Ashley Barnes
Encyclopedia
Ashley Luke Barnes is an English footballer who plays for Football League Championship
club Brighton & Hove Albion
as a striker, having previously played for Paulton Rovers
, Plymouth Argyle
, Oxford United
, Salisbury City
, Eastbourne Borough
and Torquay United
. He has been capped
by Austria at international level, making one appearance for their under-20
team.
of the Southern League
. He had an extended trial with Plymouth Argyle
in March 2007, and sufficiently impressed to be awarded with an eighteen-month contract by the club, having scored several goals for the reserve team. He made his Argyle debut in the first round of the League Cup in August 2007 against Wycombe Wanderers
, coming on as a substitute for first-team regular Sylvan Ebanks-Blake
.
He subsequently found first-team opportunities hard to come by, and was sent on loan to Conference
side Oxford United
in November 2007 in order to gain some experience. Barnes featured five times for Oxford United, including two FA Cup
ties against Southend United
, before returning to Plymouth. He was sent out on loan again in March 2008 to another Conference club, this time to Salisbury City
. He featured in five league matches for the club but did not find the back of the net.
Barnes was loaned out for a third time in November 2008 to Eastbourne Borough
, with team-mate Daniel Smith
. He impressed enough for his loan to be extended by a month, before he was recalled by Plymouth Argyle in January 2009, ahead of the club's match against Bristol City
. He made his league debut for the Pilgrims against Wolves
at Molineux
, scoring his first goal for the club against Coventry City
. His performances at the back-end of the 2008–09 season
were rewarded when he signed a two-year contract extension in May 2009.
He joined League Two
club Torquay United
on loan until the end of the season in February 2010, but returned a month later having made six appearances. Barnes subsequently joined League One
club Brighton & Hove Albion
on loan until the end of the season. He scored on his debut against Tranmere Rovers
two days later, having been introduced as a substitute ten minutes earlier.
On 8 July 2010, Barnes signed a two-year contract with Brighton & Hove Albion after transferring for an undisclosed fee from Plymouth Argyle. On 12 April 2011, he scored the decisive goal in a 4–3 win at home against Dagenham & Redbridge
, which confirmed their promotion to the Football League Championship
.
courtesy of his grandmother on his father's side, who was born in the country. He was spotted by Austrian officials while on a pre-season tour with Plymouth Argyle in July 2008, and as a result he was called up to their Under-20 team
to face Switzerland
in August 2008.
! rowspan=2|Season !! rowspan=2|Club !! rowspan=2|Status !! rowspan=2|Division
! colspan=2|League
! colspan=2|FA Cup
! colspan=2|League Cup
! colspan=2|FL Trophy
! colspan=2|Play-Offs
! colspan=2|Total>
>Brighton & Hove Albion
Championship
> 19
5
0
0
3
2
-
-
-
-
! 22 !! 7
>
League One
> 42
18
6
2
0
0
1
0
-
-
! 49 !! 20
>Brighton & Hove Albion
Loan
League One
> 8
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
-
-
! 8 !! 4
! 69 !! 27 !! 6 !! 2 !! 3 !! 2 !! 1 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 79 !! 31>
>Torquay United
Loan
League Two
> 6
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
-
-
! 6 !! 0
>Plymouth Argyle
Championship
> 7
1
1
0
1
0
-
-
-
-
! 9 !! 1
Eastbourne Borough
Loan
Conference
> 8
5
0
0
0
0
-
-
-
-
! 8 !! 5
Plymouth Argyle
Championship
> 15
1
0
0
0
0
-
-
-
-
! 15 !! 1
Salisbury
Loan
Conference
> 5
0
0
0
0
0
-
-
-
-
! 5 !! 0
Oxford United
Loan
Conference
> 2
0
2
0
0
0
-
-
-
-
! 4 !! 0
Plymouth Argyle
Championship
> 0
0
0
0
1
0
-
-
-
-
! 1 !! 0
! 22 !! 2 !! 1 !! 0 !! 2 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 25 !! 2>
! 112 !! 34 !! 9 !! 2 !! 5 !! 2 !! 1 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 127 !! 38>
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
club Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
as a striker, having previously played for Paulton Rovers
Paulton Rovers F.C.
Paulton Rovers Football Club are an English football club based at the Athletic Field on Winterfield Road in the village of Paulton near Bristol. They were established in 1881 and currently play in the Southern League Division One South and West...
, Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
, Oxford United
Oxford United F.C.
Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...
, Salisbury City
Salisbury City F.C.
Salisbury City Football Club is an English football club based in Salisbury, Wiltshire currently playing in the Conference South. They were formed in 1947 and play at The Raymond McEnhill Stadium...
, Eastbourne Borough
Eastbourne Borough F.C.
Eastbourne Borough are a semi-professional English football club, based in the town of Eastbourne, East Sussex, and are members of the Conference South. They are known as The Sports after their previous name as Langney Sports. Eastbourne Borough play their home matches at Priory Lane in Langney...
and Torquay United
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
. He has been capped
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
by Austria at international level, making one appearance for their under-20
Austria national under-21 football team
The Austria national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Austria and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association....
team.
Playing career
Barnes began his career as a prolific goalscorer with local club Paulton RoversPaulton Rovers F.C.
Paulton Rovers Football Club are an English football club based at the Athletic Field on Winterfield Road in the village of Paulton near Bristol. They were established in 1881 and currently play in the Southern League Division One South and West...
of the Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
. He had an extended trial with Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
in March 2007, and sufficiently impressed to be awarded with an eighteen-month contract by the club, having scored several goals for the reserve team. He made his Argyle debut in the first round of the League Cup in August 2007 against Wycombe Wanderers
Wycombe Wanderers F.C.
Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football team from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, which has been promoted to Football League One after finishing third in Football League Two in the season 2010–11. The club's nicknames are "The Chairboys" and "The Blues", and they play...
, coming on as a substitute for first-team regular Sylvan Ebanks-Blake
Sylvan Ebanks-Blake
Sylvan Agustus Ebanks-Blake is an English footballer of Jamaican descent who plays as a striker for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers....
.
He subsequently found first-team opportunities hard to come by, and was sent on loan to Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
side Oxford United
Oxford United F.C.
Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...
in November 2007 in order to gain some experience. Barnes featured five times for Oxford United, including two FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
ties against Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
, before returning to Plymouth. He was sent out on loan again in March 2008 to another Conference club, this time to Salisbury City
Salisbury City F.C.
Salisbury City Football Club is an English football club based in Salisbury, Wiltshire currently playing in the Conference South. They were formed in 1947 and play at The Raymond McEnhill Stadium...
. He featured in five league matches for the club but did not find the back of the net.
Barnes was loaned out for a third time in November 2008 to Eastbourne Borough
Eastbourne Borough F.C.
Eastbourne Borough are a semi-professional English football club, based in the town of Eastbourne, East Sussex, and are members of the Conference South. They are known as The Sports after their previous name as Langney Sports. Eastbourne Borough play their home matches at Priory Lane in Langney...
, with team-mate Daniel Smith
Dan Smith (footballer born 1989)
Daniel Philip Smith is an Cornish footballer, currently playing for Truro City.-Playing career:Smith was a professional at Eastbourne Borough having been brought through Plymouth Argyle's Centre of Excellence, since joining at 10 years old...
. He impressed enough for his loan to be extended by a month, before he was recalled by Plymouth Argyle in January 2009, ahead of the club's match against Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
. He made his league debut for the Pilgrims against Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
at Molineux
Molineux stadium
Molineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
, scoring his first goal for the club against Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
. His performances at the back-end of the 2008–09 season
2008–09 in English football
The 2008–09 season was the 129th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Hull City were all playing in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship last season. Stoke returned to the top flight after a 23-year absence, while...
were rewarded when he signed a two-year contract extension in May 2009.
He joined League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
club Torquay United
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
on loan until the end of the season in February 2010, but returned a month later having made six appearances. Barnes subsequently joined League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
club Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
on loan until the end of the season. He scored on his debut against Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
two days later, having been introduced as a substitute ten minutes earlier.
On 8 July 2010, Barnes signed a two-year contract with Brighton & Hove Albion after transferring for an undisclosed fee from Plymouth Argyle. On 12 April 2011, he scored the decisive goal in a 4–3 win at home against Dagenham & Redbridge
Dagenham & Redbridge F.C.
Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club , informally known as Daggers, is an English association football club based in Dagenham, in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, East London. It was formed in 1992 after a merger between Redbridge Forest and Dagenham...
, which confirmed their promotion to the Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
.
International career
Despite being born in Bath to English parents, Barnes qualifies to represent AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
courtesy of his grandmother on his father's side, who was born in the country. He was spotted by Austrian officials while on a pre-season tour with Plymouth Argyle in July 2008, and as a result he was called up to their Under-20 team
Austria national under-21 football team
The Austria national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Austria and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association....
to face Switzerland
Switzerland national under-21 football team
The Switzerland national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Switzerland and is controlled by the Swiss Football Association...
in August 2008.
Career statistics
! colspan=2|League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
! colspan=2|FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
! colspan=2|League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
! colspan=2|FL Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
! colspan=2|Play-Offs
Football League Play-Offs
The Football League play-offs are an annual series of football matches to determine some of the promotion places within the Football League. Essentially, each division of the league offers a certain number of automatic promotion places to the top two or three clubs. A further promotion place is...
! colspan=2|Total>
2011–12 Football League
The Football League 2011–12, called the Npower Football League, is the 112th season of the Football League. It began in August 2011 and will conclude in May 2012, with the promotion play-off finals....
>
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
> 19
! 22 !! 7
2010–11 Football League
The Football League 2010–11, called the Npower Football League, was the 111th completed season of the Football League. It began in August 2010 and concluded in May 2011, with the promotion play-off finals....
>
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
> 42
! 49 !! 20
2009–10 Football League
The Football League 2009–10, called the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons, was the 110th completed season of the Football League. It began in August 2009 and concluded in May 2010, with the promotion play-off finals. The Football League is contested through three Divisions. The...
>
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
> 8
! 8 !! 4
! 69 !! 27 !! 6 !! 2 !! 3 !! 2 !! 1 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 79 !! 31>
2009–10 Football League
The Football League 2009–10, called the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons, was the 110th completed season of the Football League. It began in August 2009 and concluded in May 2010, with the promotion play-off finals. The Football League is contested through three Divisions. The...
>
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
> 6
! 6 !! 0
2009–10 Football League
The Football League 2009–10, called the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons, was the 110th completed season of the Football League. It began in August 2009 and concluded in May 2010, with the promotion play-off finals. The Football League is contested through three Divisions. The...
>
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
> 7
! 9 !! 1
Eastbourne Borough F.C.
Eastbourne Borough are a semi-professional English football club, based in the town of Eastbourne, East Sussex, and are members of the Conference South. They are known as The Sports after their previous name as Langney Sports. Eastbourne Borough play their home matches at Priory Lane in Langney...
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
> 8
! 8 !! 5
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
> 15
! 15 !! 1
Salisbury City F.C.
Salisbury City Football Club is an English football club based in Salisbury, Wiltshire currently playing in the Conference South. They were formed in 1947 and play at The Raymond McEnhill Stadium...
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
> 5
! 5 !! 0
Oxford United F.C.
Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
> 2
! 4 !! 0
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
> 0
! 1 !! 0
! 22 !! 2 !! 1 !! 0 !! 2 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 25 !! 2>
! 112 !! 34 !! 9 !! 2 !! 5 !! 2 !! 1 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 127 !! 38>