of Abingdon during their glory years in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Born in Abingdon, he went to Boxhill Secondary Modern School.

After leaving school, he was a member of the Abingdon Sea Cadets football team which won the Great Britain national championship, before joining the Royal Army Service Corps at Aldershot.

He spent his working life as a paint sprayer at what is now BMW at Cowley, and was an active trade unionist.

He leaves a widow Eileen, son Trevor, daughter Shirley, grandchildren Simon and Helen and great grandchildren Theo, Jamie and Phoebe.

His funeral is at Oxford Crematorium on Monday (11.15am).