Mike Nevin, Rob Gutmann and Kev Sampson join Gareth Roberts for an And Could He Play Special on John Barnes.
Usually we concentrate on a legend, an unsung player and a cult hero – well Barnes was all of those things and more. Starting at the very beginning of his Liverpool career, when he signed 29 years ago this week, the panel document his rise to be regarded as one of the very best to pull on the red shirt. If you don’t dote on Digger who do you dote on?
In a free clip from the show – Mike Nevin talks about John Barnes’s immediate impact at Liverpool, and the belief it gave the Anfield faithful.
[audioplayer file=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/theanfieldwrap/BARNESCLIPACHP080616.mp3”]
Mike was right about the”Johnny Barnes” song being great at the start. As his brilliance started to shine the songs became better – Loved “His father was a soldier” and “Johnny Barnes went that way —->” but the best was “score a goal for me oh Johnny Barnes” – Best version ever led by Bobby Wilcox on the train home from Milwall after he had scored two including an outrageous chip from about 30 yards. The whole carriage went mental – Barnes was absolutely magnificent
I’ve described THAT header at Villa Park to many people. I was behind the goal that day and not only was the ball behind him, and barely off the floor – he actually applied swerve to that header, with strength, accuracy that had to be seen to be believed. Loved him.