Liverpool in for Barnes

[Tatterdemalion]

Not taking the piss here (well, not trying to...), but now we are in silly season, I want to ask a question.

We all know what impact Barnes had on Liverpool, and he was arguably one of the most important signings in 1987, but I'm curious about something, which I would like some old timers to consider if possible.

I remember Barnes signing, and I remember there was issue as to whether or not he would sign for Arsenal (lucky escape...) but what was the chat at the time?

For instance, there is chat in the transfer rumours threads about Silva for example, with enough people being against such a transfer (for a fee) to be worthy of mention. Could be any other decent player though (e.g Joaquin?). Just curious to know whether at the time fans were in favour or doubtful? And also, whereas I mention Barnes, the same could apply to Beardsley then etc.

[Red Chilli]

I remember my dad, from where I inherited my love of LFC, was all in favour of Barnes signing for us, he thought he was a fantastic winger. I remember him ripping into Chris Waddle during mexico 86 as he was keeping Barnes out of the team yet performaing woefully.
So I just followed my dad's assessment.
I do remember some reservations about Barnes from some of the match-goers when he signed, some accusations of racism too.
Only took Barnes about 4 games to become a unanimous cult hero though

I think everyone knew Beardo was a class player.

[Slinky Skills]

"Isotonic Lucozade. Get's to your thirst. Fast."

[Reece]

"When I do my thing the crowd go bananas"

Is that right Harvey?

[PLY]

The only dissent I heard at the time came from people who thought he was holding out for a move abroad (Sampdoria were interseted I think) before committing here. There were probably a few racists who were pissed off as well but their opinion didn't count

[Joe King]

"When I do my thing the crowd go bananas"

Is that right Harvey?

Thank you our Equal Opportunities Ambassador Reece.

[Nic83]

EDIT: thought we were being linked with the great giles Barnes

[Dan]

"When I do my thing the crowd go bananas"

Is that right Harvey?

[Jennings]

here's how I remember it, as a young impressionable koppite.

A lot of this could be wrong, but it is as I remember it.

The last game of the previous season '87 season (i think - before he signed) was against his old club, Watford. He played well - either hit the bar or shot just over. The talk was he was deffo going to Arsenal. We didn't like that, at all. The kop gave him some full-on abuse. if I remember correctly some of it was unpleasant - may even have been racist (but this is 20 years ago now, and I am not checking this against records...I am going purely from memory, as a koppite). I could never be arsed with all that personally abusive stuff (except later with the Charlie Syphilis is ****** chant - that was a classic! hehe)

Anyway...he signed for us and the first home game of the season we had a few new players to greet. Some GREAT players. Exciting times. I know we slag off Chelsea now for spending silly and signing the best payers...but we did it ourselves that year. Beardsley, Aldridge and best of all Barnes.

We knew Barnes was awesome. I think he had even been televised scoring in pre-season. Before this I had never known pre-season footage get shown.

The players all came out to warm-up. I remember seeing Aldo and Beardsley but no Barnes. I was worried. Maybe the abuse against Watford had put him off. Maybe he wasn't sure just how we would take to him.

He never came out for the warm up.

When the teams came out he ran up the steps onto the pitch. it is still one of the greatest ovations I have seen a player get. Awesome!!!

From then on he was a legend. His first games he dazzled up the wing. Skill like I had never seen. He ran riot against Derby ( I think it was anyway).

Anyway. This is how I remembedr it. No doubt I have my facts mixed up. Maybe. But I will alway look back fondly on those days...and always consider him a true legend.

I feel such emotional exitement re-living this. Apologies if I have strayed from the facts. I am sure someone will put us straight with a more carefully crafted missive.

I feel these good times are a touching distance away again.

[Reece]

here's how I remember it, as a young impressionable koppite.

A lot of this could be wrong, but it is as I remember it.

The last game of the previous season '87 season (i think - before he signed) was against his old club, Watford. He played well - either hit the bar or shot just over. The talk was he was deffo going to Arsenal. We didn't like that, at all. The kop gave him some full-on abuse. if I remember correctly some of it was unpleasant - may even have been racist (but this is 20 years ago now, and I am not checking this against records...I am going purely from memory, as a koppite). I could never be arsed with all that personally abusive stuff (except later with the Charlie Syphilis is ****** chant - that was a classic! hehe)

Anyway...he signed for us and the first home game of the season we had a few new players to greet. Some GREAT players. Exciting times. I know we slag off Chelsea now for spending silly and signing the best payers...but we did it ourselves that year. Beardsley, Aldridge and best of all Barnes.

We knew Barnes was awesome. I think he had even been televised scoring in pre-season. Before this I had never known pre-season footage get shown.

The players all came out to warm-up. I remember seeing Aldo and Beardsley but no Barnes. I was worried. Maybe the abuse against Watford had put him off. Maybe he wasn't sure just how we would take to him.

He never came out for the warm up.

When the teams came out he ran up the steps onto the pitch. it is still one of the greatest ovations I have seen a player get. Awesome!!!

From then on he was a legend. His first games he dazzled up the wing. Skill like I had never seen. He ran riot against Derby ( I think it was anyway).

Anyway. This is how I remembedr it. No doubt I have my facts mixed up. Maybe. But I will alway look back fondly on those days...and always consider him a true legend.

I feel such emotional exitement re-living this. Apologies if I have strayed from the facts. I am sure someone will put us straight with a more carefully crafted missive.

I feel these good times are a touching distance away again.

Great post It's kinda how Torres makes me feel now

[andyinswinton]

His home debut was against Oxford. The first home game had to be put back because of some problems under the kop. The team started off very well beating Arsenal and Coventry away.

From memory, I think the issues were just that the transfer dragged on for some time. That didn't really happen in the old days. If he was signing today I guess we wouldn't have noticed because all our transfers now are quite protracted.

If there were any resentment about him coming, his performances in the first couple of matches for Liverpool showed what a player he was going to be so it really sorted out any problems.

[Jack D Rips]

We sold Rushie in 1987 for £3.2 million, and bought Aldo for £750,000, Barnes for £900,000 and Beardsley for £1.9 million.

Not a bad piece of business.

Incidentally as far back as 1981 Man U had bought Tampax Robson for £1.5 million, so we wernt the only ones spending big, even in those days.

[disco]

Fair enough

[Paul12]

He did drag his feet over the transfer for ages....definitely gave the impression that he was waiting for some other offer. I remember saying that he should be prepared to crawl all the way to Liverpool, and that maybe we were best out of it.

But when he signed he never for a moment gave any indication that he wasn't 100% a red.

The players nickname for his was 'Digger', after Digger Barnes - a character in Dallas. When i first heard the players calling him that during a game I misheard it and was so ashamed that I nearly tore my season ticket up. It was a good job my hearing got better!!

[friedk]

One of the greatest players I have ever seen, he was sensational.