Blues aim to ship out Butler and Dinning

Sep 3 2008 by David Triggs, Chester Chronicle

CHESTER City have put Paul Butler and Tony Dinning up for transfer.

The out-of-favour pair are having their names circulated to other clubs as the Blues look to farm them out on loan.

City chief executive Bob Gray said: “Neither Paul Butler nor Tony Dinning figure in our manager Simon Davies’ plans and it is only fair to both parties to offer them to other clubs for loan.”

Butler, 35, and Dinning, 33, were frozen out of the first-team picture by Simon Davies towards the end of last season amid claims they were a disruptive influence on the dressing room.

They rejoined the squad in the summer following intervention from the Professional Footballers’ Association.

But after City’s poor start to the season, both were left out of Chester’s 16-man squad for Saturday’s 5-1 home win over Barnet.

Monday’s transfer deadline passed without any comings or goings at the Deva but City remain hopeful of signing Eddie Johnson in the near future. As a free agent, he is able to move outside the transfer window and will become a Chester player once the club is able to reduce its wage bill.