Sutcliffe began his career at Manchester United and represented England Youth, but did not make a senior appearance at Old Trafford before his transfer to Stockport County in 1975.
[3] The "Hatters" finished in the re-election zone of the Fourth Division in 1975–76 under Roy Chapman, before improving to a respectable mid-table spot in 1976–77 under Eddie Quigley.
Sutcliffe played 109 league games in his four years at Sealand Road before transferring to Dave Elliott's Bangor City.
He then left the Farrar Road Stadium and returned to Chester for the 1983–84 season, as they finished bottom of the Football League.
He made a brief return to Eric Webster's Stockport County before heading into the Alliance Premier League again with Harry Dunn's Scarborough.