Mike Barrett (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Michael John 'Mike' Barrett (12 September 1959 – 14 August 1984) was a professional footballer who played for Bristol Rovers
from 1979 until his death in 1984.
and was a pupil at St Bede's Catholic College
until 1978. An ardent Bristol City fan, after leaving school he had a trial with Bristol City
, but to his great disappointment was not offered a professional contract, leading him to play non-League football
in Bristol for Shirehampton Sports.
side when he was signed by Bristol Rovers, but it was some time before he established himself as a first team regular, making just three appearances in his first season with The Pirates. In all he played in 129 League games for Rovers, scoring 18 goals in his five seasons there.
Barrett had struggled with fitness during a training session in 1984, and after being taken to hospital for tests following the session he was diagnosed with cancer. He died shortly afterwards at the age of 24, six weeks before the birth of his son, Liam. Rovers played two testimonial match
es for him that autumn, against Aston Villa
and his previous team Shirehampton Sports.
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
from 1979 until his death in 1984.
Early life
Barrett was born in BristolBristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
and was a pupil at St Bede's Catholic College
St Bede's Catholic College
St Bede's Catholic College is a secondary school located in Lawrence Weston, Bristol, England. Since November 2011 it has been an Academy.The school was acknowledged as a "Beacon School" that has an "excellent local and regional reputation." The school also received a rating of outstanding during...
until 1978. An ardent Bristol City fan, after leaving school he had a trial with Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
, but to his great disappointment was not offered a professional contract, leading him to play non-League football
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
in Bristol for Shirehampton Sports.
Footballing career
In 1979 he finally earned a chance with a Football LeagueThe Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
side when he was signed by Bristol Rovers, but it was some time before he established himself as a first team regular, making just three appearances in his first season with The Pirates. In all he played in 129 League games for Rovers, scoring 18 goals in his five seasons there.
Barrett had struggled with fitness during a training session in 1984, and after being taken to hospital for tests following the session he was diagnosed with cancer. He died shortly afterwards at the age of 24, six weeks before the birth of his son, Liam. Rovers played two testimonial match
Testimonial match
A testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....
es for him that autumn, against 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...
and his previous team Shirehampton Sports.