Khalid Butt (footballer)

{{Short description|Pakistani footballer and manager (born 1958)}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Khalid Butt

| image =

| caption =

| fullname = Khalid Mehmood Butt

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1958|11|30|df=y}}

| birth_place = Gujranwala, Pakistan

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height =

| position = Winger

| years1 = 1978–2002

| clubs1 = WAPDA

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 =

| nationalyears1 = 1981–1989

| nationalteam1 = Pakistan

| nationalcaps1 =

| nationalgoals1 =

| manageryears1 = 2004–2011

| managerclubs1 = WAPDA

| manageryears2 = 2013–2015

| managerclubs2 = WAPDA

| manageryears3 = 2017–2019

| managerclubs3 = WAPDA

}}

Khalid Mehmood Butt ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|خالد محمود بٹ}}}}; born 30 November 1958), is a Pakistani former footballer who played as a winger, and manager. Butt is among the major players of the Pakistan national football team in the 1980s and 1990s,{{Cite web |last=Ahsan |first=Ali |date=2010-12-23 |title=A history of football in Pakistan — Part II |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/593096/a-history-of-football-in-pakistan-part-ii |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Ahsan |first=Ali |date=2010-12-23 |title=A history of football in Pakistan — Part III |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/593100/a-history-of-football-in-pakistan-part-iii |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}} and was part of the national squad which won gold at the 1989 South Asian Games. He is the most successful coach in Pakistan Premier League history, where he led WAPDA to clinch four titles. He also led in the 2007–08 season when the team finished the season unbeaten, being the first Pakistani club to achieve the feat.

Early life

Butt was born on 30 November 1958 in Gujranwala, in the Punjab province of Pakistan. He matriculated from Government High School Gujranwala. Butt initially took athletics as his path like his father, and competed in several district and division in the 100 and 200 meter races. He later started playing football at the school level as a right winger. At the age of 14, he joined the Al-Hilal club of Gujranwala where he progressed through their youth teams. In 1974, he was appointed captain of the Lahore Division under-20 team. In 1977, he was selected for the Punjab Youth and in the same year he was selected for the Punjab senior team.

Club career

Butt joined National Football Championship departmental side WAPDA, winning the title three times with the club in 1983, 1991, and 2001. He captained the side to the title in the team's maiden appearance.{{Cite web |date=2009-08-07 |title=PEL outclass Afghans 4-0, PMC gain points |url=https://www.nation.com.pk/07-Aug-2009/pel-outclass-afghans-40--pmc-gain-points |access-date=2024-11-06 |website=The Nation |language=en-US}} Two years earlier in 1981, Butt also featured in the National Youth Football Championship.{{cite news |date=28 August 2007 |title=U-18 Football Championship starts |url=http://www.brecorder.com/news/3428625 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240807173625/http://www.brecorder.com/news/3428625 |archive-date=7 August 2024 |access-date=7 August 2024 |work=Business Recorder |language=en}}{{cite news |date=8 September 2007 |title=Faisalabad win U-18 soccer final |url=http://www.brecorder.com/news/3432425 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240807174337/http://www.brecorder.com/news/3432425 |archive-date=7 August 2024 |access-date=7 August 2024 |work=Business Recorder |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2009-10-01 |title=PFF approves Lahore as championship host |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/493696/pff-approves-lahore-as-championship-host |access-date=2024-09-24 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}} He played for WAPDA until 2002.{{Cite web |date=2002-10-23 |title=Wapda, PAF become group leaders |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/amp/63105 |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}

International career

In 1981, Butt was selected for the Pakistan national team for a goodwill tour to Burma, and later participated in the 1981 King's Cup held in Thailand, where he performed against Malaysia, Singapore,{{Cite web |title=Rain plays havoc as Singapore fall The Straits Times, 18 November 1981, Page 39 |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19811118-1.2.131.3?qt=khalid,%20mahmood,%20pakistan&q=Khalid%20Mahmood%20pakistan |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=eresources.nlb.gov.sg}} and the Chinese team August 1st.{{Cite web |title=فٹ بال ہیروز کی دُنیا: واپڈا کو قومی ٹائٹل دلانے والے گولڈ میڈلسٹ خالد محمود |trans-title=World of Football Heroes: Khalid Mahmood, the gold medalist who brought WAPDA the national title |url=https://dunya.com.pk/index.php/sports/2013-03-13/88850 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250104200447/https://dunya.com.pk/index.php/sports/2013-03-13/88850 |archive-date=2025-01-04 |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=Daily Dunya |language=ur}}

In 1982, he was selected for the youth team by the name of Pakistan Blues team in the 1982 Quaid-e-Azam International Cup held in Karachi, where he played as a regular starter.{{Cite web |title=Quaid-E-Azam International Cup (Pakistan) |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesq/quaid-e-azam.html |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=www.rsssf.org}}

In 1984, Butt was also selected for the 1984 Merdeka Tournament in Kuala Lumpur, where he scored a goal in a 1–6 defeat against the China national football B team.{{Cite web |title=Merdeka Tournament 1984 |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/merdeka84.html |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=www.rsssf.org}} Butt also featured at the 1984 AFC Asian Cup qualification the same year.

Butt was part of the national squad which won gold at the 1989 South Asian Games, which proved to be his last international tournament.{{Cite web |date=2008-07-08 |title=Wapda name squad for premier league |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/310785/wapda-name-squad-for-premier-league |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2007-11-15 |title=Wapda announces squad for football league |url=https://www.brecorder.com/news/amp/3453862 |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=Brecorder |language=en}}

Coaching career

After his playing career, Butt soon became head coach of WAPDA, leading the side to win the Pakistan Premier League title in 2004–05, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11.{{Cite web |last=natasha.raheel |date=2013-08-21 |title=Returning WAPDA coach eyes PPFL title |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/593395/returning-wapda-coach-eyes-ppfl-title |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2010-12-26 |title=Absence of qualified coach hurts as PFF looks the other way |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/593648/absence-of-qualified-coach-hurts-as-pff-prefers-to-look-the-other-way |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=natasha.raheel |date=2010-12-13 |title=WAPDA clinch Pakistan Premier League |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/89283/wapda-clinch-pakistan-premier-league |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Faisal |first=Abdul Jabbar |date=2008-12-07 |title=Wapda clinch title for seventh time |url=https://www.nation.com.pk/07-Dec-2008/wapda-clinch-title-for-seventh-time?version=amp |access-date=2024-11-06 |website=www.nation.com.pk}} In the 2007–08 season, the team finished the season unbeaten, being the first Pakistani club to achieve the feat.{{Cite web |title=Rasool inspires K-Electric to bronze medal |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/182507-Rasool-inspires-K-Electric-to-bronze-medal |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=www.thenews.com.pk |language=en}}

He also led the team AFC President's Cup in 2005, 2008, 2009, and 2011.{{Cite web |date=2005-05-01 |title=Tanveer to skipper Wapda in AFC President’s Cup |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/403414/tanveer-to-skipper-wapda-in-afc-president |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2011-04-19 |title=Wapda to face Nepal Police in President’s Cup |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/622164/wapda-to-face-nepal-police-in-presidents-cup |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2005-07-16 |title=Tanveer named Wapda skipper |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/amp/148055 |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2011-04-22 |title=PFF chief praises Wapda of win over Nepal Police |url=https://www.brecorder.com/news/3866637 |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=Brecorder |language=en}} In 2009, under his guidance the team made a notable impact, as it lost in extra time of semi-finals 4–3 against home side and eventual winners Regar-TadAZ of Tajikistan.{{Cite web |last=Ahsan |first=Ali |date=2011-02-02 |title=A history of football in Pakistan — Final part |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/603320/a-history-of-football-in-pakistan-final-part |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}

From 2011 till 2013, Butt left the coach position during which his absence in the consequent years proved unfortunate for the team, as the side failed to show significant performance in the previous years and win the title.{{Cite web |date=2013-09-03 |title=NBP start PPFL campaign with victory |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/amp/1040102 |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Wasim |first=Umaid |date=2013-10-30 |title=KRL launch PPFL title defence in style |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1052710 |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}} He left the team again in 2015, returning in 2017 after another two-year sabbatical absence.{{Cite web |last=Wasim |first=Umaid |date=2017-01-30 |title=After President’s Cup crown, KRL hungry for more glory |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1311500/after-presidents-cup-crown-krl-hungry-for-more-glory |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Wasim |first=Umaid |date=2017-01-28 |title=Wapda scrape past SSGC to set up final with KRL |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1311077 |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}} After several years of domestic football inactivity due to the crisis inside the Pakistan Football Federation and bans by FIFA, Butt was replaced as coach by Tanveer Ahmed in the advent of the 2021–22 Pakistan Premier League.{{Cite web |title=WAPDA to field new-look team in PPFL |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/865693-wapda-to-field-new-look-team-in-ppfl |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=www.thenews.com.pk |language=en}}