Barnes Horace Image 12 Manchester City 1924

Description

Wadsley Bridge, Sheffield born inside left Horace Barnes began his football career playing for Wadsley Bridge in 1907 before signing for Second Division Derby County in the summer of 1908, making his Football League debut  at Blackpool the same October, scoring in a 2-2 draw. He soon established a reputation as a deadly inside left, helping them to win the Second Division Championship in 1911-12. In the First Division his scoring ratio increased and he top scored in 1913-14 with 25 goals in 39 games, scoring a total of 78 goals in 167 appearances for The Rams before Manchester City signed him for £2,500 in the 1914 close season. He scored both goals for an English XI in a 2-0 victory over their Scottish counterparts in a Players’ Union international on 20th April 1914 but never made a full international appearance for England.

However his career was soon interrupted by the First World War, during which he served in the Royal Garrison Artillery. He resumed with City after the conflict and soon became part of a famous forward line that featured the likes of Billy Meredith, Tommy “Boy” Browell, and Tommy Johnson. He was City’s top scorer with 23 goals in 1919-20 including a hat-trick against Notts County in September 1919 as The Citizens finished 7th in the League Championship, and he missed only one match the following season as City finished runners up. He continued to score heavily, bringing up at least 20 goals a season in each of the next three seasons, and in total 125 goals in 235 games was a testament to his prowess.

He twice represented The Football League in 1921 and 1922, and has the honour of scoring the first goal at City’s famous Maine Road ground in August 1923 in a 2-1 victory against Sheffield United on the opening day of the season, which saw him once again City’s top scorer with 22 goals. He captained Manchester City in their 1924 FA Cup semi final, City beaten 2-0 by eventual winners Newcastle United at St Andrews. In November 1924 he joined Preston North End and scored on his debut for the club against Nottingham Forest, playing 41 games and scoring 16 goals over the next two seasons, before joining Oldham Athletic in November 1925. He scored 20 goals in 46 appearances for The Latics before joining non league Ashton National in the summer of 1927, his last club before his eventual retirement.

NB In the photograph, taken at St Andrews, Birmingham, on 29th March 1924 before their FA Cup semi final, Barnes (right) shakes hands with Newcastle United captain Frank Hudspeth. Two Neil Harris goals won the semi final for Newcastle in front of 50,000 spectators.