Barnes: Peter Simon (Peter)

1981-82 & 1983-1984 (Player Details)

Outside Left

Born: Rugeley, Manchester: 10-06-1957

Debut v Swansea City (a): 29-08-1981

5’10” 11st (1981)

Son of former Manchester City Wing Half Ken Barnes, he joined his father’s club in July 1972, turning professional in August 1974. He won England Youth honours and his dazzling displays soon earned him Under-Twenty-One caps and Football League representative honours. In 1976 he played a large part in Manchester City’s League Cup win, when still only eighteen, scoring the first goal in the 2-1 victory over Newcastle United. He was also named Young Player of the Year. In November 1977 he won the first of his twenty-two full England caps. He was surprisingly sold by Malcolm Allison to West Bromwich Albion in July 1979 for £650,000, after scoring fifteen goals in one hundred and fifteen games at Maine Road. After scoring twenty-three goals in seventy-seven games at the Hawthorns, he was signed by Allan Clarke for Leeds in August 1981 for £930,000. He never showed his England form and was loaned out to Spanish club, Real Betis, for a one year loan option, worth £130,000, in August 1982. He was back at Leeds, who were now a Second Division club, at the end of the loan period and he had a brief loan spell with Manchester United in May 1984, without playing. He was sold to Coventry City for £65,000 in October 1984, and scored twice in eighteen appearances before he left Highfield Road and joined Ron Atkinson's Manchester United for £50,000 in July 1985. The highlight of Barnes' two-year stay at United was probably the start to the 1985-86 campaign, when the Reds won the first ten League games. He started five of them, and scored in two. Unfortunately, this stunning start could not be sustained neither by the club, nor the player, and Barnes joined City for a second spell, not long after Alex Ferguson became manager in the following season, in January 1987 for £30,000. At Old Trafford he had scored twice in twenty League appearances, and twice in five League Cup games. He remained with City until March 1988, although he had loan spells with Bolton Wanderers, where he failed to score in five appearances, of which only two were in the League, and Port Vale, where he was scoreless in three League games, before a spell at Drogheda in Ireland, and a transfer to Hull City. In his second stay at Maine Road he had just eight League games without scoring. He only stayed until the end of the season with the Tigers, making eleven appearances without scoring, before departing for SC Farense in June 1988. His stay there was also brief and he returned to Bolton Wanderers in November 1988, where his stay was equally brief, managing just three League games without scoring, and then joining Sunderland in February 1989. He left Roker Park in June 1989, after just one game. He had a spell at Stockport County without playing, joined Australian Club Footscray JUST (Melbourne), in April 1989, where he played twice without scoring, then joined Bury, where he did not play a game and Irish club, Drogheda United, all in 1989. He saw service with Rod Marsh’s Tampa Bay Rowdies in the USA, where he scored once in eleven games, before returned to England. In 1990 he joined Non-League club, Northwich Victoria, where he played seven games without scoring, followed in 1991 by Wrexham, where he didn't play, Radcliffe Borough and then Mossley, where he played eight games without scoring. He then joined Maltese Club Hamrun Spartans, returned to SC Farense, both without playing, in 1992, and finished with Irish club Cliftonville where he played once. He later returned to Maine Road to help out in the Social Club, but lost the job after three months, and then to help coach the youngsters. He turned to coaching clinics, part-time football management with Runcorn and TV summarising and pundit work. He played nine times for the England Under-Twenty-One's and scored twice. He holds the distinction with his father of being the only such related players ever to have both scored a First Division hat-trick. He will forever be remembered for his pace and his skills with the ball, all-be-it that it faded by the time he was twenty-four. He made his full England debut as a twenty-year old against Italy on 16th November 1977. He starred in a 2-0 win over the Azzurri. He scored four goals for England, against Wales, Hungary, Scotland and Bulgaria. When he joined Leeds he had twenty England Caps in his display cabinet and, at twenty-four, looked to have his future assured, after two successful years at West Bromwich Albion and a spot in the England team and established International credentials. But, he burned out, never to re-light the old flame. He played twice for England after that, while still at Leeds, and both as a substitute. The first as a second half substitute for Glen Hoddle in an upset loss to Norway at Wembley by 2-1. His final England game, in a 2-0 win over Holland, lasted for only eight minutes