John Barnes: The Autobiography Book

John Barnes : The Autobiography: A title with a lot to live up to--much like the player's career itself. From the moment he scored his fantastic goal in the Maracana in Rio versus Brazil in 1984, the pressure was always on Barnes to scale every peak in the game and to do so in a similarly electrifying style. More than a decade and a half later, the abiding memory of the player in the eyes of many football fans is of John Barnes the enigma, the man of great talent who could never quite produce the very best on the big occasion, particularly in an England shirt. Yet to fail to look past this would be to misjudge the man and to overlook his achievements directly inside the game and on a broader scale. With the help of Daily Telegraph football writer Henry Winter, Barnes tells the whole story from his point of view and is not afraid to touch on some of the wider issues that involved him during his playing career. And that is where the interest lies. In the desire to pigeon-hole, it is easily forgotten that Barnes was one of the key members of arguably the greatest British club side of all time. Or that he was involved at Hillsborough on the day when so many tragically lost their lives. Or that he was one of the first extremely high-profile black players in this country and faced torrents of unacceptable racial abuse within the game for many years, yet has emerged with dignity in tact. Barnes it is clear has much about which to offer his thoughts, which are very perceptive and clearly put, and that is the attraction of his book. At a time when the sport is ridden with so many clichés, John Barnes offers up some clear thinking. While his playing career did not always manage to satisfy everyone, those awaiting an interesting perspective on football in the 80s and 90s will not be disappointed. --Trevor CroweRead More