John Barnes Liverpool
Graeme Souness came out in public to support his under-pressure club captain John Barnes who was booed by a large section of England supporters in the match at Wembley against San Marino. The Liverpool player was born in Jamaica and had come out in open to support the West Indies cricket team against the infamous apartheid tours to South Africa.
This had led to a section of England supporters turning against him which was visible at Wembley. Barnes himself had in the past admitted that racism was very much part of the culture even at Liverpool where he was the only player not to be served the tea by the kitchen lady on his first day at the club as well as him having a heated argument with a teammate who was abusing an opposition black player during a match.
Souness said “He will just have to live with it and show that he has the character to prevent it from getting on top of him. It is all part and parcel of being a top player. I know how he feels.”
