My favourite Bristol Rovers player: Paul Davis BCFM commentator and Gashead of some 42 years..on Micky Barrett.
i2-prod.bristolpost.co.uk/incoming/article4155148.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/1_Untitled-design-21.png
Micky Barrett pictured at EastvilleEach week a different Gashead picks their favourite player to have donned blue and white and the unique reasons why.
On August 14th, 1984, I arrived home from school to hear the earth shattering news from my parents that my Bristol Rovers idol and winger, Micky Barrett, had passed away from lung cancer at the age of just 24.
Micky as all Gasheads knew him had the football world at his feet and even Manchester United were keeping an eye on him. I will always remember his final match in the blue and white quarters at the now long gone Eastville stadium.
It was on May 8th, 1984 and was the final home fixture of the 1983/84 season. In a poor match, Millwall fell behind to a Brian Williams penalty but proceeded to take a second-half lead and then a 2-1 advantage into injury time.
My dad turned to me as we sat on the railings at the back of the North Enclosure saying, "Let’s go" but I replied, "Wait, you never know what might happen yet".
Sure enough, up popped legendary goalscorer Paul Randall with the equaliser, so the script was all set up for Barrett to score the winning third goal in injury time and in the process steal the match away from Millwall.
He duly obliged with a superb flicked header from Ian Holloway’s cross. The stadium may have only held 5,347 spectators that night but it erupted with joy and sparked a small pitch invasion in front of the Tote End.
If we could have seen into the future, what an apt and fitting way for the Bristolian to leave the football stage in his last ever match.
For those of you too young to remember this wizard of the wing, Micky had a style and grace of his own. He would drift past defenders like a modern day Harold Jarman (his youth team coach at Eastville), teasing full-backs with the ball as it stuck to his foot like a balloon on the end of a piece of string, before accelerating to the byline with great pace.
i2-prod.bristolpost.co.uk/incoming/article4155146.ece/ALTERNATES/s1200e/0_Micky-Barrett-5jpeg.jpgMicky Barrett on the attack against Swindon at the County GroundThen there was that expert delivery from the left and inswinging crosses cutting out the goalkeeper for the forwards to capitalise on, be it Archie Stephens or Paul Randall.
I share a few things with my Rovers idol. I am a Shirehampton lad and Micky and I were both educated at St Bedes Roman Catholic Comprehensive school in Lawrence Weston. Our PE Master Mr Pick, often reminded me that he was always destined to become a footballer.
After leaving school, Barrett had a trial with Bristol City but was rejected and as he was a City fan that must have really hurt!
Micky didn’t give up on his dream of making it though, joining non-league village side Shirehampton Sports in 1976 before City’s loss was Rovers gain as he was scouted in 1979. He was given a professional contract by the then Player-Manager and former Leeds, Bristol City manager and England full-back Terry Cooper.
It was some time before he established himself as a first team regular and he only made three appearances in his first season with the Pirates.
He made his debut at Swansea City in a 2-0 defeat in April, 1980. In total he played 129 league games culminating in 18 goals over five seasons. Not many per season you might say but Micky was a pure creator.
Sadly in the late summer of 1984, Barrett struggling with his fitness, became painfully thin and gaunt which was noticed by his teammates during training sessions, and after being taken to hospital for tests he was diagnosed with lung cancer.
He deteriorated quickly and died only six weeks before the birth of his son, Liam. Today there is an annual ‘Micky Barrett Memorial’ trophy which is awarded to a young player from Bristol Rovers who has done something special in that particular year – not necessarily on the pitch.
Rovers played two testimonial matches in that autumn of 1984 in Micky’s memory. One was against Aston Villa at Eastville and the other versus Shirehampton Sports, at Penpole Lane, Shirehampton.
I attended both matches as did numerous players, directors of the club and many loyal fans and I do recall flowers being placed around the Eastville pitch.
These were indeed sombre events but a considerable amount of money was raised to support his young wife Louise, and Liam.
In my opinion had he lived longer, Micky Barrett would have gone on to achieve great things at the top echelons of the game, playing top-flight as did other Rovers players of that era, Gary Mabbutt, Nigel Martyn, Gary Penrice and his mate Ian Holloway.
Rest easy Micky and keep dazzling them on that football pitch in heaven. You’ll never be forgotten!
