Sports Life Stories: John Barnes

just give us one minute just give it one minute on can you go back there and hold it like that Jim come back your Shadow okay A bit further Jim I think Tony I was a Pioneer for Hope go for [Applause] it exciting brilliant he could do everything excellent as a person this was just the acceptable face of football I never ever looked to him other than in awe it's really a fantastic example for people to follow just play like you do for Kenny DL play for me like you play for Liverpool at his best how good was he the best [Music] what do you want it up game I would love a game play boys how we doing where theoni put your hands up come on I know you're hiding where are you I'm going to play the ball to you you're going to control it and turn in one or two movements then you're going to shoot for go man united sorry where' you live uh you live in parkgate why are you sporting Manchester United in a word or two what does football mean to you apart from family the most enjoyable time in my life right who side of on the blue blue ready there we go let's go over there move how much enjoyment personally do you get out of doing something like this well I mean it's nice to see young kids running around it's good to see them you know enjoying their football this is my kind of football go on the principle for me is to empower these young kids then if you continue to develop in places like this can grow up to play for England come on BL let's go Blues let's go come on Blues come on score come come ready ready ready put it score who was the one biggest influence on your career my father who's the captain naan you're the captain yeah what Inspire your team okay discipline discipline Roger Kenrick Benedict Brinley Barnes known as Ken Barnes he was a colonel in the Jamaican Army determination effort commitment lead by example were you out last night oh yeah okay I was brought up in a very strict household with my father being an army officer my my early days in Jamaica were very very happy but you know just very very disciplined he also played football he played football for for Jamaica so from from as long back as I can remember he's always inspired me to to play football well my mom and dad will tell you because they put up football in the crib when about 3 years old I used to play football by myself a lot in Jamaica growing up just playing by myself with the ball all day every day my father then got sent to England as military atache which was a diplomatic post for three and a half years here I am 40 38 years later still [Music] here it's a night so coming to England the home of football I was really excited because of course while I didn't expect to become a professional footballer I knew I would be playing much more football store Boys Club I remember this well this team on the right was probably my first year here in England I played center back four years I'm at the back winning six nil players are scoring 10 goals I'm at the back so from Center back I went to the left wing for subre court for 6 months and that's obviously when the taxi driver was driving by saw a game come on watch this game there's this kid a supporter in fact phoned up the club and said that a friend of his had seen a young boy that he thought was well worth watching he was recommended To Us by a taxi driver who spoke to one of our Scouts and said you ought to go see this young boy playing for sbur court his name is Barnes we saw him we gave him half a game we hid him and signed him as quickly as we could you don't need to be an expert you [Music] see I thought I was just going to go back to Jamaica cuz my father had already been recalled and I was going to go back with him he was just 17 at the time and of course you know you worry about a boy is only 17 uh being left on his own and of course I wasn't sure whether he would make the great at the time so his family left but Watford became his new family that's correct yeah that was very very important to establish that relationship with his parents that's what he wanted to do and of course I always encouraged them so so uh it turned out well for him we gave s record a set of shirts and a set of shorts and then 6 years later John was sold for £900,000 and welcome again to the big match well we're certainly in a run of good games lately on the program the main match Watford against norch City affecting the top of the second division there was a game at Norwich that thrust you into the Limelight because it was on television it was on the big match what have this young man who's exciting the crowds 17-year-old Winger John Barnes from Sudbury Court recommended to the club by a Watford supporter some recommendation that is turning out to be let play again it's Willie doni who was a Scott International at the time BS well he showed that to doni oh my goodness I suppose you know good things happen at the right time for me and R it in by BS we've seen enough skill from Young John Barnes today his potential is really something quite extraordinary it's [Applause] 17 what's the biggest single reason you made it in football discipline with Watford no matter who you are you ran back and you tried for the team we didn't have the best team so we had to look learn the defensive part of his position in the team what we're talking about really is doing our best a group of fellas who are prepared to work hard try their best and give their best whenever possible I'm glad that my six years old Watford was with GRT in terms of the way he actually brought me up the manager who really believed in you and who in many respects was very similar to my father the 82 83 season where does that rank in your career I would say apart apart from my probably first three years at Liverpool that is probably not only the best football I played but that's probably the happiest time of my footballing career Dreadful mistake then by Robertson to set BS in and Barnes has given Watford the lead Barnes towards Ross jins we finished second in the lead to Liverpool which was an absolutely incredible feat how we finished second in the league because we had that desire and that belief and in many respects with people telling us we couldn't do it and John Barnes is on his way here only Riley up with him George Riley a perfect cross from bars they had such a direct team but he was the creativity and the class that bit of magic he gave the team something extra something special with all of the other Lads they knew that if you give the ball to barnesy we might win this game do you define yourself as English first or Jamaican first first neither I found myself as John BS Bobby Robson passing on the instructions for John BS at 19 will be his first full International John Barnes could play for under 21 side and the fact that he's playing International Football at senior level shows you know the progress he's making and what I think about him [Music] June 10th 1984 the Marana Stadium I was looking forward to it just to be there was just magical one of the greatest goals ever scored by an English player [Music] ever still nil nil coming towards half time time Hy for England I remember chesting the ball down when Mar he passes it to me that's a good ball there for B then of course I've got on a run on bares now I remember wanting to shoot when I got to the edge of the box with my left foot but Tony Woodcock was in the way I dragged the ball inside might go all the way for England B I then looked up and I've just seen the goalkeeper and I thought how did I get here the ball's in the net and you're thinking to myself M that is a special special goal [Music] barie incredible and bar here in Rio has performed a miracle the beautiful afro the way he was celebrating at the end because I'm not sure that when you look at his face you realize what he done first goal for England well I'm not sure if there's any other English player or any other player that would representing England could score a goal like [Music] that was that goal the best or the worst thing to happen to your England career the best thing it was both one it had to be the best thing because you don't score goals like that but two the expectancy then of barnesy if you're not doing that now every game I'm sorry you're not playing well or you're not giving effort to it in terms of the expectations and people saying why don't you do that every week yes but would I have it any other way not at all England have won it the first time they won here in American stadium with a stupendous goal by John Barnes right on half time on the plane we had a couple of national front members out there and they were saying that we only won one nil because You' scored the goal and stuff like that but we ignored them this was just the way it was completely accepted by everyone the abuse the name calling all you could hear were the hooh hoos the [ __ ] chance when did you first encounter racism on the football pitch probably my first game for Watford I would think at certain grounds we had to suffer from racist abuse that was terrible they're proud of going John Barnes I hope he's not going to be spoiled by that sort of thing if the problem of it John rce it wasn't half the problem they had when try to play football against [Applause] himly done from John Barnes brilliant goal is football racist no more than anywhere else or no less than anywhere else since everything has gone so well I can't help but have the confidence because since I've been at Watford Watford got promotion F fin this year runers a blast year everything has gone so well we'd had him six years for goodness sake we couldn't keep him anymore he was too good for us he had to go when Liverpool showed the interest then I was quite prepared to do the deal with Liverpool Liverpool wanted to sign me in January and I didn't come till July so of course there was a bit of talk in the stand between January and July about John BS he snubbed us he turned us down black players can't make it they're not good enough so we don't want him to come barns fight to win over anfield fans I'll do my best for them pledges new signing John did you get hate mail before you signed for Liverpool I got a few letters yes saying you know you black this you shouldn't be playing for blah blah blah and here I am outside anfield signing autographs it would have been quite nervous to me at this time trying to you know as it says win over the [Music] fans culturally you know where you live you don't really see it and then coming to Liverpool I saw how separate the communities were [Music] I was completely unaware that that was even there so it just goes to show how much apathy people had toward it back [Music] then if John Barn fails somewhere like Liverpool I feel that puts us back I don't know how much chances we would have got ourselves how much longer that would have taken for us to get through to that level if someone like John barns doesn't go to Liverpool and produce like he [Applause] did when I talk about m racism I'm talking about the amount of [Applause] people it really seemed as if it was like the whole stadium which was uh you know hurling abuse it's very hard that you've got someone here screaming stuff at you to the point where spits coming out of their mouth they're that angry you think that that's just blanked out you blank it out because you're being professional and you're getting on with it but you you walk off and you you're thinking about that I had experienced it before equally as as horrific but not in those numbers there would have been an element who would have wanted him to fail oh absolutely of course there would there would have been an element to a thinking he won't be tough enough to play at a club like Liverpool is that what we're talking about absolutely what we're talking about that would only have encouraged him how did he deal with it but it kind of looks kind of staged as if you know because the whole image of me kicking the banana looks like it's a setup so it's a very poignant image that's how you answer it most probably would have been able to peel it with his left foot if if he saw it coming brilliant in a high-profile game this then was shocking to people who hadn't seen it that's when the whole kick racing out of football thing really started Ian Wright says that for him you were the Pioneer obviously they're looking at it different to me I'm looking at it and thinking it's about time possibly but it should have been sooner but there has to be a catalyst and many believe you were that Catalyst good for them good for [Music] them he's really a fantastic example for people to follow the way that he conducted himself on the pitch no matter how much hate male he got or no matter how much abuse he was going to receive no one was ever going to get get one over on John [Applause] Bond it never affected me at all I have been a fully empowered and enfranchised young man growing up and I would never let anyone try and disenfranchise Me by throwing a banana at me I think he tried to deal with it as a professional football in the right way he used to just go out and in the end make the same people who have made those gestures those noer towards them ends up clapping them off you produce the goods that's the way you stuff it down the [Applause] throats he wanted to play football he wanted to be successful and that was the same principles as we had he came in and Encompass the whole thing about Liverpool Football Club we wanted somebody like John to compliment what John oid could do John O likes crosses he thought I just going to go down the line put crosses in and I think what actually worked was I brought more than that for us we were buying two players if he needed somebody to get through the middle we knew he could even the Liverpool fans who were doing a racial abuse before he got there they've got in line and realized that they're dealing with top top draw Peter Beasley came in the same year so it was really fantastically exciting side to [Applause] watch back to Barnes again and alridge a magnificent goal basley Barnes Aldridge simply Unstoppable where do you place that Liverpool team that Kenny built the best for me that was the team that I'd love to have played in and it was Barnes he was the instigator really he was the he was the man at the front and he was he was the main man who did [Applause] [Music] everything when he'd move with a ball it was so fluid it's like liquid if I was playing with John bonds my first thought was when I've got the ball is to give it to John Barnes and that's probably what his Liverpool teammates thought but Barnes oh Barnes lovely bit of play oh lovely play by Barnes now the little cross to finish it off it's in there for us he brought Poise he brought real real quality he could go and take it up to People Go pass people play other people in bar showing that he can tackle as well and pass it we know he can do that he could do everything he had the pace the crossing the finishing BS oh my word what can you do about that being strong being organized but being full of flare he was just magical that's what they called him the magical John barns a bit of magic there locked out by him TOS bar a brilliant go at his best how good was he the [Music] [Applause] best the people here they loved them they loved them because he was genuine and because he knew they were getting 100% honesty in commandment this is is the players play of the Year award cuz I won the sports writers as well but this is the players play of the Year award which is the one you wanton really what's the one proudest moment of your career winning the league championship and there it is Liverpool are the champions and in the cener year of the football league there can be no more appropriate winners [Applause] there was celebration when we won but it wasn't you know over exuberant or we didn't get carried away with it and then what taught me was that it's fantastic we've won forget about it it's gone what is going to keep you hungry for success is if you don't pay too much importance to your successes of the [Music] past it's a 100 years since English football produced an occasions such as this the teams occupying first and second place in the championship head-to-head the last match of the season for the league championship what's the one biggest regret of your career not taking the ball in the corner against Arsenal May the 26th 1989 Liverpool versus Arsenal last game of the season Liverpool can lose 1 nil to win the league and Smith and Arsenal have scored this really is a nail biting climax now they're losing 1 n with 90 minutes on the clock I don't know how I got the [Applause] ball as I'm going to the corner I can see the goal and there I can see the corner flag and as I can see the gold I can just see Kevin Richardson yeah Richardson he was injured I would have tried to beat him as well if he pass richon it was one onone way look at how many times have they done it so well before Kevin Richardson took the ball off me probably just inside the box and passed it back to the goalkeeper Barnes will not be denied yes he will by Richardson but he picked it up three T to Lee Dixon in the right back position I was obviously not there as a left Winger so that's where I should have been Steve mcmah left Michael Thomas he was marking Michael Thomas to try and stop this ball from Lee Dixon into Alan Smith which obviously left Michael Thomas free to run through for Thomas charging through the Midfield Thomas I remember looking at it and seeing Ray hton chasing him as he's going through on go down saying go on way go all the way make a challenge make a challenge but unfortunately wasn't to me it's up for GR no Thomas right at the end an unbelievable climax to The League season well into injury time the Liverpool players are down absolutely abject John shouldn't be blaming himself the end of the day I think you get them a bit of credit but I think we've all always got to look at ourselves I think there's times in the game we want to get ourselves to blame for what happens they be were disappointed but you can't have everything in life and for us although the left to won the league the FA Cup was a big one that year because of what it meant to the families of the people who' lost someday at [Music] Hills [Music] [Music] people deal with tragedies in many different ways and he is right up front with any the funerals that we needed to go to he would be there running up fantastic with the families when they came to anfield looking after him and very very [Applause] caring I felt this guilt they're coming to watch me I know they're coming to watch everybody else and it's Liverpool Football Club it's an irrational thought so you feel this guilt and I wasn't sure how they would react because had that been my loved one I wouldn't want to go and meet footballers or meet a football team ever watch football ball again so as they're coming into the Players Lounge you're a little bit like how are they going to respond they were coming in and so many of them were coming over and going I cannot believe that I'm in the Players Lounge with Ian Russian Kenny Al they're not happy to be there under those circumstances but for just for the very fact they're meeting their hero showed how passionate they are about their football club it showed me the real character of liverpudlians the decision was then given to the fans and the family as to whether we thought we should continue and the decision they came back with was yes we have to play I think it was very appropriate that it was a Mery side Derby Liverpool versus Everton because evertonians would have lost relatives in it and they were very good in supporting and everything but I just felt so sorry for them because everyone was willing Liverpool to win [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] happy okay let's go come on oh Jimmy what happened good try Jim give me a high five right that'll do thanks boys I'm off it's too cold and it wouldn't pass to me I'm not playing anymore what's your one biggest strength humility what's your one biggest weakness humility I've always had football in perspective football is your job and I love it and I love doing it and it's very important but you know they are more important things thank you very much John it has been a real pleasure to meet you a pleasure for me too sir I'm very happy that feel honored that you should put aside your busy schedule and find time uh to talk to us nothing could have been more gent then to come and see you Mr President thank you I got the ultimate amount of respect for the way he is and the way he thinks you know deep deep man for me excellent as a person yeah and that is vital for me when you're signing footballers who happen to be footballers what do they like as people and John was first [Music] class in the 1990 season how many goals did you score in 34 games it's going to be bars C brilliantly what a fabulous free kick goal I was the top scorer but not a top League goal scorer G linol won of the top goals in the league but I have scored more goals got have scor win the cup and Barnes is in behind them all here can he round it off he can oh that's brilliant Ben's cross and Barnes is coming in look at this break by Barnes now the B stays down and the ball is in the net by John barns United are being caught out here will they be punished they are by John B Liverpool would again be the Champions Ved for brilliant is I miss the old dressing room dressing rooms are different now and I understand dressing rooms are different in terms of the characters and the banter and what actually goes on so I cannot imagine that a dressing room now would be a dressing room like it was 25 years years [Applause] ago would you have imagined when you won the title Liverpool wouldn't win another one not at the time absolutely not absolutely [Music] not come on ho been a boyand hold on boys you're too goodl looking to be a football team West Kirby was need some more ugly players you're too good looking you boys you never make it you got to look like Wayne Rooney you see or Gary Neville that's how you got to look to be a footballer John Barnes has got a whole different vibe and a different attitude towards things which is um you know which which he's blessed with it's his natural I don't know his natural Jamaican Heritage of just being calm and cool about things you got to hold do it at the right time you be slow or fast but you must get to theine and they'll always hit you and hurt you defend and attack there's only one way to beat them get around the back so catch me if you can cuz I'm the England man there you go that's it goes on for a bit longer I'm on royalties now though so if this goes in I have to get paid when I first saw the rap I just loved it I just love when B was doing the rap and he do you know what I mean it was fantastic man football lions on my chest I know we can't Barnes what we wouldn't give for a Liverpool type performance from this young man now but that wasn't it there I was never as comfortable playing for England as I was for Liverpool because the way England played didn't suit me and I've said that and it's obvious if you had one word to sum up John's England career what would it be average cuz he didn't play in the right position and too much was expected of him defensively he's got the class he comes from good stock he's got a good attitude he's a lovely boy he's intelligent come on Johnny just play like you do for Kenny Dage play for me like you play for Liverpool it's bars with a [Applause] Dipper you know people will always point to the player and blame the player for maybe not performing on a certain stage but at the same time what about the manager how how can the great Bobby Robson say something like that and not think to himself well what more can I do in respects of this team with that kind of player what could you you could build a team around someone like John Barnes so is that John barnes's fault that the manager didn't do that I felt that I was confined to play in a particular way in a particular position whereby we didn't concentrate much on the technical aspect of it we didn't concentrate much on keeping possession moving the ball around it was more about aggression and if you look mainly the hardworking mid players or the main goal scorer or the center backs were the heroes for England backs to the wall wins hard tackling in Midfield guar a scoring we never out played any of the opposition I would love to be playing now because it's all about the technique and the skill and keeping the ball and the flare whereas back then that's not what it was pierce had to drive it in early our B oh fantastic brilliant goal what a goal you know when you speak of iconic England players he should have certainly been in the that list he should have been the best Outfield player the most exciting English player that we've had definitely I've always had stick from the fans when I played for England because of a the expectations B there was a story about me not being committed to England because I wasn't born in England so all of these things led to a lot of negativity towards me was it also to do with his an invert comm's lack of commitment which had been questioned well they should not have questioned his lack of commitment you just saying that because sometimes he's like anybody he might not have such a good game doesn't mean he's not [Music] trying it really really was hard to deal with listening to them boo him like they did I mean what on Earth what on Earth is with these people [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] explain what happened to you on the eve of Euro 92 I would have been 28 should have been coming into my Prime and then I rupted my's tendon BS tears AES and is out for a year and there's the picture of me lying there in agony and I remember it if look at the size difference now between the right and the left one there's the left one can see the difference in [Music] size I lost my pace and and dynamism so that for me was my lifechanging football bowling moment when I had to become a different [Music] player it took me a long while to really realize that I wasn't the player that I actually was physically anymore for a player of Barn's H it just stops them being you know truly truly truly great he morphed into this you know leader of the team he was the best player we had you know we all looked up to him [Applause] really what was it that that Liverpool Squad lacked between 92 and 96 we had so much talent and so much ability but you need more than talent and ability you need to have the right dedication the right discipline the right professionalism I actually walked off training twice in my frustration there was always something a little bit weak in in some of our players in certain games which cost us in the end every time coming into April we had a chance of winning the league and I knew because of our indiscipline and our lack of Drive determination professionalism we would fall away at the end and we [Applause] did [Applause] [Applause] tell I'm surprised W there first I was asked by the directors at Celtic for some names I gave them John's name they met John and not surprisingly they were really enamored him I was concerned it doesn't follow that such a talented player as he was can go and manage players who aren't as talented as he was from day one there was negativity towards me there's criticism about me considering that we were first 11 games we were very successful he came in and he made a better start than anybody other than J Ste you just felt pressure it was it was constant pressure no matter what happened it wasn't good [Applause] enough in vaness C thistle Super C go ballistic Celtic are atrocious he can smile now I smil back then it was very [Music] clever obviously they lost and there was some people outside that showed a bit disc concern and the board said they wanted join to go I W manager of the month in January February the 11th I was sacked was it too much too soon well if it comes now at 51 I don't think it'd be any different it's more to do with the perception of my ability to do the job because there's a certain perception of who can make a good manager has your chance in management been prejudiced by the color of your skin absolutely no not when you've played at your level don't blame me just on that job a white manager loses his job but he gets another job he loses his job he gets another job he lose job he gets another job very few black managers can lose their job and get another job with someone of John barnes's ability and stature to not have worked more in the game with something that he's desperate to do what I don't I don't know what else to say what else can it be can you judge it by the amount of jobs that you've applied for and not got anywhere near getting no what I can judge it from is by looking at society and looking at once again how many black people are there in the higher echelons of any industry we talk about journalism we talk about politic talk about anything so why should football be any different you know what you're going to do now boys what do you have to do now what did I tell you train a lot practice practice makes no come in and I'll tell you what ter has told me I really feel sorry for him because I thought that Celtic would have been a brilliant job for him to start his managerial career what ter anbl would tell you which is better than practice makes perfect is practice makes permanence I don't think he got the chance really I don't think he got the chance so correct practice is important so what does practice make good boys off you go if there's one thing you'd like to achieve what is it management simply to be given an opportunity in management the opportunity isn't just being given the job is people giving you the support the belief and time don't stop applying don't stop because if you do then the opposition's beat you John and you're not used to that ugly ones at the back on at the front because why you put aonian was my choice that a coincidence don't his legacy I hope isn't going to be that he couldn't get to manage his job because of his color me I hope his legacy is going to be it has to be about his playing ability it just has to be bars a delicate chip and it's in the superb by bar when people talk about John Barnes being the greatest player in the world or among them in ' 8990 what do you think I feel that's a bit of an exaggeration I never saw myself as one of the best in the world I look at all the players and I think they're fantastic but if you ask me about the way I see myself I see myself as a good player but I suppose I just can't see myself as the Superstar here's Barnes in a bit of space alri ahead of him rush inside him Barnes M go all the way it's in the back of the M for me he's up there with the greats of English football British football easily easily you know he set the goals very very high to Bary you know and I hope he goes down as you know one of the great figures in in British football are really do cuz he should be he certainly should [Music] be what would you like to be remembered [Music] [Music] for I suppose slightly I would probably feel that I would like to be remembered as an entertaining [Music] [Applause] footballer he'll be remembered and revered at Liverpool for his performances on the pitch for what he did for the defenses that he ripped [Music] up is a hero I still remember the feeling when I was playing at that particular time and how fantastic it was and how he just didn't want it to end uh and I suppose you do take it for granted and probably later on in life when you know the end's coming near you probably appreciate it much more but as a 21 22 23 24 year old player it was just an everyday part of life which you didn't really Savor and you really [Applause] should [Applause] another top sports star gets the sports life story's treatment next Tuesday night at 10:00 but next tonight Jackie Chan does all his own stunts and takes on a vicious gang in Rumble in the [Applause] [Applause] Bronx

Channel: Dave Waller

Views: 319,803

Keywords: John Barnes, Liverpool FC, Watford FC, Kenny Dalglish, Graham Taylor, Sports Life Stories

Id: ZC3DJOsWH10

Length: 45min 53sec (2753 seconds)

Published: Sun May 22 2016