John Barnes

[Slim]

Does anyone have a decent resolution picture of JB kicking the banana off the pitch? That image resonates greatly with me and I've never found anything better than the thumbnail available on t'web.

That photo is an iconic image. Digger handled all the sickening racist abuse he received with incredible dignity. I don't remember him jumping into the crowd to **** someone like Cantona!

[Shaggy]

That photo is an iconic image. Digger handled all the sickening racist abuse he received with incredible dignity. I don't remember him jumping into the crowd to **** someone like Cantona!

Oh I'm getting all emotional here, but there are times when I'd argue he was our greatest player of all time. Now is one of those times. I'm getting carried away with memories of Barnes, now, but he was my hero and I loved him with all my heart. Still do really. What a ****ing legend.

Is it me or is he just a touch under-appreciated in the annuls of LFC history and by the footballing world as a whole?

[tsb]

That photo is an iconic image. Digger handled all the sickening racist abuse he received with incredible dignity. I don't remember him jumping into the crowd to **** someone like Cantona!

Very true. Iconic was the word I was looking for.

It forms the cover of this book, however I'm looking for an unedited version.

[kendoddsdadsdogsdead]

A good anecdote I was told by a colleague. He had his usual school footy team at a tournament, and during a break his kids were encouraging a black winger playing for another team by shouting "Come on Barnsey!". A teacher from the team playing came over and informed the kids that what they were doing was racist, as it was stereotypical. This was around the time that the word blackboard was changed to chalkboard. So next time the kid got the ball and made a run up the wing, the lads shouted "Come on Beardsley", which made the black kid scuff his shot and look over at them. He turned to them and shouted, "do I look like an ugly white mong?". Which goes to show that the best intentions are often misgiven.

[Dhav]

Oh I'm getting all emotional here, but there are times when I'd argue he was our greatest player of all time. Now is one of those times. I'm getting carried away with memories of Barnes, now, but he was my hero and I loved him with all my heart. Still do really. What a ****ing legend.

Is it me or is he just a touch under-appreciated in the annuls of LFC history and by the footballing world as a whole?

He is the best Liverpool player i've ever seen. He was my hero as well, absolute genius on the pitch, and still is. It's just a shame we only really saw 3-4 years of him playing at his peak before he got those injuries.

I think he is under-appreciated. I mean people go on about people like Kenny and Gerrard being right up there in terms of our best ever players, but if you ask me, the latter is nowhere near reaching Barnes' status yet.

[zimbo]

Oh I'm getting all emotional here, but there are times when I'd argue he was our greatest player of all time. Now is one of those times. I'm getting carried away with memories of Barnes, now, but he was my hero and I loved him with all my heart. Still do really. What a ****ing legend.

Is it me or is he just a touch under-appreciated in the annuls of LFC history and by the footballing world as a whole?

I think the problem is, for all his genius, he couldn't sustain it for longer than 4seasons at the most. He got a bad injury at the start of the 91/92 season, and another at the end of that season and was never the same player again. Inevitably, having lost that yard of pace that used to destroy defenders, his role in the team changed. He was still good, but had nowhere near the impact of previously.

Compared to Kenny, Rush, Hansen, Heighway, Souness, Emlyn, Hunt, Liddell, all of whom maintained or improved their standard over a longer period, then Barnsey just falls short.

But for those first 2-3 years, he was up there with any of them.

[kendoddsdadsdogsdead]

It would be interesting to survey fans about their heroes and role models, since I reckon that people naturally associate with players of their own ethnic background, regardless of their views on racism. Barnes emerged from a time where black players were still openly abused by fans, which was mostly overlooked by clubs.

[Dhav]

I think the problem is, for all his genius, he couldn't sustain it for longer than 4seasons at the most. He got a bad injury at the start of the 91/92 season, and another at the end of that season and was never the same player again. Inevitably, having lost that yard of pace that used to destroy defenders, his role in the team changed. He was still good, but had nowhere near the impact of previously.

Compared to Kenny, Rush, Hansen, Heighway, Souness, Emlyn, Hunt, Liddell, all of whom maintained or improved their standard over a longer period, then Barnsey just falls short.

But for those first 2-3 years, he was up there with any of them.

But over any 2-3 year period in the club's history, did any player play as well as Digger did between 87-90?

[Maestro]

Does anyone have a decent resolution picture of JB kicking the banana off the pitch? That image resonates greatly with me and I've never found anything better than the thumbnail available on t'web.

Do an image search on google and it's there.
I have a picture of me as a spotty 15 year old with John Barnes, and although I look like ****, it's probably my favourite photo of me EVER.



This was back in the days of the club shop being that ickle programme place near the Hillsborough Memorial on the side of the Main Stand...

[Shaggy]

I think the problem is, for all his genius, he couldn't sustain it for longer than 4seasons at the most. He got a bad injury at the start of the 91/92 season, and another at the end of that season and was never the same player again. Inevitably, having lost that yard of pace that used to destroy defenders, his role in the team changed. He was still good, but had nowhere near the impact of previously.

Compared to Kenny, Rush, Hansen, Heighway, Souness, Emlyn, Hunt, Liddell, all of whom maintained or improved their standard over a longer period, then Barnsey just falls short.

But for those first 2-3 years, he was up there with any of them.

A good and fair evaluation.

[Shaggy]

Do an image search on google and it's there.
I have a picture of me as a spotty 15 year old with John Barnes, and although I look like ****, it's probably my favourite photo of me EVER.



This was back in the days of the club shop being that ickle programme place near the Hillsborough Memorial on the side of the Main Stand...

Haha that’s exactly where I bought my Barnes photo from. 50p, I think it cost.

[zimbo]

But over any 2-3 year period in the club's history, did any player play as well as Digger did between 87-90?

In terms of immediate impact, I doubt it.

I remember being on the Kop for his home debut, v Oxford. Quite a buzz had already built up after we'd played our first 3 games away, due to repairs being carried out on the Kop, so expectations were high.

By half-time, he'd torn the Oxford defenders apart like a crazed lion in a wildebeest theme park, set up Aldo for a tap in from 2 yards, and curled a 25 yard free-kick into the top corner. Cue standing ovation at the half-time whistle.

I've never seen a home debut that comes anywhere near that.

[Harv]

Oh I'm getting all emotional here, but there are times when I'd argue he was our greatest player of all time. Now is one of those times. I'm getting carried away with memories of Barnes, now, but he was my hero and I loved him with all my heart. Still do really. What a ****ing legend.

Is it me or is he just a touch under-appreciated in the annuls of LFC history and by the footballing world as a whole?

oh he is MASSIVELY underated mate.

i remember my Manc loving mate saying we needed a winger. I said if only we had John Barnes in his pomp.....he started laughing

He thought i was joking! He had only seen him in the mid nineties, when he was half the player he formerly was. I said have you seen JB playing in his glory days in the late 80's? he said no. So i told him to have a looksey on youtube.


got a sms later that night.

"**** mate!, he was ****ing unreal! i cant believe ive never seen that side of him before"

[Shaggy]

All this talk of Barnes has got me thinking. I had all the videos of those seasons of Barnsey in his pomp, but I've either lost them or they're gathering dust somewhere. I want a DVD of Barnes at his best.

Is there a DVD specifically dedicated to that era (late 80s) or, even better, specifically dedicated to Digger? I have the 501 goals DVD and other ones that show some of Barnes at his best, but nothing too comprehensive.

[friedk]

All this talk of Barnes has got me thinking. I had all the videos of those seasons of Barnsey in his pomp, but I've either lost them or they're gathering dust somewhere. I want a DVD of Barnes at his best.

Is there a DVD specifically dedicated to that era (late 80s) or, even better, specifically dedicated to Digger? I have the 501 goals DVD and other ones that show some of Barnes at his best, but nothing too comprehensive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzGouuyt2Cc