After teenager Anthony Walker was murdered in 2008, the Liverpool legend, John Barnes launched an anti-racism hope in the city of Liverpool in order to reduce the bridge enmity that has plundered the city and the white cadre as a whole for many years.
In fact, the Liverpool legend was an aura of hope to many black living in the Liverpool city and beyond during his spell at the Anfield as a player where he found the back of the opposition net more than one hundred times for the Red.
Moreover, it was a journey that plunge deep in the ocean of controversies as he prepared to switch his allegiance from Hornet, as it was obvious that the Jamaican born British footballer had outgrown the lower tier team after helping them to FA Cup final and European competition.
It was even more controversial as his new team is a herald of white dominance without black in the rank except Howard Gayle brief minutes in some game and the Englishman impact in the semifinal match in Munich when Gayle came on top to swing the odd of the Reds in semi final of the European cup tie.
In fact, the city of Liverpool has always been one the most multicultural cities in the country and beyond, but the Anfield team have always create the semblance of racism, even in the heart of Goodison park, the Liverpool city team were scarcely including black player in their rank.
More so Barnes was rumoured to be holding out for a capital based club or outside England despite him knowing that Liverpool had been poke-nosing about his availability in the previous season of 1987.
But when it became apparent of his imminent move, the black attacker was more fastidious when he realised that his wish could not materialise at it was only the Anfield’s team that looking in his direction.
Barnes however would go on to represent a path of rumble that would forever be remember not by the Kop alone but by the entire city of Liverpool as legend beyond the beautiful game of football. Though, the Jamaican born would not have his home debut immediately which would come off after some month of Reds debut.
A collapsed sewer at the Kop is well appreciated for the late home debut of Barnes for Liverpool as the Reds would ply there first few games away from Anfield while repair go on in Anfield. Moreover, many Liverpool fans would travelled to outside there comfort to see the beauty of newly formed attacking play under Dalglish.
However, it was less than 10 minutes of his appearance against Arsenal at the heart of capital club that Barnes would announce himself not only to kops but to the entire Liverpool city as fashion new era of attacking play that would aid Liverpool in winning several titles for years.
While Liverpool attack were leaving no chance for the opponent defense, John Barnes was at the heart of the attack with plethora of creativity, tricks and flicks that would ensure that Liverpool had one of there greatest seasons in their rich history.
With Barnes, Liverpool were force to reckoned with while the opponent knew what was coming but stopping it seem almost impossible as the free fluid attacking play led the Anfield team to many glory which ultimately enforce the Liverpool fans in the cities warming up the magnificent of the Jamoainca born, John Barnes.
Though, he would go on and on with Liverpool for several years before he call it quit in 1997 after his decade of brilliance at the center of Mwrseyside to which John Barnes artistic brilliance on and off the ball graced and enriched the Liverpool city beyond the cadre of kops but influence the cities to embrace blacks in their daily endeavor as a way to grow.
In fact, the Jamaican born British international was a development factor that would enable the black to voice more in a city that was already of multiculturalist oriented compared to the rest of the English territory.
Beyond his Liverpool cadre, John Barnes at the time had the most appearance than any other black British citizen by the time he had his last cap for the Three Lions and with his effort and achievements in the English National team.
The like of Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling. Jadon Sancho, and Bukayo Saka among many crop of black players can carry on living his legacy he left behind to promote the need for harmony between the black and white folks despite sharing the same nationality.
The two giant teams in Merseyside can boast of black player in all cadre of the team from the youth to the senior – while Liverpool deadly front three, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firminho,and Mohammed Salah are all black players, while Everton can boast of Yerry Mina, Doucoure among many other players that form an integral part of there team.
In fact, the Liverpool front three of Mane, Salah and Firminho is much touted by many old kops as the reincarnation of Barnes, Aldridge, and Beardsley that ensure that Liverpool won the Premier League for the first time in their history.
Though, the team fell short in the previous season, but with the three attacker coming back to their usual lethargic prowess, Liverpool is looking like a team team to win the Premier League again despite having Manchester City and Chelsea as the leading contender for the Premier League title according to Bovada review of Premier League winners spread.
Though, Liverpool is currently high flying in the Premier and Champions League, while Everton is rightly posing enough threat to be the top team they once were in their history. In fact, the two giant Liverpool are well positioned and stable and there black players are the reason for their implode form for more than two years now.
In fact, it was the excellence of John Barnes that had brought the right warm of trusting the black in Liverpool city football teams and like how they reap the reward with him in his playing days, Liverpool and Everton are still reaping the reward of his excellence in creating an aura of hope for the black in the Liverpool city and beyond.
Truly, John Barnes is an aura of hope for the Black folks beyond the cadre of football and he still push for black voice after he had Lind retire from what game him the voice when he stood for the murder victim in 2008.
