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Massive, this is a discussion/conversation that I would love the massive to have without the almshouse arguments, and maybe some great points will come from it..."Why was John Barnes so much more successful as a player than other Jamaican players past and present?"
Let's revisit the past for a second. Barnes is now 44y.o. and left St. Georges College to go to England at about 12y.o. which puts it at 32 years ago, so we are talking 1976 in about first or second form. This means that he probably was playing U-13 Pepsi Cup at the time showing lots of skills and promise like almost any other skillful youth playing in the same competition...maybe he stood out, maybe not! Therefore, if he had continued in school and not migrated, he most likely would have played Manning Cup between 1979 and 1981, maybe until 82-83 if he repeated or went to sixth form. This means he would have still been 18 or 19 years old, playing on those wicked Georges teams of 80,81,82 and 83 along side players like Chin, Skitto, Sinco, LittleJohn, Prendy, Price, Chicken, the Ziadies and Forbes...just maybe, and maybe I would have seen him play live.
Now all those players I named including numerous others across the Island were just as gifted but never gone on to make the big time like Barnes. Remember, all this before Jamaica even came close to qualifying for a World Cup or had a decent league. What is that thing that made Barnes, and none of those players into household names beyond our shores? Was it the opportunity? Was it leaving at the right time before he was spoilt by different influences? Was it leaving with raw talent and nurtured by professionals in England? Was it a mind set or was he just driven? Perhaps a combination of many different factors. Well what ever it is I would like to find out, and Johnny will be in the perfect place to shed some light on that Thing that made him so great! Who knows, maybe he will dig into our football mines and un-earth that player or players that we've longed for ever since we watched him playing for Liverpool and England. Whatever it is, there is something that happen to our Football and players after age 15 that has an adverse effect on their development. What do you think massive, what is that thing?
Let's revisit the past for a second. Barnes is now 44y.o. and left St. Georges College to go to England at about 12y.o. which puts it at 32 years ago, so we are talking 1976 in about first or second form. This means that he probably was playing U-13 Pepsi Cup at the time showing lots of skills and promise like almost any other skillful youth playing in the same competition...maybe he stood out, maybe not! Therefore, if he had continued in school and not migrated, he most likely would have played Manning Cup between 1979 and 1981, maybe until 82-83 if he repeated or went to sixth form. This means he would have still been 18 or 19 years old, playing on those wicked Georges teams of 80,81,82 and 83 along side players like Chin, Skitto, Sinco, LittleJohn, Prendy, Price, Chicken, the Ziadies and Forbes...just maybe, and maybe I would have seen him play live.
Now all those players I named including numerous others across the Island were just as gifted but never gone on to make the big time like Barnes. Remember, all this before Jamaica even came close to qualifying for a World Cup or had a decent league. What is that thing that made Barnes, and none of those players into household names beyond our shores? Was it the opportunity? Was it leaving at the right time before he was spoilt by different influences? Was it leaving with raw talent and nurtured by professionals in England? Was it a mind set or was he just driven? Perhaps a combination of many different factors. Well what ever it is I would like to find out, and Johnny will be in the perfect place to shed some light on that Thing that made him so great! Who knows, maybe he will dig into our football mines and un-earth that player or players that we've longed for ever since we watched him playing for Liverpool and England. Whatever it is, there is something that happen to our Football and players after age 15 that has an adverse effect on their development. What do you think massive, what is that thing?
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