Geoff Barnett (footballer)

Geoff Barnett

Personal information
Full name	Geoffrey Colin Barnett
Date of birth	(1946-10-16) 16 October 1946
Place of birth	Northwich, England
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1962-1969	Everton	10	(0)
1969-1976	Arsenal	49	(0)
1976-1980	Minnesota Kicks	67	(0)
International career
	England U-21
Managerial career
1981	Minnesota Kicks
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Geoffrey Colin "Geoff" Barnett (born October 16, 1946 in Northwich, Cheshire) is an English former footballer.

Football career

Barnett played as a goalkeeper and started out at Everton in 1962, and there he gained schoolboy and U21 honours with England. However, with the goalkeeping spot being dominated by Gordon West and Andy Rankin through most of the 1960s, Barnett could only be content with being their understudy, making just ten league appearances in seven seasons for the Toffees, all in his final three seasons. However, he did win a 1965 FA Youth Cup with Everton.

In October 1969, Barnett was hurriedly signed for £35,000 by Arsenal after their No. 1 goalkeeper Bob Wilson broke his arm early in the season, and Barnett made his debut against Coventry City on October 4, 1969. Barnett made 11 league appearances and successfully kept a clean sheet over both legs against Sporting CP in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Second Round (saving a penalty in the goalless first leg), but once Wilson recovered from his injury, Barnett was relegated to the reserves.

Barnett missed out entirely on Arsenal's 1970-71 Double-winning season but after an injury to Wilson late on in the 1971-72 season, played against Leeds United in the 1972 FA Cup Final. He was blameless for the goal which saw Arsenal lose 1-0 in a match better known for ill-discipline rather than the quality of play. Barnett started the 1972-73 season as Wilson struggled to recover from injury, playing 25 matches, but Wilson always assumed the goalkeeper's jersey ahead of Barnett when fully fit.

After Arsenal signed Jimmy Rimmer as Wilson's long-term replacement in February 1974 (Wilson would retire from the game that summer), it was clear Barnett would never take the No. 1 spot at Arsenal full-time. Nevertheless, he stayed loyal to Arsenal and played for another two years as Rimmer's understudy, his last appearance coming against Stoke City on December 13, 1975 (his only match in the 75/6 season). In January 1976 he left Arsenal to join the Minnesota Kicks in the United States; in total he played 49 matches for Arsenal, with only an FA Cup runners-up medal to his name.

Barnett stayed in America for a number of years, briefly becoming the Kicks' coach on May 14, 1981. He had a record of 16-10. The team folded after the 1981 NASL season However he never pursued a career in management and eventually returned to England; he ran a pub in his native Cheshire until 2010. Geoff currently resides in Nisswa, Minnesota where he is a Starter at The Pines Golf Course at Grand View Lodge.

Honours

Club

Arsenal

• FA Cup
  • Runner-up: 1972

External links

• [1]
• Minnesota Kicks: Geoff Barnett