John Barnes

**John Charles Bryan Barnes**MBE (born November 7, 1963) is a Jamaican-born British former footballer, rapper and manager, who currently works as a commentator and pundit for ESPN and SuperSport. A fast, skilful left winger, Barnes had successful periods at Watford and Liverpool in the 1980s and 1990s, and played for the England national team on 79 occasions. In 2006, in a poll of Liverpool fans' favourite players, Barnes came fifth; a year later FourfourTwo magazine named him Liverpool's best player of all time.

Born and initially raised in Jamaica, the son of a military officer from Trinidad and Tobago and a Jamaican mother, Barnes moved to London with his family when he was 12 years old. He joined Watford at the age of 17 in 1981 and over the next six years made 296 appearances for the club, scoring 85 goals. He made his debut for England in 1983 and four years later joined Liverpool for £900,000. Between 1987 and 1997 Barnes won the then top-flight First Division twice and the FA Cup twice with Liverpool, scoring 106 goals in 403 matches. By the time of his last appearance for England in 1995 he had been capped 79 times - then a record for a black player. After two years with Newcastle United, he ended his playing career at Charlton Athletic in 1999.

Barnes moved to Scotland to become head coach of Celtic in 1999 with his former Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish as director of football. This was not successful and Barnes was sacked in 2000. Since then Barnes has managed the Jamaica national team in 2008-2009 and the English club Tranmere Rovers for four months in 2009.

During his playing career Barnes was named for PFA Players' Player of the Year twice (in 1987-1988 and 1989-1990) and the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year once (in 1987-1988). In the run-up to England's 1990 FIFA World Cup campaign he recorded a rap for the official team song, New Order's "World in Motion". In 2005, he was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame.

## Early Life

Barnes was born in Jamaica, to Roderick Kenrick "Ken" Barnes (a Trinidadian) and Frances Jeanne Hill (a Jamaican). Ken Barnes hailed from Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago and emigrated to Jamaica in 1956 as a member of the West India Regiment. He joined the Jamaica Defence Force when it was formed after the nation won independence in 1962 where he was initially commanding officer of the 1st Battalion Jamaica Regiment and in 1973 he was promoted to colonel. He remained in the army until he retired in 1989. While working in the army, he was a semi-professional footballer who played for a local club in the Jamaican league and also captained the Jamaican national team. Barnes spent his early childhood living in Jamaica's biggest military base, where he would play football and live a disciplined life. His father was heavily interested in sport and was president of the Jamaica Amateur Swimming Association and later formed Jamaica's first bobsleigh team. Barnes' father was a huge squash and football fan who encouraged his son to pursue sports, having named him after legendary Welsh footballer John Charles. Ken Barnes, who was promoted to Colonel in 1973, was appointed Defence advisor to the High Commission of Jamaica, London (1976-1981) and Barnes moved to London with his family in January 1976 when he was 12 years old. The young teenager attended the rugby-playing St Marylebone Grammar School followed by a short stint at Haverstock School, Camden Town. While at school he played four years of youth football at the Stowe Boys Club in Paddington.

## Club Career

### **Watford**

Barnes was noticed by Watford while playing for Middlesex League club Sudbury Court. After a successful trial game in Watford's reserves, Barnes was signed on July 14, 1981 for a fee of a set of kit.

Barnes made his debut at 17 as a sub on September 5, 1981 in a 1-1 draw with Oldham Athletic in the Football League Second Division at Vicarage Road. The club's manager at the time was Graham Taylor, and Watford were eight months away from completing their five-year rise from the Fourth Division to the First.

Barnes and Watford gained promotion, as runners-up to fierce rivals Luton Town, to the top flight of English football at the end of the 1981-1982 season and went on to finish as runners-up for the League title, coincidentally, to Liverpool for the following season. Watford then made the 1984 FA Cup Final, where, as under-dogs, they were beaten 2-0 by Everton. Watford would go on to reach the FA Cup semi-final again in 1987 only to lose to Tottenham Hotspur. Barnes was by this point becoming restless and speculation was mounting in the newspapers as to which big club would sign him.

### **Liverpool**

Barnes left Watford on June 9, 1987 in a £900,000 deal to join Kenny Dalglish's Liverpool, after making 233 League appearances for the Hornets and scoring 65 goals. He joined at the same time as England teammate Peter Beardsley and linked up with new signings John Aldridge and Ray Houghton to form one of the most formidable attacking lines of Liverpool's history, which was completed a year later when Ian Rush re-signed for Liverpool.

Just before Barnes left Watford, manager Graham Taylor had departed to Aston Villa to be succeeded by Dave Bassett, who had resigned himself to losing Barnes to a bigger club. He offered Alex Ferguson the chance to sign Barnes for Manchester United, but Ferguson rejected the opportunity to sign Barnes as he still had faith in United's left winger Jesper Olsen. This was revealed in Ferguson's autobiography Managing My Life in 1999. Ferguson has since expressed regret at not signing Barnes.

Barnes made his debut for the Reds, along with Beardsley, on August 15, 1987 in the 2-1 league win over Arsenal at Highbury. In 9 minutes Barnes and Beardsley combined to set up Aldridge for a goal. Barnes' first strike for the club came a month later on September 12 as the Reds beat Oxford United 2-0 at Anfield.

In his first season at Anfield, Liverpool coasted to the League title, remaining undefeated for the first 20 games of the season and ending up with just two defeats. However, the double was surprisingly thwarted by Wimbledon who beat the champions 1-0 in the FA Cup final. Barnes was a key contributor and indeed performer on the Anfield Rap; a rap on the club's traditional Cup final song. It reached Number 3 in the UK charts.

During that season, Barnes was racially abused by a section of Everton supporters in the Merseyside derby at Anfield, which led to Everton chairman Philip Carter disowning the offending supporters, branding them "scum". This was not the first time that Barnes had suffered racial abuse from fans of rival clubs, as he had been regularly barracked by fans of other teams when still playing for Watford.

Barnes scored 15 league goals in his first season at Anfield, second only to John Aldridge at the club. He was voted overwhelmingly PFA Player of the Year. He also collected a league title medal, as Liverpool finished champions with just two league defeats all season. In particular Barnes, Beardsley, Houghton and Aldridge were instrumental in Liverpool's 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest on April 13, 1988, a game which Tom Finney described as "the finest exhbition I've seen the whole time I've played and watched the game. You couldn't see it bettered anywhere, not even in Brazil." Teammate Aldridge said in his autobiography that Bobby Robson had at the time claimed Barnes was as good as George Best at his peak with Manchester United 20 years earlier.

The following two seasons brought further success. Liverpool won the FA Cup with a 3-2 victory over Merseyside rivals Everton, with Barnes creating goals from the left wing for Ian Rush, and was instrumental during the extra time period. They lost the title to Arsenal with seconds remaining. Barnes played the whole of the title decider at Anfield, with the move resulting in Michael Thomas' goal occurring immediately after Barnes had lost possession of the ball attempting to dribble past Kevin Richardson in the last moments of the game.

In April 1989, after the Hillsborough disaster claimed the lives of 96 Liverpool fans, Barnes attended several funerals and visited the injured in hospital. He pulled out of an England international friendly in order to fulfill these public duties.

Barnes, in his early years at Liverpool, had to deal with racist abuse from opposing supporters and far-right groups - a photograph was once taken of Barnes, in full Liverpool kit and mid-match, casually backheeling away a banana which had been hurled at him during a derby match with Everton at Goodison Park. He also claimed Liverpool supporters had written to him not to join the club, as well as being abused by opposition players. On occasion he overhead a teammate make a racist remark towards other black players in opposition teams. On one of his first times at Anfield, Barnes claimed that the tea lady had, intentionally or unintentionally served all the players in the lounge tea except from him and he made a joke about it by asking light heartedly "Is it because I'm black?" At the time, he was only the second black player to play for Liverpool, and the first to have been a regular player. The only other black player to have appeared for Liverpool at the time with Howard Gayle, who played a mere five games for the Reds at the beginning of the 1980s.

Barnes played in the 1990 title winning side at Liverpool and scored 22 league goals from the left wing - his personal best for the club. Ian Rush scored four fewer league goals than Barnes. Barnes was voted Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year, and expectations from England manager Bobby Robson were also high, seeing Barnes as a key component in the buildup to Italia 90. Teammate Peter Beardsley has since said Barnes at the end of the 1980s was "The best player I ever played with, bar none. For three of four years at the end of the '80s, John was possibly the best player in the world."

Barnes continued to play for Liverpool and England. In 1990-1991 he scored 16 league goals, though the title slipped from Liverpool's grasp to that of Arsenal following the sudden resignation of Kenny Dalglish and the appointment of Graeme Souness as manager.

In 1992, Liverpool won the FA Cup again but Barnes missed the final with an Achilles tendon injury, which he later cited in his autobiography as dulling his acceleration, affecting his ability to push off from a still position, while not affecting his pace at full. He played just 12 league games in the 1991-1992, scoring once, as Liverpool finished sixth in the league - their lowest finish in two decades and the first time since 1981 that they had failed to finish champions or runners-up. Barnes and several other senior players had frosty relationships with Souness during this period as the manager tried to impose new methods quickly, and many senior pros resented his hard discipline approach as well as the increased pressure in training. Barnes also once had to make a public apology to Souness after he gave an interview criticising the tactics employed by the manager before an important match. Young teammate Robbie Fowler also said in his autobiography that Souness felt at the time Barnes was past his best, but in Fowler's (and others') opinion he still had a lot to offer and was still one of the most talented players at the club.

Liverpool had qualified for the 1991-1992 UEFA Cup, being readmitted to European competitions a year after the ban on all other English clubs in European competitions since the Heysel disaster in 1985 had been lifted. This was the first time Barnes had played in European competitions since Watford's 1983-1984 UEFA Cup campaign.

Souness later stated in his autobiography that Barnes due to his injuries was now taking a "less demanding" central midfield playmaker's role as opposed to a winger with a goalscoring touch. Despite the effects of the injuries, Barnes was still regarded as one of club and country's best players and Souness noted that Barnes "Retained his quality on the ball, using it well and rarely losing possession". Mark Walters who had been highly effective for Souness at Glasgow Rangers had been purchased as cover/competition for Barnes but failed to displace him.

By the mid-1990s, Barnes knew he was reaching the veteran stage of his playing career and looked to make up for the underachievement at international level with his club side, who had begun to bear the fruits of Souness' youth policy. He publicly stated that he would stay at Liverpool and help bring through young talent that needed his leadership instead of leaving the club as it went through turbulent years under Graeme Souness, before Roy Evans took over at the helm in January 1994. His improved form in the 1994-1995 season saw him earn a recall to the England team and he scored 7 league goals (9 in all competitions) despite being now principally a central midfielder.

Under Evans, Barnes and young players like Steve McManaman, Jamie Redknapp and Robbie Fowler (who had been given their debuts by either Dalglish or Souness) began playing attractive, attacking football, and were starting to look like title contenders again after several years of dominance in the title race by Manchester United as well as the likes of Leeds United, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United. They won the League Cup in 1995, began challenging for the FA Premier League title, and lost the 1996 FA Cup Final to Manchester United. Barnes had now been converted into a holding midfielder where he, Redknapp and McManaman would pass their way through teams and set up goals. He often captained the side in 1995-1996 when regular captain Ian Rush lost his place to new signing Stan Collymore, and when Rush departed to Leeds United at the end of the season he became full-time captain. Barnes played pivotal role in the midfield, and created the final goal after a dribble and passing movement for Stan Collymore during Liverpool's 4-3 win at Anfield against Newcastle. A young Jamie Carragher was breaking through into the team towards the end of Barnes's career at Liverpool and said that despite Barnes supposedly being past his peak by then, in his 34th year, he was still the best player at the club. "Technically, he's the best player I've ever trained or played with, he was great with both feet, they were both exactly the same. I'd say he's the best finisher I've ever played with (including Torres, Fowler, Owen). Barnes never used to blast his shots - they'd just get placed right in the corner. You speak with the players from those great Liverpool sides and ask them who the best player they played with was and they all say John Barnes".

On August 13, 1997, after 10 years, 407 appearances, 108 goals and four major trophies, Barnes left on a free transfer. He had missed just three Premier League games in his final season at Anfield, scoring four goals (including a memorable late winner against Southampton just after Christmas) as they had led the table for much of the first half of the season before being overhauled by eventual champions Manchester United at the end of January and having to settle for a fourth-place finish. Paul Ince, a slightly younger central midfielder with a completely contrasting combative style was signed to replace him in the middle of the park and Barnes felt signing a player like Ince may not solve all of Liverpool's problems.

### **Newcastle United**

Barnes was then snapped up by former teammate and manager Kenny Dalglish, who was managing Newcastle United, although an approach had already been made by Harry Redknapp of West Ham; Barnes had agreed in principle to join them until at the final moment Dalglish called him and Barnes changed his mind. In the 1997-1998 season Barnes played up front mostly, deputising for Alan Shearer after Shearer was injured for most of the season, and Barnes ended up Newcastle's top league scorer with six goals, which highlighted the Magpie's lack of ability to score in the absence of Shearer and Ferdinand (who had been sold along with Beardsley). Former Liverpool colleague Ian Rush and England colleague Stuart Pearce were also drafted in around this time. Pearce has since stated in his autobiography, "Psycho" that he felt Barnes was overweight by the time he joined Newcastle and that both Barnes and Rush had less desire than himself to win at that stage in their careers as they had already won everything, and that they could have had more of an edge to them. Although Newcastle (the previous season's Premier League runners-up) endured a disappointing league campaign and finished 13th, they did reach the 1998 FA Cup Final, and Barnes went onto the field for the fifth FA Cup final of his career. However, Newcastle lost 2-0 Arsenal, and following the sacking of Dalglish early in the 1998-1999 season, he was left isolated and shunned along with a number of Kenny Dalglish and Kevin Keegan era players including Rob Lee and Stuart Pearce. Barnes with many others was dropped from the first team by new manager Ruud Gullit and spent several months in the reserves despite, in his opinion, "excelling in training" and showing he had lost none of his quality if some of his pace. He felt that himself and others were deliberately being cold shouldered to make it known Gullit wanted his own players in; Barnes played numerous international matches played against each other in the 1980s and 1990s, but they were not friends. Barnes knew it was the last straw when even his MBE from the Queen was overlooked by Gullit after a presentation had been given to Stuart Pearce for receiving one - this was in the winter of 1998 and he knew he was unwanted. Barnes left the club on a free transfer to newly promoted Charlton on February 10, 1999.

### **Charlton Athletic**

Barnes made his debut for Charlton on February 13, 1999, coming on as a substitute in a 1-0 home win over Liverpool. He made a further 11 league appearances that season, mostly as a substitute, and did not score any goals. Defeat on the final day of the season relegated the Addicks back to Division One, and Barnes announced his retirement as a player after 20 years.

## International Career

Although born in Jamaica, Barnes had no intention of representing Jamaica at international level as the "Reggae Boyz had not yet made a significant mark on world football and he was eager to get to the game's biggest stage".

At the time of Barnes' international career, FIFA's national team eligibility criteria allowed British passport holders to represent one of the British football associations if they had no blood ties to the United Kingdom. In 1983, while still a Watford player, Barnes was approached by the Scottish Football Association who wanted him to represent Scotland. Barnes had already planned to represent England where he had lived since the age of 12. Barnes said: "the only reason I played for England was because they were the first to ask... if Scotland had asked first... You go and play for Scotland."

Barnes was given his England debut by Bobby Robson on May 28, 1983, when he came on as a second-half replacement for Watford teammate Luther Blissett as England drew 0-0 with Northern Ireland in a British Championship match at Windsor Park, Belfast. He and Blissett were among the first black footballers to be full England internationals.

On June 10, 1984 Barnes scored a goal against Brazil, when he outpaced and out-thought several Brazilian defenders before rounding Roberto Costa and slotting the ball into an empty net during a friendly match at the Estadio do Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. The goal brought him worldwide fame but also a sense of heavy expectation.

It was after the World Cup that Barnes became a British passport holder. Speaking in 2008, Barnes said "I don't even know if the English F.A. didn't know that I wasn't born there and wasn't brought up there... maybe I played (for England) illegally, right?"

In his early England days, he and fellow black player Mark Chamberlain were subjected to threats from racist groups. Notably, Barnes was abused by supporters of the National Front on the plane back from South America in June 1984; the racists claimed that England had only won 1-0 against Brazil because Barnes' goal "didn't count".