David Oswald "Bobby" Barnes (born 17 December 1962) is an English former professional footballer who played as a forward. He made over 300 appearances in the Football League and represented England at youth level.

Bobby Barnes
Barnes in 2010
Personal information
Full name David Oswald Barnes[1]
Date of birth (1962-12-17) 17 December 1962 (age 61)[1]
Place of birth Kingston upon Thames,[1] England
Height 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[2]
Position(s) Striker, Winger
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1980–1986 West Ham United 43 (5)
1985Scunthorpe United (loan) 6 (0)
1986–1987 Aldershot 49 (26)
1987–1989 Swindon Town 44 (13)
1989 AFC Bournemouth 14 (0)
1989–1992 Northampton Town 98 (37)
1992–1994 Peterborough United 49 (9)
1994 Partick Thistle 7 (0)
1994 Kettering Town 9 (0)
1994–1995 Hong Kong Rangers
1995 Torquay United 1 (0)
1995–1996 Frankwell 5 (1)
1996 Hendon 2 (0)
Total 327 (91)
International career
1980–1981 England Youth 7 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

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Barnes, who was born in Kingston upon Thames, London, was a quick, skillful winger who began his career as an apprentice with West Ham United, the team that he supported as a boy,[3] winning an FA Youth Cup winners medal in 1981[4] and England youth international caps.[4] He turned professional in September 1980, and scored on his League debut against Watford in September 1980.[4] He had an extended run in the first-team in the 1983–84 season and featured in the 1984–85 season,[4] making 43 league appearances in six seasons, scoring five goals.[5] He went to Scunthorpe United on loan in November 1985, playing in six league games without scoring,[5] before joining Aldershot in March 1986 for a fee of £15,000.[4] He was an immediate success, scoring 26 goals in 49 league games[5] and helping Aldershot to promotion through the first ever Third Division play-offs in 1987.

In October 1987, he moved to Second Division side Swindon Town for a fee of £50,000 in a deal that also saw Steve Berry go in the other direction.[6] He scored in six successive league games between October and December 1988,[7] and went on to make over 40 league appearances, scoring 13 times, in two seasons at Swindon.[6] He joined AFC Bournemouth for a fee of £110,000 in March 1989,[6] though he failed to settle and after only 14 games in which he failed to score, was sold to Northampton Town for £70,000. Barnes managed to star despite Northampton being relegated, and with Tony Adcock formed a successful striking partnership, Barnes scoring 37 times in 98 league games for the Cobblers. In February 1992, a financial crisis came to a head at Northampton, and with the club in administration, both Barnes and Adcock were sold to Peterborough United, Barnes costing only £35,000 in a joint £65,000 deal. He played 49 times in the league for Peterborough, scoring nine goals and winning promotion to the First Division beating Stockport in a Wembley play-off in 1992.

He joined Partick Thistle in February 1994, making his debut in the Scottish League in a 5–1 defeat by Rangers at Ibrox, but played only 6 further league games for the Jags before leaving to play for Uhisport Rangers in Hong Kong, returning to the UK in September 1995 joining Torquay United on a free transfer. He played only once for Torquay, as a substitute, before leaving on a free transfer for Hendon in October 1995 and subsequently returning to Hong Kong to play for Frankwell FC.

After retirement

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After retiring in 1996, he joined the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), where he dealt with player's new contracts and giving financial advice.[4] Since 2006, he has been deputy chief executive of the PFA.[3] Barnes is also president of FIFPro Division Europe and a global board member of FIFPro, which is the global players' union representing players from over 58 countries.[8] Since June 2020, Barnes has been a member of UEFA's Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body.[9]

In April 2022, it was announced Barnes would retire from his role with the Professional Footballers' Association at the end of the 2021/2022 season.[10]

Personal life

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His nephew Giles Barnes was a professional footballer.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Bobby Barnes". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  2. ^ Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 42. ISBN 978-0-356-14354-5.
  3. ^ a b Shail, Mark (12 May 2006). "A trip down memory lane with Bobby Barnes". The Official Website of the Professional Footballers' Association. Archived from the original on 6 May 2008. Retrieved 13 June 2008.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Hogg, Tony (2005). Who's who of West Ham United. London: Profile. p. 23. ISBN 1-903135-50-8.
  5. ^ a b c "Bobby Barnes". Soccerbase. Racing Post. Archived from the original on 3 February 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2008.
  6. ^ a b c "Bobby Barnes". Swindon Town FC. Retrieved 14 June 2008.
  7. ^ "Bobby Barnes' playing record at Swindon 1988-89". Swindon Town FC. Retrieved 14 June 2008.
  8. ^ "Disciplinary bodies CVs". The Official Website of UEFA's Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body. 18 November 2021. Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  9. ^ "Appointment to UEFA Disciplinary body". Sky Sports News. 18 November 2021. Archived from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  10. ^ "Barnes to step down from PFA role".
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