Walley Barnes
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 16 January 1920 | ||
| Place of birth | Brecon, Wales | ||
| Date of death | 4 September 1975 (aged 55) | ||
| Playing position | Full back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1941–1943 | Southampton | 32 | (14) |
| 1943–1956 | Arsenal | 267 | (11) |
| National team | |||
| 1947–1954 | Wales | 22 | (1) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1954–1956 | Wales | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
|||
Walley Barnes (16 January 1920 – 4 September 1975) was a Welsh footballer and broadcaster. He, playing as a Defender, featured for Southampton and Arsenal F.C. as well as captained the Welsh national side.
Born in Brecon to English parents (his father, a soldier, was stationed there at the time), Barnes initially played as an inside-forward for Southampton in wartime games, making 32 appearances between 1941 and 1943, scoring 14 goals in all
Barnes was then spotted and signed by Arsenal in September of 1943. At and away from Highbury he played in virtually every position on the pitch for Arsenal in wartime matches including a match where he featured as a goalkeeper, but suffered a serious knee injury which was incurred in 1944. Despite a poor prognosis at the time, he recovered, and forced himself back in the Arsenal side after insisting on playing a reserves match against Cambridge University. He made his League debut for the Gunners against Preston North End on 9 November 1946.
Barnes became noted for his assured performances at left-back, with his tidy distribution and effortless ability to cut out crosses. He soon found a regular place in the Arsenal side, and was part of their First Division Championship-winning side of 1947-48.
Barnes switched to right back following an injury to skipper Laurie Scott, and won an FA Cup winners' medal in 1949-50 after Arsenal beat Liverpool. Two years later, Arsenal got to the Cup final again, this time against Newcastle United, but Barnes twisted his knee badly trying to tackle George Robledo and had to come off the pitch after 35 minutes; with no substitutes permitted, Arsenal were down to ten men, and went on to lose 1-0.
...
Wikipedia