John Barnes (footballer)
Encyclopedia
John Charles Bryan Barnes MBE (born 7 November 1963) is an English football manager
and former player.
During his playing career, Barnes had successful periods at Watford
and Liverpool
in the 1980s and 1990s, winning the First Division twice, the FA Cup twice, and playing for England
79 times (a former record for a black
player). After a period at Newcastle United
, he ended his playing career at Charlton Athletic
in 1999.
After retiring as a player, Barnes had a brief stint as head coach of Celtic
in 1999–2000, working alongside Kenny Dalglish
. He took over as manager of the Jamaica national team
on 1 November 2008, but resigned six months later to become manager at Tranmere Rovers
. He was sacked by Tranmere on 9 October 2009 after a series of poor results.
whilst playing for non-league Sudbury Court. After a successful game in Watford's reserves, Barnes was signed on 14 July 1981 for the fee of a set of kit.
Barnes made his debut at 17 as a sub on 5 September 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 six-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 1981–82 season and went on to finish as runners-up for the League title, coincidentally, to Liverpool 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.
, after appearing 292 times for the Hornets and scoring 83 goals. He joined at the same time as England team-mate Peter Beardsley
and linking up with John Aldridge
, Ray Houghton
and then Ian Rush
to form one of the most formidable attacking lines of Liverpool's illustrious history.
Just before Barnes had departed from 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 had gone as far as offering 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 15 August 1987 in the 2–1 league win over Arsenal
at Highbury
, it took just 9 minutes for Barnes and Beardsley to show just what was in store for the Anfield
faithful, as they combined to set up Aldridge for an excellent team goal. Barnes' first strike for the club came a month later on the 12 September as the Reds beat Oxford United
2–0 at Anfield, Aldridge had already scored against his former employers in the 13th minute before Barnes scored in the 37th minute to make the game safe.
In his first season at Anfield, Barnes was outstanding as Liverpool coasted to the League title, remaining undefeated for the first 29 games of the season and ending up with just two defeats, though again he would suffer FA Cup disappointment when Wimbledon
surprisingly beat the champions 1–0 in the final. Barnes had performed a memorable (not necessarily for the right reasons) rap
on the club's traditional Cup final song Anfield Rap
, which got to Number 3 in the UK charts.
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, and many observers on and off the pitch had seen him as the most devastating player in a team many regarded as Liverpool's most exciting of all time. In particular Barnes, Beardsley, Houghton and Aldridge were rampant in Liverpool's 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest on the 13th of April 1988, a game which Tom Finney described as “It was the finest exhibition I’ve seen the whole time I’ve played and watched the game. You couldn’t see it bettered anywhere, not even in Brazil.” Team mate Aldridge said in his autobiography that Bobby Robson had at the time claimed Barnes was as good as George Best at his peak.
Barnes, like everyone else at Anfield, was given a nickname – Digger, because the initials on his training shirt were JCB (John Charles Barnes).
The success and disappointment of the 1987–88 season was reversed a year later, with Liverpool winning the FA Cup with a 3–2 victory over Merseyside
rivals Everton
, with Barnes creating goals from the left wing for Aldridge and Ian Rush, and instrumental during the extra time period, but losing the title to Arsenal with literally seconds remaining. Barnes played the whole of the title decider
at Anfield, with the move resulting in Michael Thomas' famous goal occurring immediately after Barnes had lost possession of the ball whilst attenpting 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 was among many Liverpool stars left distraught by the tragedy, attending several funerals and visiting the injured in hospital. He even pulled out of an England international friendly in order to fulfill these public duties.
Barnes, in his early years at Liverpool, was having to deal with racist abuse from opposing supporters and far-right groups — a famous 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 to not join the club, as well as being abused by opposition players and even on occcasion he would overhear a team mate make a racist remark towards other black players in opposiiton teams. Upon 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 himself and he made a joke about it by asking light heartedly "Is it because I'm black?"
Barnes played in the 1990 title winning side at Liverpool and scored an amazing 22 league goals from the left wing – his personal best for the club. Liverpool striking legend, and colleague, Ian Rush
also had a great season but managed 4 fewer league goals than Barnes, putting into a larger context just how prolific and important Barnes was to Liverpool at the time. Barnes was voted Football Writer's Player Of The Year, and expectations from England manager Bobby Robson were also high, seeing Barnes as a key component in the build up to Italia 90. Then team mate Peter Beardsley has since said Barnes at the end of the 1980s was "The best player I ever played with, bar none. For three or 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, and started the 1990–91 season in scintillating form, despite frequent barracking from opposition fans who were frustrated with his lack of product in an England shirt. He has His response was frightening though as the likes of Aston Villa, Manchester United, Wimbledon FC and Leeds United found out as Barnes scored spectacular goal after goal for the Liverpool cause. He still managed 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 would dull his acceleration, affecting his ability to push off from a still position, whilst not affecting his pace at full. He played just 12 league games in the 1991–92
, 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. New manager Graeme Souness
expressed his disappointment in Barnes's availability and indifferent form around this time as he had seen him as Liverpool's best player and had expected to "build the team around him" and Jan Molby when he arrived. By Barnes's own admission, Souness rarely saw the best of him, and Souness frequently harshly criticised him and others to their faces. Barnes and several other senior players were to have 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 had given an interview criticising the tactics employed by the manager before an important match. Young team mate 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.
It was also during this period (in 1992) where constant injuries would eventually take their toll and rob Barnes of the lightning acceleration and pace that was once his hallmark. He would have to adapt his playing style- 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 "devestating winger with a goalscoring touch". Still, 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 despite Barnes's woes, Walters failed to displace Barnes short or long term.
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's 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 1994. His improved form in the 1994-95 season saw him earn a recall to the England team and he begun to show glimpses of his old self again as he scored 7 league goals (9 in all competitions) despite being now principally a central midfielder.
Under Evans
, Barnes and his young proteges like his favoured successor, Steve McManaman
, fellow central midfielder Jamie Redknapp
and striker Robbie Fowler
began playing attractive, attacking football, and 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 countless goals for the likes of Fowler. He often captained the side in 1995–96
when regular captain Ian Rush
lost his place in the first team 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 a pivotal role in controlling the midfield with his quality passing, vision, deft control and awareness, and created the final goal after an intricate dribble and passing movement for Stan Collymoore during Liverpool's famous 4-3 win at Anfield against Newcastle, cited by many as one of the greatest Premier League matches of all time. 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, at the age of 32/33, 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 13 August 1997, after 407 appearances and 108 goals, Barnes was allowed to leave on a free transfer. He had missed just three Premier League games in his final season at Anfield, scoring four goals as they had led the table for much of the first half of the season before being overhauled by eventual champions Manchester United
and having to settle for a fourth place finish. However he had been taken off a few times during his last season, and sensed that Roy Evans may begin looking towards the future. In the end, Paul Ince, a 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.
By this point, he had scored the most goals for Livepool than any other club, he had played for in his career.
, 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 1997-98 season Barnes played up front mostly, deputising for Alan Shearer after Shearer was injured for most of the season, and Barnes's 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 was 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 felt 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 to Arsenal
, and following the sacking of Dalglish early in the 1998-99 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" showing he had lost none of his quality if now slowing down from his paciest years. He felt that himself and others were deliberately being cold shouldered to make it known Gullit wanted his own players in- Barnes had actually worked briefly with Gullit during the 1998 World Cup ITV commentary team, but they were not friends, and Gullit would have recognised him from numerous international matches played in the 1980s and 1990s opposing each other. 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, but his forgotten- 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 10 February 1999.
Barnes had racked up an impressive 754 appearances, for 4 clubs, scoring 198 goals.
debut by Bobby Robson
on 28 May 1983, when he came on as a second half replacement for Watford team-mate 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.
10 June 1984 will always be a day to remember for Barnes, he scored one of the most breathtaking individual goals ever seen, when he outpaced and out-thought several Brazilian
defenders before rounding the Roberto Costa
and slotting the ball into an empty net during a friendly match at the Estádio do Maracanã
Stadium in Rio de Janeiro
. The goal brought him worldwide fame but also a sense of heavy expectation, with some observers and supporters expecting him to produce moments like that on a match-by-match basis.
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".
Bobby Robson did not use Barnes at the 1986 World Cup until the quarter final against Argentina
when England were trailing 2–0 with 15 minutes to go. (BBC
commentator
Barry Davies
famously shouted: "Go on! Run at them!" when Barnes was given the ball), setting up one goal for Gary Lineker
and laying on another chance which Lineker missed. England went out of the competition, but Barnes had been recognised for his contribution in the game and many questioned why Barnes had not been playing at the start or in previous matches. He then went on to be a regular starter for his country at both the 1988 European Championships and the 1990 World Cup.
Barnes was later described by Bobby Robson as being part of "The best front four in Europe" - The others being Gary Lineker, Peter Beardsley, and Chris Waddle - and despite high expectations, like many others he flopped at 1988 European Championships he received the ball irregularly stuck wide on the left, and England suffered some shock defeats.
He pulled out of England's first international game after the Hillsborough disaster due to the grief he felt at the time.In his absence, England won the World Cup qualifying game against Albania
5-0 at Wembley
on 26 April 1989.
In the lead up to the World Cup Barnes was played several times as a striker by Bobby Robson and in a warm up match against Uraguay played well and scored an excellent half volley from a Stuart Pearce cross. High things were expected of Barnes.
At the World Cup he sustained a groin injury against Belgium shortly after having a magnificent volleyed goal wrongly disallowed for offside. England went out to Germany
on penalties
in the semi-final. Barnes had again supplied a rap for a tie-in song, "World In Motion
" by New Order
, which was a UK Number 1 and is still regarded by many as the best football song ever made.
Under Graham Taylor
, many speculated his old mentor and manager at Watford would be able to get the best out of him, but his form was to become even less consistent; although this may have partly been down to the decline of English football as a whole during this period. In Graham Taylor's first match as England Manager in charge against Hungary, Barnes had appeared to be attacking positively and beating players and using the ball well. This was a false dawn however and throughout a difficult time for the England squad, Barnes had few other highlights with the exception of scoring a stunning free kick against Holland in a crucial 1993 World Cup qualifying match.
In a 1994 World Cup qualifying game against San Marino
, Barnes was booed by an entire section of England supporters at Wembley after a poor performance by the whole team. Barnes later believed an article attributed to Jimmy Greaves
which had appeared in the Daily Mirror in which his loyalty to England- citing his supposed support for the West Indies Cricket team- was questioned, had helped influence the booing in the crowd.
Barnes continued his international career into the mid 1990s. He earned a surprise recall in 1994 after improved form for Liverpool under Terry Venables, and was in the squad in the run up to Euro 96 although failed to make the final squad for the tournament despite England not having an established left sided alternative.
England's former most capped black player won 79 caps and scored 11 goals, but compared to his club form, he was never seen as a player who peaked when wearing an England shirt. Bobby Robson famously described him as the "Greatest enigma" of his career, whilst including him for his all time dream team England squad of all the players he had picked as manager in his 1990 book "Against All Odds" (placing him on the bench), he was baffled at Barnes's inconsistency. He described Barnes as being a player of "The highest calibre" but sometimes being unable to reach for that bit extra when he or Captain Bryan Robson
shouted at him to take more players on. Barnes himself has since said that he felt the systems played during his time as an England player were "rigid" and more focus was on speed, aggression, and attacking through the centre rather than patient passing style of play. He also claimed that he could receive the ball as few as six or seven times throughout a match whereas at Liverpool he may receive it more than twenty times throughout a match, and he had more freedom under Kenny Dalglish who did not ask him to stay on the left wing all the time. England also had a very different system to Liverpool at the time who were much more freeflowing, and later claimed that to have got the best out of him, they would have had to had a similar or replicated system Kenny Dalglish used, which was never likely to happen. He also cited the case of Glenn Hoddle and Chris Waddle who he felt England were unable to get the best out of during this time.
Newspapers at the time of his England career even asserted whether his disciplinarian upbringing in Jamaica to a military family and rumoured beatings as a child from his parents had contributed to his underperformance as an England footballer.
Tony Adams
has also subsequently picked Barnes to be in his England dream team in his 1999 book Addicted", citing that Barnes "Could pass, move, dribble, had Brazilian style movement... what more could you want?" He also backed claims of Barnes's that England at times used rigid systems.
Nevertheless, he remained in the top ten most capped players list for eleven years until David Beckham
and then Gary Neville
edged him out from ninth to 11th.
After 12 years of international recognition Barnes won the last of his 79 caps on 6 September 1995 in the memorable 0–0 friendly draw with Colombia
at Wembley. The goalless friendly will always be remembered because of the eccentric Colombian goalkeeper René Higuita
's 'Scorpion Kick.'
for the 1999–2000 season, working under Kenny Dalglish as director of football. After his appointment he later re-registered himself as a player but never played a competitive game for Celtic. This much-hyped appointment was unsuccessful, however, and included a shock Scottish Cup
defeat at the hands of Inverness Caledonian Thistle
in February (which gave birth to the famous headline from The Sun
: "Super Caley go ballistic, Celtic are atrocious"). Barnes was sacked shortly afterwards, with Dalglish taking over first-team duties until the end of the season. Although Dalglish won the League Cup in the process, his contract was not renewed and the board decided to replace him with Martin O'Neill
.
in September 2008 regarding the possibility of him managing the Jamaica national team
. On 16 September 2008, Barnes was appointed as manager of Jamaica announcing Mike Commane as his assistant. Barnes guided his new Jamaican charges to a first-place finish in the 2008 Caribbean Championships, qualifying as the top Caribbean
side for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup
.
In February 2009 Barnes told Sky Sports that he wanted to return to club management if the opportunity arose. It was reported that in May 2009 that Barnes contacted English League Two
side Port Vale
to see whether he could replace out-going manger Dean Glover. Ultimately, though, the potential move to Port Vale did not happen. Instead, on 14 June 2009 he confirmed that he was to be appointed manager of League One
Tranmere Rovers
.
on 15 June, with Jason McAteer
assisting him. He got off to a disastrous start, with Tranmere only winning three of their first fourteen games. On 9 October 2009, Barnes was sacked by the club six days after a 5–0 defeat at Millwall and a run of just two wins from eleven league games. He has since applied to become the manager of the Rwandan national team with Stephen Garside as his Youth Team Coach.
Footballer of the Year. He has also won the PFA Players' Player of the Year
and is widely regarded as among the most talented players to wear an England shirt. Barnes was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame
in 2005 in recognition of his contribution to the English game.
The Liverpool fans adoration for "Digger" was emphasised when he finished in the top 5 of the poll 100 Players Who Shook The Kop which was conducted by the official Liverpool Football Club web site in the summer of 2006. More than 110,000 supporters worldwide voted for their 10 favourite players of all time, Barnes finished 5th behind Robbie Fowler
(4th), Ian Rush
(3rd), Steven Gerrard
(2nd) and the man that signed him thrice for Liverpool, Newcastle and Celtic Kenny Dalglish (1st).
He also appears frequently as a selection in Four Four Two magazine's Perfect XI frequently, a choice in which current and former professional footballers make of the best 11 players they have ever seen, played with or against, including selections by Michael Owen, Steve Mcmannaman, Peter Beardsley, Ian Wright and Jamie Carragher.
He received rave reviews from other legends in the game such as George Best who once said: "John Barnes can be the greatest. He was described by the England boss Bobby Robson as the black Best, and I reckon he is right. Barnes has the ability to become the best, the most exciting winger in British Soccer since me. His transfer to Liverpool was the perfect move for a man who was born with stunning talent. The Anfield academy will take that natural ability, harness it with consistency, and produce a truly world-class performer." Legend Tom Finney was also mesmerised by Barnes' talents: "Players like John Barnes come along just once in a lifetime."
|1981/82
||rowspan="6"|Watford
||Second Division
||36||13||3||0||5||1||0||0||44||14
|-
|1982/83
||rowspan="5"|First Division
||42||10||4||1||3||0||4||2||53||13
|-
|1983/84
||39||11||7||4||2||1||6||0||54||16
|-
|1984/85
||40||12||2||0||5||3||0||0||47||15
|-
|1985/86
||39||9||8||3||3||1||0||0||50||13
|-
|1986/87
||37||10||7||3||3||1||1||0||48||14
|-
|1987/88
||rowspan="10"|Liverpool
||rowspan="5"|First Division
||38||15||7||2||3||0||0||0||48||17
|-
|1988/89
||33||8||6||3||3||2||0||0||42||13
|-
|1989/90
||34||22||8||5||2||1||0||0||44||28
|-
|1990/91
||35||16||7||1||2||0||0||0||44||17
|-
|1991/92
||12||1||4||3||0||0||1||0||17||4
|-
|1992/93
||rowspan="5"|Premier League||27||5||2||0||2||0||0||0||31||5
|-
|1993/94
||26||3||2||0||2||0||0||0||30||3
|-
|1994/95
||38||7||6||2||6||0||0||0||50||9
|-
|1995/96
||36||3||7||0||3||0||4||0||50||3
|-
|1996/97
||35||4||2||0||3||0||7||3||47||7
|-
|1997/98
||rowspan="2"|Newcastle United
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||26||6||5||0||3||0||5||1||39||7
|-
|rowspan="2"|1998/99
||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||1||0
|-
|Charlton Athletic
||Premier League||12||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||12||0
|-
|1999/00||Celtic
||Scottish Premier League
||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
586||155||87||27||50||10||28||6||781||198
586||155||87||27||50||10||28||6||781||198
Runner Up
Liverpool:
Winner
Runner Up
Newcastle United:
Runner Up
and Luther Blissett
, he has founded Team48 Motorsport, a team aiming to promote young racing drivers of Afro-Caribbean background. In 2008, the team entered the British Touring Car Championship
, running Alfa Romeo
s for white
Jamaican Matthew Gore and 18-year-old black Briton Darelle Wilson. A few days after being sacked by Tranmere, Barnes was declared bankrupt
. He has described the bankruptcy as a technicality, saying "The bankruptcy issue is a tax oversight which is being dealt with." Barnes' claims of the bankruptcy being a "tax oversight" proved true and the order was quickly overturned. His 7th child was born on 7 November 2010, also Barnes' birthday, while working for SkySports providing analysis on the Liverpool v Chelsea Premier League game which Liverpool won 2–0 with two goals by Fernando Torres. Barnes jokes that the child would be called Fernando after the Liverpool striker.
on ITV
and a presenter of the football coverage on Five as well as having his own weekly football discussion show on LFC TV
called The John Barnes Show, every Thursday. He also worked as an ambassador for Save the Children
. Barnes has appeared on several shows and media outlets to promote his charity work, including a notable appearance on Soccer AM
in February 2009 performing the "World in Motion" rap and a parody of the mistimed advert by ITV
in the previous weeks Everton
vs. Liverpool
FA Cup
tie, with Barnes' "Under-11 World Champion Baton-twirling" routine missed by mock commercials.
Barnes also competed in the fifth BBC series of Strictly Come Dancing
which started in October 2007. His dance partner was Nicole Cutler
. They finished in seventh place. He was also the first male celebrity to receive a ten from the judges, which he got for his salsa
.
After an absence of nearly eight years, Barnes returned to football in late 2007. He agreed to run several coaching clinics across the Caribbean for young players with the possibility of them joining Premier League side on trial.
He also made a guest appearance as himself in episode 10 of Series 6 of Waterloo Road
that was aired on BBC One
(BBC Two in Scotland) & BBC HD
at 8pm on Wednesday 27 October 2010.
He has also been recently used as a pundit in ESPN
's coverage of the FA Cup
2010, alongside the likes of Ray Stubbs
and Keith Houchen
.
He has also been recently used as a pundit in Supersport (TV channel)'s coverage of the UEFA Champions League
2010-2011, in South Africa.
Football Manager
Football Manager is a series of football management simulation games developed by Sports Interactive and published by Sega. The game began its life in 1992 as Championship Manager; however, following the break-up of their partnership with original publishers Eidos Interactive, Sports Interactive...
and former player.
During his playing career, Barnes had successful periods at Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
and Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
in the 1980s and 1990s, winning the First Division twice, the FA Cup twice, and playing for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
79 times (a former record for a black
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
player). After a period at Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
, he ended his playing career at Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
in 1999.
After retiring as a player, Barnes had a brief stint as head coach of Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
in 1999–2000, working alongside Kenny Dalglish
Kenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
. He took over as manager of the Jamaica national team
Jamaica national football team
The Jamaica national football team is the national team of Jamaica and is controlled by the Jamaica Football Federation. After decades in CONCACAF obscurity, they gained many fans throughout the world after they qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup...
on 1 November 2008, but resigned six months later to become manager at Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
. He was sacked by Tranmere on 9 October 2009 after a series of poor results.
Watford
Barnes moved to England after finishing his schooling in Jamaica, and was noticed by WatfordWatford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
whilst playing for non-league Sudbury Court. After a successful game in Watford's reserves, Barnes was signed on 14 July 1981 for the fee of a set of kit.
Barnes made his debut at 17 as a sub on 5 September 1981 in a 1–1 draw with Oldham Athletic in the Football League Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
at Vicarage Road
Vicarage Road
Vicarage Road, a stadium in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, is the home of the football club Watford and their tenants, the Saracens rugby union club. An all-seater stadium, its current capacity is 17,477.-History:...
. The club's manager at the time was Graham Taylor, and Watford were eight months away from completing their six-year rise from the Fourth Division to the First.
Barnes and Watford gained promotion, as runners-up to fierce rivals Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
, to the top flight
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
of English football at the end of the 1981–82 season and went on to finish as runners-up for the League title, coincidentally, to Liverpool the following season. Watford then made the 1984 FA Cup Final
1984 FA Cup Final
The 1984 FA Cup Final was contested by Everton and Watford at Wembley. Everton won 2–0, with one goal by Graeme Sharp and a particularly memorable goal from Andy Gray. He was adjudged by many to have fouled the Watford goalkeeper Steve Sherwood by heading the ball from Sherwood's hands....
, where, as under-dogs, they were beaten 2–0 by Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
. Watford would go on to reach the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
semi-final again in 1987 only to lose to Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
. 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 9 June 1987 in a £900,000 deal for Kenny Dalglish's LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, after appearing 292 times for the Hornets and scoring 83 goals. He joined at the same time as England team-mate Peter Beardsley
Peter Beardsley
Peter Andrew Beardsley MBE is an English former footballer who played between 1979 and 1999. He once set a record transfer fee in the game and represented his country 59 times between 1986 and 1996, once as captain...
and linking up with John Aldridge
John Aldridge
John William Aldridge is a former Republic of Ireland international footballer and football manager...
, Ray Houghton
Ray Houghton
Raymond James "Ray" Houghton is a retired Scottish-born footballer who represented the Republic of Ireland at international level, qualifying through his Irish father...
and then Ian Rush
Ian Rush
Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield...
to form one of the most formidable attacking lines of Liverpool's illustrious history.
Just before Barnes had departed from Watford, manager Graham Taylor had departed to Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
to be succeeded by Dave Bassett
Dave Bassett
David Bassett , also frequently known by his nickname of Harry, is an English football manager and a former player....
, who had resigned himself to losing Barnes to a bigger club. He had gone as far as offering Alex Ferguson
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
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
Jesper Olsen
Jesper Olsen is a Danish former footballer who most notably played for Ajax of the Netherlands and Manchester United of England. Olsen was a regular left winger for the Danish national team, scoring five goals in 43 matches...
. 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 15 August 1987 in the 2–1 league win over Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
at Highbury
Arsenal Stadium
Arsenal Stadium was a football stadium in Highbury, North London, which was the home ground of Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 and 7 May 2006...
, it took just 9 minutes for Barnes and Beardsley to show just what was in store for the Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
faithful, as they combined to set up Aldridge for an excellent team goal. Barnes' first strike for the club came a month later on the 12 September as the Reds beat Oxford United
Oxford United F.C.
Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...
2–0 at Anfield, Aldridge had already scored against his former employers in the 13th minute before Barnes scored in the 37th minute to make the game safe.
In his first season at Anfield, Barnes was outstanding as Liverpool coasted to the League title, remaining undefeated for the first 29 games of the season and ending up with just two defeats, though again he would suffer FA Cup disappointment when Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
surprisingly beat the champions 1–0 in the final. Barnes had performed a memorable (not necessarily for the right reasons) rap
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
on the club's traditional Cup final song Anfield Rap
Anfield Rap
The "Anfield Rap" was a song released by members of Liverpool F.C. before the 1988 FA Cup Final against Wimbledon FC. The song reached #3 in the UK singles chart. The song was co-written by Liverpool's midfielder Craig Johnston and rapper Derek B-Style:...
, which got to Number 3 in the UK charts.
Barnes scored 15 league goals in his first season at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
, second only to John Aldridge
John Aldridge
John William Aldridge is a former Republic of Ireland international footballer and football manager...
at the club. He was voted overwhelmingly PFA Player Of The Year, and many observers on and off the pitch had seen him as the most devastating player in a team many regarded as Liverpool's most exciting of all time. In particular Barnes, Beardsley, Houghton and Aldridge were rampant in Liverpool's 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest on the 13th of April 1988, a game which Tom Finney described as “It was the finest exhibition I’ve seen the whole time I’ve played and watched the game. You couldn’t see it bettered anywhere, not even in Brazil.” Team mate Aldridge said in his autobiography that Bobby Robson had at the time claimed Barnes was as good as George Best at his peak.
Barnes, like everyone else at Anfield, was given a nickname – Digger, because the initials on his training shirt were JCB (John Charles Barnes).
The success and disappointment of the 1987–88 season was reversed a year later, with Liverpool winning the FA Cup with a 3–2 victory over Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
rivals Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, with Barnes creating goals from the left wing for Aldridge and Ian Rush, and instrumental during the extra time period, but losing the title to Arsenal with literally seconds remaining. Barnes played the whole of the title decider
Liverpool 0–2 Arsenal (26 May 1989)
The final match of the 1988–89 English Football League season was contested on 26 May 1989, between Liverpool and Arsenal, at Liverpool's Anfield ground. By sheer coincidence, it was the match between the top two teams in the First Division and the teams were close enough on points for the match to...
at Anfield, with the move resulting in Michael Thomas' famous goal occurring immediately after Barnes had lost possession of the ball whilst attenpting to dribble past Kevin Richardson in the last moments of the game.
In April 1989, after the Hillsborough disaster
Hillsborough disaster
The Hillsborough disaster was a human crush that occurred on 15 April 1989 at Hillsborough, a football stadium, the home of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. in Sheffield, England, resulting in the deaths of 96 people, and 766 being injured, all fans of Liverpool F.C....
claimed the lives of 96 Liverpool fans, Barnes was among many Liverpool stars left distraught by the tragedy, attending several funerals and visiting the injured in hospital. He even pulled out of an England international friendly in order to fulfill these public duties.
Barnes, in his early years at Liverpool, was having to deal with racist abuse from opposing supporters and far-right groups — a famous 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
Merseyside derby
The Merseyside derby is the name given to any football match contested between Everton and Liverpool football clubs, the two most successful clubs from the city of Liverpool in England...
match with Everton at Goodison Park. He also claimed Liverpool supporters had written to him to not join the club, as well as being abused by opposition players and even on occcasion he would overhear a team mate make a racist remark towards other black players in opposiiton teams. Upon 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 himself and he made a joke about it by asking light heartedly "Is it because I'm black?"
Barnes played in the 1990 title winning side at Liverpool and scored an amazing 22 league goals from the left wing – his personal best for the club. Liverpool striking legend, and colleague, Ian Rush
Ian Rush
Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield...
also had a great season but managed 4 fewer league goals than Barnes, putting into a larger context just how prolific and important Barnes was to Liverpool at the time. Barnes was voted Football Writer's Player Of The Year, and expectations from England manager Bobby Robson were also high, seeing Barnes as a key component in the build up to Italia 90. Then team mate Peter Beardsley has since said Barnes at the end of the 1980s was "The best player I ever played with, bar none. For three or 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, and started the 1990–91 season in scintillating form, despite frequent barracking from opposition fans who were frustrated with his lack of product in an England shirt. He has His response was frightening though as the likes of Aston Villa, Manchester United, Wimbledon FC and Leeds United found out as Barnes scored spectacular goal after goal for the Liverpool cause. He still managed 16 league goals, though the title slipped from Liverpool's grasp to that of Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
following the sudden resignation of Kenny Dalglish and the appointment of Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
as manager.
In 1992 Liverpool won the FA Cup again but Barnes missed the final with an Achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
injury, which he later cited in his autobiography would dull his acceleration, affecting his ability to push off from a still position, whilst not affecting his pace at full. He played just 12 league games in the 1991–92
1991-92 in English football
- First Division :The last-ever league championship before the creation of the Premier League was won by Leeds United who overhauled Manchester United thanks to the efforts of, among others, Gordon Strachan, Lee Chapman, David Batty, Gary Speed and Gary McAllister...
, 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. New manager Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
expressed his disappointment in Barnes's availability and indifferent form around this time as he had seen him as Liverpool's best player and had expected to "build the team around him" and Jan Molby when he arrived. By Barnes's own admission, Souness rarely saw the best of him, and Souness frequently harshly criticised him and others to their faces. Barnes and several other senior players were to have 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 had given an interview criticising the tactics employed by the manager before an important match. Young team mate 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.
It was also during this period (in 1992) where constant injuries would eventually take their toll and rob Barnes of the lightning acceleration and pace that was once his hallmark. He would have to adapt his playing style- 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 "devestating winger with a goalscoring touch". Still, 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
Mark Walters
Mark Everton Walters is a retired professional footballer from Birmingham, England.-Aston Villa:Walters began his career as an apprentice at Aston Villa on leaving school in the summer of 1980, turning the professional a year later - just after Villa's Football League First Division title triumph...
who had been highly effective for Souness at Glasgow Rangers had been purchased as cover/competition for Barnes but despite Barnes's woes, Walters failed to displace Barnes short or long term.
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's 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
Graeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
, before Roy Evans
Roy Evans
Roy Evans CBE was a Liverpool football player who eventually rose through the coaching ranks to become team manager.-Career:...
took over at the helm in 1994. His improved form in the 1994-95 season saw him earn a recall to the England team and he begun to show glimpses of his old self again as he scored 7 league goals (9 in all competitions) despite being now principally a central midfielder.
Under Evans
Roy Evans
Roy Evans CBE was a Liverpool football player who eventually rose through the coaching ranks to become team manager.-Career:...
, Barnes and his young proteges like his favoured successor, Steve McManaman
Steve McManaman
Steven McManaman is a retired English footballer who played as a midfielder, winger and playmaker. Having spent his playing career at two of European football's most successful clubs of the 20th century, Liverpool and Real Madrid, as well as a spell at Manchester City, McManaman is the most...
, fellow central midfielder Jamie Redknapp
Jamie Redknapp
Jamie Frank Redknapp is a retired English footballer who was active from 1989 until 2005. He is now a football pundit with Sky Sports, and an editorial columnist with the Daily Mail....
and striker Robbie Fowler
Robbie Fowler
Robert Bernard Fowler is an English footballer who is currently player/manager for Thai Premier League club Muangthong United....
began playing attractive, attacking football, and won the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
in 1995, began challenging for the FA Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
title, and lost the 1996 FA Cup Final
1996 FA Cup Final
The 1996 FA Cup Final was the 51st to be held at Wembley Stadium after the Second World War and was held between two of the biggest rivals in English football, Manchester United and Liverpool.- Build-up :...
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 countless goals for the likes of Fowler. He often captained the side in 1995–96
1995-96 in English football
- Premiership :Newcastle United were 12 points clear at the top of Manchester United, but Alex Ferguson's relatively young and inexperienced side overhauled them during the second half of the season to win the title....
when regular captain Ian Rush
Ian Rush
Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield...
lost his place in the first team to new signing Stan Collymore
Stan Collymore
Stanley Victor "Stan" Collymore is an English football pundit and former footballer, who played from 1990 until 2001. He held the British transfer record when he moved from Nottingham Forest to Liverpool for £8.5 million in 1995 and was capped three times at senior level by the England...
, and when Rush departed to Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
at the end of the season he became full time captain. Barnes played a pivotal role in controlling the midfield with his quality passing, vision, deft control and awareness, and created the final goal after an intricate dribble and passing movement for Stan Collymoore during Liverpool's famous 4-3 win at Anfield against Newcastle, cited by many as one of the greatest Premier League matches of all time. 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, at the age of 32/33, 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 13 August 1997, after 407 appearances and 108 goals, Barnes was allowed to leave on a free transfer. He had missed just three Premier League games in his final season at Anfield, scoring four goals as they had led the table for much of the first half of the season before being overhauled by eventual champions Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
and having to settle for a fourth place finish. However he had been taken off a few times during his last season, and sensed that Roy Evans may begin looking towards the future. In the end, Paul Ince, a 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.
By this point, he had scored the most goals for Livepool than any other club, he had played for in his career.
Newcastle United
Barnes was then snapped up by former team-mate and manager Kenny Dalglish, who was managing Newcastle UnitedNewcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
, 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 1997-98 season Barnes played up front mostly, deputising for Alan Shearer after Shearer was injured for most of the season, and Barnes's 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 was 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 felt 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
1998 FA Cup Final
The 1998 FA Cup Final was contested by Arsenal and Newcastle United at Wembley. Arsenal won 2–0, with goals by Marc Overmars and Nicolas Anelka to complete their second league and cup double....
, and Barnes went onto the field for the fifth FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
final of his career. However, Newcastle lost 2–0 to Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, and following the sacking of Dalglish early in the 1998-99 season
1998-99 in English football
-Premier League:Manchester United overcame close competition from Arsenal, Aston Villa and Chelsea to win their fifth Premiership title in seven seasons thanks to the comeback of Roy Keane after his long-term injury and a transfer raid totalling nearly £30 million which netted Aston Villa striker...
, 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
Ruud Gullit
OON is a Dutch football manager and former football player, who played professionally in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the captain of the Netherlands national team that was victorious at Euro 88 and was also a member of the squad for the 1990 World Cup. He was named the European Footballer of the...
and spent several months in the reserves despite, in his opinion "excelling in training" showing he had lost none of his quality if now slowing down from his paciest years. He felt that himself and others were deliberately being cold shouldered to make it known Gullit wanted his own players in- Barnes had actually worked briefly with Gullit during the 1998 World Cup ITV commentary team, but they were not friends, and Gullit would have recognised him from numerous international matches played in the 1980s and 1990s opposing each other. 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, but his forgotten- 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 10 February 1999.
Charlton Athletic
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.Barnes had racked up an impressive 754 appearances, for 4 clubs, scoring 198 goals.
International career
Though a Jamaican by birth, Barnes opted to represent the country he had lived in since the age of 13 and was given his EnglandEngland national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
debut by Bobby Robson
Bobby Robson
Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team during his career....
on 28 May 1983, when he came on as a second half replacement for Watford team-mate Luther Blissett
Luther Blissett
Luther Loide Blissett is a former professional footballer and manager, who is currently a first-team coach at Hemel Hempstead Town. Blissett played as a striker, and is best known for his time at Watford, whom he helped win promotion from the Fourth Division to the First Division...
as England drew 0–0 with Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
in a British Championship
British Home Championship
The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84...
match at Windsor Park
Windsor Park
Windsor Park is a football stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland and the home ground of Linfield F.C. and the Northern Ireland national football team. It is also where the Irish Cup and Irish League Cup finals are played.-History:...
, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
. He and Blissett were among the first black footballers to be full England internationals.
10 June 1984 will always be a day to remember for Barnes, he scored one of the most breathtaking individual goals ever seen, when he outpaced and out-thought several Brazilian
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
defenders before rounding the Roberto Costa
Roberto Costa
Roberto Costa Cabral or Roberto Costa, as he was known, is a former football player from Brazil. He played goalkeeper , mainly with Atlético Paranaense...
and slotting the ball into an empty net during a friendly match at the Estádio do Maracanã
Estádio do Maracanã
The Estádio do Maracanã , officially Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, is an open-air stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Owned by the Rio de Janeiro State Government, it is named after the Maracanã neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro. It was opened in 1950 to host the FIFA World Cup, and in the final...
Stadium in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. The goal brought him worldwide fame but also a sense of heavy expectation, with some observers and supporters expecting him to produce moments like that on a match-by-match basis.
In his early England days, he and fellow black player Mark Chamberlain
Mark Chamberlain
Mark Valentine Chamberlain is an English retired international footballer. He is the younger brother of Neville Chamberlain, and the father of Arsenal and England U21 player Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain....
were subjected to threats from racist groups. Notably, Barnes was abused by supporters of the National Front
British National Front
The National Front is a far right, white-only political party whose major political activities took place during the 1970s and 1980s. Its popularity peaked in the 1979 general election, when it received 191,719 votes ....
on the plane back from South America in June 1984; the racists claimed that England had only won 1–0 against Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
because Barnes' goal "didn't count".
Bobby Robson did not use Barnes at the 1986 World Cup until the quarter final against Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
when England were trailing 2–0 with 15 minutes to go. (BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
commentator
Sports commentator
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
Barry Davies
Barry Davies
Barry George Davies MBE is a British sports commentator. He has covered a wide range of sports in a long career, primarily for the BBC.-Broadcasting career:...
famously shouted: "Go on! Run at them!" when Barnes was given the ball), setting up one goal for Gary Lineker
Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker, OBE , is a former English footballer, who played as a striker. He is a sports broadcaster for the BBC, Al Jazeera Sports and Eredivisie Live...
and laying on another chance which Lineker missed. England went out of the competition, but Barnes had been recognised for his contribution in the game and many questioned why Barnes had not been playing at the start or in previous matches. He then went on to be a regular starter for his country at both the 1988 European Championships and the 1990 World Cup.
Barnes was later described by Bobby Robson as being part of "The best front four in Europe" - The others being Gary Lineker, Peter Beardsley, and Chris Waddle - and despite high expectations, like many others he flopped at 1988 European Championships he received the ball irregularly stuck wide on the left, and England suffered some shock defeats.
He pulled out of England's first international game after the Hillsborough disaster due to the grief he felt at the time.In his absence, England won the World Cup qualifying game against Albania
Albania national football team
The Albania national association football team is the national association football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania...
5-0 at Wembley
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
on 26 April 1989.
In the lead up to the World Cup Barnes was played several times as a striker by Bobby Robson and in a warm up match against Uraguay played well and scored an excellent half volley from a Stuart Pearce cross. High things were expected of Barnes.
At the World Cup he sustained a groin injury against Belgium shortly after having a magnificent volleyed goal wrongly disallowed for offside. England went out to Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
on penalties
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
in the semi-final. Barnes had again supplied a rap for a tie-in song, "World In Motion
World in Motion
"World in Motion" is a song by English musical group New Order. It is New Order's only UK number one single. The song was produced for the England football team's 1990 FIFA World Cup campaign, and features several members of the 1990 English team, as well as comedian Keith Allen, who co-wrote the...
" by New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
, which was a UK Number 1 and is still regarded by many as the best football song ever made.
Under Graham Taylor
Graham Taylor
Graham Taylor may refer to:* Graham Taylor , footballer and manager* Graham Taylor , British novelist and part-time priest* Graham Taylor , Major League Baseball player...
, many speculated his old mentor and manager at Watford would be able to get the best out of him, but his form was to become even less consistent; although this may have partly been down to the decline of English football as a whole during this period. In Graham Taylor's first match as England Manager in charge against Hungary, Barnes had appeared to be attacking positively and beating players and using the ball well. This was a false dawn however and throughout a difficult time for the England squad, Barnes had few other highlights with the exception of scoring a stunning free kick against Holland in a crucial 1993 World Cup qualifying match.
In a 1994 World Cup qualifying game against San Marino
San Marino national football team
The San Marino national football team is the national football team of San Marino, controlled by the San Marino Football Federation...
, Barnes was booed by an entire section of England supporters at Wembley after a poor performance by the whole team. Barnes later believed an article attributed to Jimmy Greaves
Jimmy Greaves
James Peter 'Jimmy' Greaves is an English former football player, England's third highest international goalscorer, the highest goalscorer in the history of Tottenham Hotspur football club, the highest goalscorer in the history of English top flight football and more recently a television pundit -...
which had appeared in the Daily Mirror in which his loyalty to England- citing his supposed support for the West Indies Cricket team- was questioned, had helped influence the booing in the crowd.
Barnes continued his international career into the mid 1990s. He earned a surprise recall in 1994 after improved form for Liverpool under Terry Venables, and was in the squad in the run up to Euro 96 although failed to make the final squad for the tournament despite England not having an established left sided alternative.
England's former most capped black player won 79 caps and scored 11 goals, but compared to his club form, he was never seen as a player who peaked when wearing an England shirt. Bobby Robson famously described him as the "Greatest enigma" of his career, whilst including him for his all time dream team England squad of all the players he had picked as manager in his 1990 book "Against All Odds" (placing him on the bench), he was baffled at Barnes's inconsistency. He described Barnes as being a player of "The highest calibre" but sometimes being unable to reach for that bit extra when he or Captain Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson OBE is an English football manager and a former player. He is best known for playing in midfield for Manchester United, where he was the longest serving captain in club history. He was the manager of Sheffield United, being relieved of his first team duties at the club in February 2008...
shouted at him to take more players on. Barnes himself has since said that he felt the systems played during his time as an England player were "rigid" and more focus was on speed, aggression, and attacking through the centre rather than patient passing style of play. He also claimed that he could receive the ball as few as six or seven times throughout a match whereas at Liverpool he may receive it more than twenty times throughout a match, and he had more freedom under Kenny Dalglish who did not ask him to stay on the left wing all the time. England also had a very different system to Liverpool at the time who were much more freeflowing, and later claimed that to have got the best out of him, they would have had to had a similar or replicated system Kenny Dalglish used, which was never likely to happen. He also cited the case of Glenn Hoddle and Chris Waddle who he felt England were unable to get the best out of during this time.
Newspapers at the time of his England career even asserted whether his disciplinarian upbringing in Jamaica to a military family and rumoured beatings as a child from his parents had contributed to his underperformance as an England footballer.
Tony Adams
Tony Adams
Tony Adams may refer to:*Tony Adams , Welsh actor*Tony Adams , American football player*Tony Adams , Irish-born film and stage producer...
has also subsequently picked Barnes to be in his England dream team in his 1999 book Addicted", citing that Barnes "Could pass, move, dribble, had Brazilian style movement... what more could you want?" He also backed claims of Barnes's that England at times used rigid systems.
Nevertheless, he remained in the top ten most capped players list for eleven years until David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
and then Gary Neville
Gary Neville
Gary Alexander Neville is a former English footballer. He is England's most capped right-back and was Manchester United's club captain for five years....
edged him out from ninth to 11th.
After 12 years of international recognition Barnes won the last of his 79 caps on 6 September 1995 in the memorable 0–0 friendly draw with Colombia
Colombia national football team
The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
at Wembley. The goalless friendly will always be remembered because of the eccentric Colombian goalkeeper René Higuita
René Higuita
José René Higuita Zapata is a former Colombian football goalkeeper nicknamed El Loco...
's 'Scorpion Kick.'
Celtic
In a "dream ticket" style move, Barnes was appointed head coach of CelticCeltic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
for the 1999–2000 season, working under Kenny Dalglish as director of football. After his appointment he later re-registered himself as a player but never played a competitive game for Celtic. This much-hyped appointment was unsuccessful, however, and included a shock Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
defeat at the hands of Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club are a Scottish football club from Inverness who compete in the Scottish Premier League. They are currently managed by Terry Butcher and assistant manager Maurice Malpas...
in February (which gave birth to the famous headline from The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
: "Super Caley go ballistic, Celtic are atrocious"). Barnes was sacked shortly afterwards, with Dalglish taking over first-team duties until the end of the season. Although Dalglish won the League Cup in the process, his contract was not renewed and the board decided to replace him with Martin O'Neill
Martin O'Neill
Martin Hugh Michael O'Neill, OBE, is a Northern Irish football manager and former player.Until resigning the post on 9 August 2010, he was manager of Aston Villa. Starting his career in his native Northern Ireland, O'Neill moved to England where he spent most of his playing career with Nottingham...
.
Jamaica
Barnes entered discussions with the Jamaica Football FederationJamaica Football Federation
The Jamaica Football Federation is the governing body of football in Jamaica and is in charge of the Jamaican national team and the Jamaican National Premier League.- History :...
in September 2008 regarding the possibility of him managing the Jamaica national team
Jamaica national football team
The Jamaica national football team is the national team of Jamaica and is controlled by the Jamaica Football Federation. After decades in CONCACAF obscurity, they gained many fans throughout the world after they qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup...
. On 16 September 2008, Barnes was appointed as manager of Jamaica announcing Mike Commane as his assistant. Barnes guided his new Jamaican charges to a first-place finish in the 2008 Caribbean Championships, qualifying as the top Caribbean
Caribbean Football Union
The Caribbean Football Union, often referred to by the acronym CFU, is the nominal governing body for Caribbean football. It represents 25 FIFA member nations, as well as 5 territories that are not affiliated to FIFA. Its member associations compete in the CONCACAF region...
side for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup
2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup
The 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the tenth edition of the Gold Cup competition, and the twentieth association football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean . It was contested from 3 July to 26 July 2009 in the United States. This competition was the fourth tournament...
.
In February 2009 Barnes told Sky Sports that he wanted to return to club management if the opportunity arose. It was reported that in May 2009 that Barnes contacted English League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
to see whether he could replace out-going manger Dean Glover. Ultimately, though, the potential move to Port Vale did not happen. Instead, on 14 June 2009 he confirmed that he was to be appointed manager of League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
.
Tranmere Rovers
Barnes was officially named as manager of Tranmere RoversTranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
on 15 June, with Jason McAteer
Jason McAteer
Jason Wynne McAteer is a retired Irish footballer, who represented the Republic of Ireland at international level. He announced his retirement from professional football on 12 June 2007,...
assisting him. He got off to a disastrous start, with Tranmere only winning three of their first fourteen games. On 9 October 2009, Barnes was sacked by the club six days after a 5–0 defeat at Millwall and a run of just two wins from eleven league games. He has since applied to become the manager of the Rwandan national team with Stephen Garside as his Youth Team Coach.
Accolades
Twice in his career, Barnes was voted Football Writers' AssociationFootball Writers' Association
The Football Writers' Association is an association of England football journalists and correspondents writing for newspapers and agencies, founded in 1947....
Footballer of the Year. He has also won the PFA Players' Player of the Year
PFA Players' Player of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Players' Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the year in English football...
and is widely regarded as among the most talented players to wear an England shirt. Barnes was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame
English Football Hall of Fame
The English Football Hall of Fame is housed at the National Football Museum, currently being relocated to Manchester, England. The Hall aims to celebrate and highlight the achievements of the all-time top English footballing talents, as well as non-English players and managers who have become...
in 2005 in recognition of his contribution to the English game.
The Liverpool fans adoration for "Digger" was emphasised when he finished in the top 5 of the poll 100 Players Who Shook The Kop which was conducted by the official Liverpool Football Club web site in the summer of 2006. More than 110,000 supporters worldwide voted for their 10 favourite players of all time, Barnes finished 5th behind Robbie Fowler
Robbie Fowler
Robert Bernard Fowler is an English footballer who is currently player/manager for Thai Premier League club Muangthong United....
(4th), Ian Rush
Ian Rush
Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield...
(3rd), Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard
Steven George Gerrard MBE is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League club Liverpool. He also has 89 caps for the England national team. He has played much of his career in a centre midfielder role, but he has also been used as a second striker and right winger...
(2nd) and the man that signed him thrice for Liverpool, Newcastle and Celtic Kenny Dalglish (1st).
He also appears frequently as a selection in Four Four Two magazine's Perfect XI frequently, a choice in which current and former professional footballers make of the best 11 players they have ever seen, played with or against, including selections by Michael Owen, Steve Mcmannaman, Peter Beardsley, Ian Wright and Jamie Carragher.
He received rave reviews from other legends in the game such as George Best who once said: "John Barnes can be the greatest. He was described by the England boss Bobby Robson as the black Best, and I reckon he is right. Barnes has the ability to become the best, the most exciting winger in British Soccer since me. His transfer to Liverpool was the perfect move for a man who was born with stunning talent. The Anfield academy will take that natural ability, harness it with consistency, and produce a truly world-class performer." Legend Tom Finney was also mesmerised by Barnes' talents: "Players like John Barnes come along just once in a lifetime."
As a player
|-|1981/82
The Football League 1981-82
The 1981–1982 season was the 82nd completed season of The Football League.- First Division:3 points for a win was introduced for the first time in England...
||rowspan="6"|Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
||Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
||36||13||3||0||5||1||0||0||44||14
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|1982/83
The Football League 1982-83
-Overview:The 1982–1983 season was the 83rd completed season of The Football League.- First Division:Bob Paisley’s last season as Liverpool manager ended on a high as they topped the First Division with a comfortable lead. Bob Paisley retired as Liverpool manager with a record 21 prizes in nine...
||rowspan="5"|First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||42||10||4||1||3||0||4||2||53||13
|-
|1983/84
The Football League 1983-84
-Overview:The 1983–1984 season was the 84th completed season of The Football League.- First Division:Liverpool had a great first season under the management of Joe Fagan as they wrapped up their third successive league title and the 15th in their history. They overcame strong competition from...
||39||11||7||4||2||1||6||0||54||16
|-
|1984/85
The Football League 1984-85
-Overview:The 1984–1985 season was the 85th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Howard Kendall’s Everton side beat neighbours Liverpool to the league championship, while Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United followed closely behind...
||40||12||2||0||5||3||0||0||47||15
|-
|1985/86
The Football League 1985-86
-Overview:The 1985–1986 season was the 86th completed season of the The Football League.-Final league tables and results :The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at the website, with home and away statistics separated.Re-election: During the first five seasons...
||39||9||8||3||3||1||0||0||50||13
|-
|1986/87
The Football League 1986-87
-Overview:The 1986–1987 season was the 87th completed season of the The Football League.-Innovations for this season:Playoffs to determine promotion places were introduced in 1987 so that more clubs remained eligible for promotion closer to the end of the season, and at the same time to aid in the...
||37||10||7||3||3||1||1||0||48||14
|-
|1987/88
The Football League 1987-88
The 1987–1988 season was the 88th completed season of the The Football League.-First Division:Liverpool won the league title with a comfortable nine-point margin and just two defeats all season...
||rowspan="10"|Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
||rowspan="5"|First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||38||15||7||2||3||0||0||0||48||17
|-
|1988/89
The Football League 1988-89
The 1988–1989 season was the 89th completed season of the Football League.No European qualification took place due to the Heysel Stadium disaster suspension in place....
||33||8||6||3||3||2||0||0||42||13
|-
|1989/90
The Football League 1989-90
The 1989–1990 season was the 90th completed season of The Football League.- First Division :Liverpool overhauled a greatly improved Aston Villa side to win their 18th league championship trophy and their fifth major trophy in as many seasons under Kenny Dalglish’s management. To date, this remains...
||34||22||8||5||2||1||0||0||44||28
|-
|1990/91
The Football League 1990-91
The 1990–1991 season was the 91st completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Arsenal took their second league title in three seasons despite a season during which it often looked as though the good points would be outnumbered by the bad points...
||35||16||7||1||2||0||0||0||44||17
|-
|1991/92
The Football League 1991-92
The 1991–1992 season was the 92nd completed season of The Football League.- First Division :The last-ever league championship before the creation of the Premier League was won by Leeds United who overhauled Manchester United thanks to the efforts of players like Gordon Strachan, Lee Chapman, David...
||12||1||4||3||0||0||1||0||17||4
|-
|1992/93
FA Premier League 1992-93
The 1992–93 FA Premier League was the first season of the Premier League, the top division of English football. The league was made up of the 22 clubs that broke away from The Football League at the end of the 1991–92 season. The new league was backed up by a five-year, £305 million deal with...
||rowspan="5"|Premier League||27||5||2||0||2||0||0||0||31||5
|-
|1993/94
FA Premier League 1993-94
-New league sponsors:From the start of the 1993-94 season, the FA Premier League was sponsored by Carling Breweries.-Promoted teams:Newcastle United and West Ham were promoted to the Premier League from the First Division as champions and runners-up respectively. The last promotion place was won by...
||26||3||2||0||2||0||0||0||30||3
|-
|1994/95
FA Premier League 1994-95
-Promoted teams:Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest were promoted from the Football League First Division as winners and runners-up respectively. Leicester City won the 1993-94 playoff.-Controversial incidents:...
||38||7||6||2||6||0||0||0||50||9
|-
|1995/96
FA Premier League 1995-96
-Promoted teams:Due to the decision to reduce the number of clubs in the Premier League from 22 to 20, only two clubs were promoted this season: Middlesbrough as Football League First Division champions, and Bolton Wanderers who won the 1994-95 playoff.-Transfers:...
||36||3||7||0||3||0||4||0||50||3
|-
|1996/97
FA Premier League 1996-97
The 1996–97 FA Premier League season was the fifth season of the competition, since its formation in 1992. The majority of the season was contested by the reigning champions, Manchester United, along with Newcastle United, Arsenal and Liverpool...
||35||4||2||0||3||0||7||3||47||7
|-
|1997/98
FA Premier League 1997-98
The FA Premier League 1997-98 season saw Arsenal lift their first league title since 1991, and also become only the second team to win the 'double' of the FA Cup and league title twice...
||rowspan="2"|Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||26||6||5||0||3||0||5||1||39||7
|-
|rowspan="2"|1998/99
FA Premier League 1998-99
The 1998–99 FA Premier League season was the seventh season of the Premier League, the top division of English football, since its establishment in 1992. The season will always be remembered as the one in which Manchester United won a unique treble of the league title, the FA Cup and the European Cup...
||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||1||0
|-
|Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
||Premier League||12||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||12||0
|-
|1999/00||Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
||Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
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586||155||87||27||50||10||28||6||781||198
As a manager
- As of 6 September 2009.
Team Nation From Celtic Celtic F.C.Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
10 June 1999 10 February 2000 29 19 2 8 65.5 Jamaica Jamaica national football teamThe Jamaica national football team is the national team of Jamaica and is controlled by the Jamaica Football Federation. After decades in CONCACAF obscurity, they gained many fans throughout the world after they qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup...16 September 2008 15 June 2009 11 7 4 0 63.6 Tranmere Rovers Tranmere Rovers F.C.Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...15 June 2009 9 October 2009 12 3 1 8 25
As player
Watford:Runner Up
- 1981/82 League ChampionshipFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
(Division 2) - 1982/83 League ChampionshipFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
(Division 1) - 1983/84 FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
Liverpool:
Winner
- 1987/88 League ChampionshipFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
(Division 1) - 1988/89 Charity Shield
- 1988/89 FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
- 1989/90 Charity Shield
- 1989/90 League ChampionshipFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
(Division 1) - 1990/91 Charity Shield Shared
- 1991/92 FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
- 1994/95 League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
Runner Up
- 1987/88 FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
- 1988/89 League ChampionshipFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
(Division 1) - 1990/91 League ChampionshipFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
(Division 1) - 1995/96 FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
Newcastle United:
Runner Up
- 1997/98 FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
Individual
- Appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1998 Queen's Birthday HonoursQueen's Birthday HonoursThe Queen's Birthday Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen...
- Inducted into the English Football Hall of FameEnglish Football Hall of FameThe English Football Hall of Fame is housed at the National Football Museum, currently being relocated to Manchester, England. The Hall aims to celebrate and highlight the achievements of the all-time top English footballing talents, as well as non-English players and managers who have become...
, 2005
Personal life
Barnes was first married to and subsequently divorced Suzy and they have two sons and two daughters: Jamie, Jordan, Jemma and Jasmin. John's second wife is called Andrea and they have two daughters: Isabella and Tia, and a son: Alexander. With fellow former footballers Les FerdinandLes Ferdinand
Leslie "Les" Ferdinand MBE is a former English footballer. His playing career included spells at Queens Park Rangers, Besiktas J.K., Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Bolton Wanderers F.C., during which period he earned a number of appearances for England...
and Luther Blissett
Luther Blissett
Luther Loide Blissett is a former professional footballer and manager, who is currently a first-team coach at Hemel Hempstead Town. Blissett played as a striker, and is best known for his time at Watford, whom he helped win promotion from the Fourth Division to the First Division...
, he has founded Team48 Motorsport, a team aiming to promote young racing drivers of Afro-Caribbean background. In 2008, the team entered the British Touring Car Championship
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
, running Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
s for white
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
Jamaican Matthew Gore and 18-year-old black Briton Darelle Wilson. A few days after being sacked by Tranmere, Barnes was declared bankrupt
Bankruptcy in the United Kingdom
Bankruptcy in the United Kingdom does not have a singular law. There is one system for England and Wales, one for Northern Ireland and one for Scotland.Across the United Kingdom, bankruptcy refers only to insolvency of individuals and partnerships...
. He has described the bankruptcy as a technicality, saying "The bankruptcy issue is a tax oversight which is being dealt with." Barnes' claims of the bankruptcy being a "tax oversight" proved true and the order was quickly overturned. His 7th child was born on 7 November 2010, also Barnes' birthday, while working for SkySports providing analysis on the Liverpool v Chelsea Premier League game which Liverpool won 2–0 with two goals by Fernando Torres. Barnes jokes that the child would be called Fernando after the Liverpool striker.
Media and charity work
Barnes became a punditPundit (politics)
A pundit is someone who offers to mass media his or her opinion or commentary on a particular subject area on which they are knowledgeable. The term has been increasingly applied to popular media personalities...
on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
and a presenter of the football coverage on Five as well as having his own weekly football discussion show on LFC TV
LFC TV
LFC TV is the dedicated official channel for English football club Liverpool Football Club which launched on 20 September 2007...
called The John Barnes Show, every Thursday. He also worked as an ambassador for Save the Children
Save the Children
Save the Children is an internationally active non-governmental organization that enforces children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries...
. Barnes has appeared on several shows and media outlets to promote his charity work, including a notable appearance on Soccer AM
Soccer AM
Soccer AM is a British Saturday-morning football-based comedy/talk show, predominantly based around the Premier League...
in February 2009 performing the "World in Motion" rap and a parody of the mistimed advert by ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
in the previous weeks Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
vs. Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
tie, with Barnes' "Under-11 World Champion Baton-twirling" routine missed by mock commercials.
Barnes also competed in the fifth BBC series of Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
which started in October 2007. His dance partner was Nicole Cutler
Nicole Cutler
Nicole Cutler is a professional ballroom dancer and former World Amateur Latin-American champion. She was born Nicole Westdyk in Durban, South Africa and after taking up ballet at the age of four, first tried out ballroom and Latin-American dancing at the age of twelve.In South Africa she danced...
. They finished in seventh place. He was also the first male celebrity to receive a ten from the judges, which he got for his salsa
Salsa (dance)
Salsa is a syncretic dance form with origins in Cuba as the meeting point of Spanish and African cultures.Salsa is normally a partner dance, although there are recognized solo forms such as solo dancing "suelta" and "Rueda de Casino" where multiple couples exchange partners in a circle...
.
After an absence of nearly eight years, Barnes returned to football in late 2007. He agreed to run several coaching clinics across the Caribbean for young players with the possibility of them joining Premier League side on trial.
He also made a guest appearance as himself in episode 10 of Series 6 of Waterloo Road
Waterloo Road (TV series)
Waterloo Road is an award-winning British television drama series, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 9 March 2006. Set in a troubled comprehensive school in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, the series focuses on the lives of the school's teacher and students, and confronts social...
that was aired on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
(BBC Two in Scotland) & BBC HD
BBC HD
BBC HD is a high-definition television network provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007...
at 8pm on Wednesday 27 October 2010.
He has also been recently used as a pundit in ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's coverage of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
2010, alongside the likes of Ray Stubbs
Ray Stubbs
Raymond "Ray" Stubbs is a broadcaster and former footballer. He works for ESPN, presenting live Premier League and Scottish Premier League matches, having joined the satellite sports channel from the BBC in 2009.-Football career:...
and Keith Houchen
Keith Houchen
Keith Morton Houchen is an English former footballer and football manager. A forward, he score 162 goals in 509 league games....
.
He has also been recently used as a pundit in Supersport (TV channel)'s coverage of the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
2010-2011, in South Africa.