Geoff Barnett (footballer)

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

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 through most of the 1960s, Barnett could only be content with being his understudy, making just ten league appearances in seven seasons for the Toffees.

In 1969, Barnett was hurriedly signed 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, 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, and played against Leeds United in the 1972 FA Cup final; Arsenal lost 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 goalkeepers' 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. 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 in 1981. However he never pursued a career in management and eventually returned to England; he now runs a pub in his native Cheshire.

References

* cite book
author=Harris, Jeff & Hogg, Tony (ed.)
title=Arsenal Who's Who
publisher=Independent UK Sports
year=1995
id=ISBN 1-899429-03-4
* cite web
url=http://www.ynw62.dial.pipex.com/caught14.htm
title=Where are they now?
work=Sunday Times
accessdate=August 2
accessyear=2006