Nicky Butt, the Manchester United legend and head of the club’s youth academy, is married to Shelley Barlow, 44. On April 16, the Daily Mail was the first to report that Butt, 44, had been held by police in relation to a domestic incident.
The news broke about the arrest occurred just hours before Manchester United are due to face Barcelona in a crunch Champions League tie.
During his illustrious career at Manchester United, Butt made close to 300 appearances in addition to 39 games for England. Butt was part of the famous “Class of ’92,” a group of graduates from Manchester United’s youth academy who went on to achieve major honors in the game.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Local Police Have Said the Alleged Victim Had a Small Cut on Her Hand & Did Not Require Hospital Treatment
Getty
At the time of writing, there has been no official word from Manchester United regarding the arrest. The Greater Manchester Police has confirmed that “Police were called at around 2pm on Tuesday 16 April, 2019, to reports that a woman had been assaulted at a house on Broadway, Hale. The woman received a small cut to her hand and does not require hospital treatment. A 44–year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assault and remains in custody for questioning.”
2. Butt Has 2 Children With Barlow
Barlow and Butt have two children together. The family lives in the Manchester-suburb of Gorton. Butt was born in Gorton in January 1975. The Evening Standard reported in 2004 that it was the birth of his first daughter, Jersey, which left Butt reluctant to move away from the Manchester-area, despite his career with the Old Trafford team being over.
The Manchester Evening News reported in January 2004 that their daughter had been born via Caesarean birth. At that time, a source told the Evening News, “Nicky Butt looked absolutely thrilled. He and his mum were hugging each other. It was good to see. He seemed so happy. We all felt really good for him.”
3. Ryan Giggs Was Butt’s Best Man at the Couple’s Wedding
GettyFormer United players Ryan Giggs and Nicky Butt await kick off ahead of the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford.
The Daily Mirror reported in the summer of 2008 that fellow Manchester United legend, Ryan Giggs, had served as Butt’s best man at the couple’s wedding. That’s despite Butt now playing for Newcastle United at the time. Butt and Shelley had two wedding ceremonies, the first took place in London. The Mirror report said that Butt had incurred “the wrath” of his bride-to-be by inviting many of his former teammates to their wedding. Among those invited were David Beckham, Roy Keane, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Paul School and Gary and Phil Neville. A source told the tabloid, “Nicky wants as many true mates there as possible. Quite what Shelley will think of it is anyone’s guess.”
The couple’s second wedding ceremony took place in the Algarve in Portugal in the botanical gardens of the Monte do Casal boutique hotel. A local news report referred to the nuptials as being “low-key” and as being in front of 30 guests. That report said the couple spent around $130,000 on the wedding including a $250 wedding cake that was bought at Marks & Spencer.
4. Shelley ‘Made a Real Effort’ to Be Friends With Posh Spice
Victoria Beckham pictured in March 2019.
The Daily Mail reported in 2004 that it was Barlow who made a big effort to be friendly toward Victoria Beckham while England played at the European Championships in Portugal. Victoria had been seen as an outsider among the player’s wives, who would regularly watch the team’s games together. A source told the Mail that Butt’s close friend’s wife, Claire Scholes, had described Victoria Beckham as being “unfriendly” but that thought that the singer would “let her hair down” when with the other England wives and girlfriends.
GettyVictoria Beckham pictured while watching her husband and his English team against Switzerland at Euro 2004.
5. Butt’s Was the 2nd Manchester United Legend to Be in Trouble on April 16
The news of Butt’s arrest came a few hours after soccer authorities in the United Kingdom announced that Paul Scholes, Butt’s former teammate, was accused of violating league betting rules. Scholes is accused of placing more than 100 bets between August 2015 and January 2019. In February 2019, Scholes became manager of his boyhood club, Oldham Athletic. His spell as manager lasted until the end of March with Scholes’ team winning one game. Scholes has until April 2019 to respond to the charge, reports ITV.
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Shelley Barlow, Nicky Butt’s Wife: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know