A daily battle
John Barnes opens up to Kate Garraway about the prejudice he’s encountered...
He’s best known for his career as a midfielder – and for his iconic rap in the 1990 World Cup song World in Motion – but Liverpool and England footballer John Barnes admits some of his toughest times have been off the pitch.
John was subjected to horrific racist abuse during his career, which he opens up about to Kate Garraway in this week’s Life Stories.
‘Bananas were thrown on the pitch every day,’ he says. ‘But the fact it happened at football is inconsequential. It’s a societal issue. Black people have, every single day of their lives, unspoken racial abuse and invisible banana skins thrown at them.’ John was born and raised in Jamaica and moved to London when he was 12.
Early days
‘My first and lasting memory of England was of looking through the airplane window just before we landed and seeing a football pitch full of children my age in kits,’ he recalls.
‘In Jamaica, we didn’t have organised football, so although it was freezing, when I saw that, I thought “Thank God I’m here!”’
Aside from racism, another battle John faces is with his weight, which he’s struggled with since retiring from football in 1999.
‘I can’t resist fast food. I’d eat it every day if I could. I’ve let myself go,’ admits the former Strictly contestant.
However, John knows he needs to keep himself healthy for his seven children and two grandchildren.
‘When my youngest child, Alexander, arrived I was 47, delighted to be a dad again,’ he says. ‘Love and a good education are the best things you can give your children.’