At Selhurst Park Barron was favoured by manager Terry Venables over John Burridge as Palace suffered a poor start to the 1980–81 season. However, Venables left in October 1980 to become manager at Queens Park Rangers, and Burridge followed in December. Barron made 33 league appearances that season, (in which Palace were relegated) but remained at Palace in 1981–82 and for the first half of 1982–83 as the Eagles finished 15th in consecutive seasons. Barron joined West Bromwich Albion in December 1982 and spent three seasons at the Hawthorns making 63 First Division appearances. In 1984–85 he joined Stoke City on loan, and played once keeping a clean sheet, in a 0–0 draw away at Leicester City. He joined Queens Park Rangers in August 1985 and he appeared in the 1986 Football League Cup Final for QPR, in their defeat by Oxford United at Wembley Stadium. Barron spent two seasons at Loftus Road which included a short spell on loan at Reading and in the summer of 1988 he returned to his first club Welling United.