I’ve been informed today that Ken has recently suffered a stroke, I have no other info at the moment only to add that I’m sure everyone from Witton will hope for a speedy recovery and fingers crossed he is up and about soon.
also, while trying to find some news about Kens health I came across this book about Ken and was wondering if anyone else had seen or read it? might be some interesting stuff in there from his days at Witton.
Have seen the book and had a quick flick. Considered buying it, but there is only one paragraph about Witton, along the lines of;
"We had some great times at Wincham Park during that season…
Sorry to hear about Ken Barnes - lets hope it is not too serious.
As regards his book - sadly only 2 pages on Witton - but the rest of the book gives a good insight into the Great man and one can relate to methods he used at Witton. I have a copy which at the moment is loaned out to bitter Green but as soon as i get it back i will gladly let u read it.
Forgot to put the title of the book; This Simple Game - The Footballing Life of Ken Barnes, Published December 2005.[br][size=1]Posted on: July 11, 2007, 04:35:35 PM[/size][hr]Ken Barnes was widely regarded as one of the finest footballers of his generation never to have won an England cap. During a distinguished playing career with Manchester City, Ken appeared in the FA Cup finals of 1955 and 1956 and later captained the club before retiring in the early 60s. He spent nearly a decade away from Maine Road as a manager of Wrexham and Witton Albion before returning to Maine Road as a coach under Joe Mercer. Ken subsequently went on to serve under every City manager as either a coach or chief scout from Joe Mercer to Joe Royle. As someone who holds forthright views on the game, especially when it comes to the subject of coaching, Ken’s views could be dismissed as the ‘in my day’ rantings of another embittered former pro. Yet one should bear in mind that his integrity and knowledge of the game saw him serve under every Manchester City manager from Joe Mercer to Joe Royle. In his time Ken has seen trends come and go – from the ‘deep lying centre-forward’ via ‘wingless wonders’ to today’s ‘holding midfielder’ and is uniquely placed to give his opinions on them all. Away from football, Ken is described as a ‘character’. Make of that what you will. That may be a tale for another day. This is the story of Ken’s life in football. I’m honoured, and privileged, that he asked me to help him tell it.
Introduction; Part One: The Early Years; Part Two: Early Frustrations; Part Three: Pastures New; Part Four: Back to the Blues; Part Five: Out on His Ear; Epilogue; Index.
I was given the news regarding Ken Barnes in a conversation with Eric Finnigan on monday, he had heard it on Radio Manchester.
As far as I am aware, he is currently in hospital in Macclesfield but have had no further news since.