Barry Venison
Encyclopedia
Barry Venison is a retired English
footballer who enjoyed a successful playing career from 1981 to 1997. He later worked as an television
pundit.
, County Durham
. He played for England
at youth and under-21 level in his early days. He started his club career in his native North East
with Sunderland
and set a record when he became the youngest captain at a Wembley cup final when, aged 20 years and 220 days, he skippered Sunderland against Norwich City
in the 1985 League Cup
final. Unfortunately for both Venison and Sunderland they lost 1–0.
Venison had originally made his debut for the Black Cats, aged just 17, on 10 October 1981 in the 2–0 league defeat to Notts County
at Meadow Lane
. He went on to play in 20 league games that season scoring one goal in the process. The steady and reliable right full-back settled into first team football well at Roker Park
and became a firm favourite in 1983–84
, when he missed just one league game.
At the end of the 1984–85 season
, the same season in which they had reached the League Cup final, Sunderland were relegated to the Second Division. After Sunderland's failure to win promotion in 1985–86
, Venison asked for a transfer as his Sunderland contract neared expiry in 1986, so he wrote to every club in English football's top division to ask if they were interested in him.
By the end of the 1985–86 season he had made a total of 205 appearances for the Wearsiders
; 173 of them in the Football League. He had managed two goals.
manager Kenny Dalglish
who acted quickest and duly offered him a deal. The recent Double winners paid Sunderland £200,000 for Venison's services on 31 July 1986, with a view to him becoming a long term successor to the ageing right-back Mark Lawrenson
.
Venison made his Liverpool debut on 16 August 1986 in the traditional curtain raiser at Wembley, the Charity Shield, Liverpool faced derby
rivals Everton
, who had lost out to the Reds in both the previous season's League and FA Cup
campaigns. The usual high tempo game ended in a 1–1 draw with both clubs sharing the shield. He featured in 33 out of 42 league games that season.
Venison was a League Cup final loser again in his first season at Anfield
, when Liverpool were defeated by Arsenal
in the 1987 final. He was also denied the chance of league title glory as the Reds were beaten into second place in the league by their neighbours Everton.
He played 18 times for Liverpool when they secured League championship
in 1988
, losing just two out of 40 league games. Unfortunately, the emergence of fellow young defender Gary Ablett forced Dalglish into reshaping his defence and Venison was the player who lost his place in the team as a result. He was also hampered by injury and was unavailable for that season's FA Cup final
, which Liverpool unexpectedly lost to Wimbledon
.
The next season would see Venison's first goal for the club, it came on 29 August 1988 in the 4–1 thrashing of Nottingham Forest
in the quarter finals of the Centenary trophy. Venison featured in more games but with fewer starts, often named as one of the two permitted substitutes.
Venison, along with his team-mates, rallied round the bereaved families of the Hillsborough disaster
attending a number of the funerals, he then played his role as Liverpool reached the final of the FA Cup again. Dalglish brought him on as an extra-time substitute as Liverpool defeated Merseyside
rivals Everton 3–2. They later lost the League title
in a decider against Arsenal
at Anfield after Michael Thomas scored the winner with virtually the last kick of the whole season. Venison was on the bench again.
1990
saw Venison play 25 times in the league and earn another championship medal as Liverpool secured their 18th top division title.
The following campaign was a non-event for Venison as he only managed a total of 14 appearances in all competitions, however, this did include another Wembley appearance as the Reds faced bitter rivals Manchester United
in the Charity Shield, again, the Reds had to share the trophy as they drew 1–1 with their North West rivals.
Venison scored what would be his only league goal for the Reds on 31 March 1992, netting the side's final goal in a 4–0 win over Notts County
. He played 13 times in the league that season, as Liverpool finished sixth – the first time since 1981 that they had not been league champions or runners-up. They did win the FA Cup
by defeating Venison's old club Sunderland 2–0 at Wembley Stadium
but he was not included in the squad.
and returned to the North East to play for Sunderland's rivals Newcastle United
, who were preparing for a promotion push in the new Division One (as the old Second Division was now named following the creation of the FA Premier League
) under the management of former Liverpool, Newcastle United and England striker Kevin Keegan
.
Venison made his debut of the Magpies on 15 August 1992 in the 3–2 league win over Southend United
at St James' Park
, Venison enjoyed a tremendous beginning to his Newcastle career as they won their first eleven league games in a row. The run came to an end when they lost to a last minute goal at home against Grimsby Town
; they fell just 2 games short of the record 13 straight victories that had been set seven years earlier by Reading
in the old Third Division. Keegan got his team to play in an exciting, attacking way with them becoming a talking point within the game for their exuberant style of play along with their mean defence which included a revitalized Venison. Newcastle went on to become Division One champions, winning the title with a 2–0 away win, coincidentally at Grimsby, thus gaining promotion to the Premier League.
Venison only scored one goal for the Magpies but he regards it as being the best goal he's ever scored; it was, in his words, "a 20-yard screamer" against Aston Villa
at a packed St James' Park.http://www.truegreats.com/player.asp?c=66&p=89
Venison remained a crucial part of the Newcastle defence as they returned to the top flight in 1993–94
, and helped them hit the ground running as they secured a third place finish (though they never really looked like catching up with the leading pair that consisted of champions Manchester United and runners-up Blackburn Rovers
. This gave the Magpies a place in Europe (the UEFA Cup
) for the first time since the 1970s
.
Keegan also successfully converted Venison into a midfield player following the arrival of right-back Marc Hottiger
at the start of the 1994–95
season, though he lost the club captaincy when he was spotted in a wine bar outside of the club's curfew.
He played 28 times for the Magpies in 1994–95, scoring his only league goal for them, and for a while it looked as though he might be gaining another championship medal to add to the two he earned at Liverpool. The Magpies achieved the best start to a top division campaign in their history as they won their first six games in the Premier League and entered October still top of the league. However, the excellent form was not maintained as the season went on, and a sixth place finish wasn't even enough for another UEFA Cup campaign.
In 1994, aged 30, Venison was picked to represent his country by new coach Terry Venables
. The call-up came as a surprise, not least to Venison, but he played well in both of his full international appearances. His debut came on 7 September 1994 in the 2–0 friendly victory over the USA
; his only other appearance for his country came on 29 March 1995 in a 0–0 friendly draw with Uruguay
. Both games were played at Wembley.
in Turkey
on 31 May 1995 for £750,000. He was one of many British footballers recruited by coach Graeme Souness
, who had been his manager during his final year at Liverpool earlier in the decade.
for £850,000 on 25 October 1995. He played 27 Premier League games that season as Southampton avoided relegation on goal difference and reached the FA Cup
quarter finals.
He played two more games for the Saints in 1996–97
(by which time Graeme Souness
was manager of Southampton, the third club Venison had played under him at) before he suffered a back injury which led to him announcing his retirement for playing on 20 October 1996 at the age of 32.
before moving to ITV
and though he expressed articulate and knowledgeable views on the game, his on-screen performances were overshadowed by his rather flamboyant and garish clothing, combined with a streaked-blonde "mullet
" hairstyle which he had sported throughout his playing days. He also popularised the phrase "It's just one man's opinion", before he eventually dressed more soberly for television and had a haircut. He later revealed he had rejected a TV role as lead reporter for a new show entitled Mullet Hunter.
In the early 2000s Barry launched an on-line sports memorabilia auction site. The company "bid4sport.com" was a not-for-profit company and raised money for charities. Julie Venison was also involved in Bid4sport providing business support and book-keeping for the venture. The company was initially based on the outskirts of Romsey before expanding and moving to premises to the west of Fareham. The venture was created with the help of friend and co-professional Brad Freidel. Venison Sold Bid4sport shortly before his family relocated to the United States.
Venison now resides in Southern California
with his family, wife Julie, son Max and daughter Jade.
Venison also made an appearance as himself in the 2001 comedy film, Mike Bassett: England Manager
.
Liverpool
Newcastle United
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer who enjoyed a successful playing career from 1981 to 1997. He later worked as an television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
pundit.
Sunderland
Venison was born in ConsettConsett
Consett is a town in the northwest of County Durham, England, about southwest of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is home to 27,394 .Consett sits high on the edge of the Pennines. In 1841, it was a village community of only 145, but it was about to become a boom town: below the ground was coking coal and...
, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
. He played for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
at youth and under-21 level in his early days. He started his club career in his native North East
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
with Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
and set a record when he became the youngest captain at a Wembley cup final when, aged 20 years and 220 days, he skippered Sunderland against Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
in the 1985 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...
final. Unfortunately for both Venison and Sunderland they lost 1–0.
Venison had originally made his debut for the Black Cats, aged just 17, on 10 October 1981 in the 2–0 league defeat to Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
at Meadow Lane
Meadow Lane
Not to be confused with The Meadow, home of Southern Football League Premier Division football team Chesham UnitedThe Meadow Lane Stadium is a football stadium in Nottingham, England...
. He went on to play in 20 league games that season scoring one goal in the process. The steady and reliable right full-back settled into first team football well at Roker Park
Roker Park
Roker Park was an English football stadium situated in Roker, Sunderland. The stadium was the home of the English football club Sunderland A.F.C. from 1897 to 1997 before the club moved to the Stadium of Light. Near the end of the stadium's history, its capacity was around 22,500 with only a small...
and became a firm favourite in 1983–84
1983-84 in English football
The 1983–84 season was the 104th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Liverpool had a great first season under the management of Joe Fagan as they wrapped up their third successive league title and the 15th in their history...
, when he missed just one league game.
At the end of the 1984–85 season
1984-85 in English football
The 1984–85 season was the 105th season of competitive football in England.-Bradford City disaster:56 spectators died and more than 200 were injured when a fire ripped through the Main Stand at Valley Parade during Bradford City's Third Division fixture with Lincoln City on 11 May...
, the same season in which they had reached the League Cup final, Sunderland were relegated to the Second Division. After Sunderland's failure to win promotion in 1985–86
1985-86 in English football
The 1985–86 season was the 106th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :The championship crown went to Liverpool for the 16th time in their history at the end of their first season under the management of Kenny Dalglish, but they had to fight off some very stiff competition to...
, Venison asked for a transfer as his Sunderland contract neared expiry in 1986, so he wrote to every club in English football's top division to ask if they were interested in him.
By the end of the 1985–86 season he had made a total of 205 appearances for the Wearsiders
River Wear
The River Wear is located in North East England, rising in the Pennines and flowing eastwards, mostly through County Durham, to the North Sea at Sunderland.-Geology and history:...
; 173 of them in the Football League. He had managed two goals.
Liverpool
It was LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
manager Kenny Dalglish
Kenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
who acted quickest and duly offered him a deal. The recent Double winners paid Sunderland £200,000 for Venison's services on 31 July 1986, with a view to him becoming a long term successor to the ageing right-back Mark Lawrenson
Mark Lawrenson
Mark Thomas Lawrenson is a former professional football player, a defender in the Liverpool and Irish football teams of the 1980s; he since became a radio, television and internet pundit for the BBC and Today FM. He was born in England, but played for the Republic of Ireland because his...
.
Venison made his Liverpool debut on 16 August 1986 in the traditional curtain raiser at Wembley, the Charity Shield, Liverpool faced derby
Merseyside derby
The Merseyside derby is the name given to any football match contested between Everton and Liverpool football clubs, the two most successful clubs from the city of Liverpool in England...
rivals Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, who had lost out to the Reds in both the previous season's League and 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...
campaigns. The usual high tempo game ended in a 1–1 draw with both clubs sharing the shield. He featured in 33 out of 42 league games that season.
Venison was a League Cup final loser again in his first season at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
, when Liverpool were defeated by Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
in the 1987 final. He was also denied the chance of league title glory as the Reds were beaten into second place in the league by their neighbours Everton.
He played 18 times for Liverpool when they secured League championship
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
in 1988
1987-88 in English football
The 1987–88 season was the 120th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Liverpool won the league title with a comfortable nine-point margin and just two defeats all season....
, losing just two out of 40 league games. Unfortunately, the emergence of fellow young defender Gary Ablett forced Dalglish into reshaping his defence and Venison was the player who lost his place in the team as a result. He was also hampered by injury and was unavailable for that season's FA Cup final
FA Cup Final 1988
The 1988 FA Cup Final took place on 14 May 1988 at Wembley Stadium. It was contested between Wimbledon, unfashionable and unfancied, and Liverpool, one of the dominant teams of the 1980s and newly-crowned league champions....
, which Liverpool unexpectedly lost to Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
.
The next season would see Venison's first goal for the club, it came on 29 August 1988 in the 4–1 thrashing of Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
in the quarter finals of the Centenary trophy. Venison featured in more games but with fewer starts, often named as one of the two permitted substitutes.
Venison, along with his team-mates, rallied round the bereaved families of the Hillsborough disaster
Hillsborough disaster
The Hillsborough disaster was a human crush that occurred on 15 April 1989 at Hillsborough, a football stadium, the home of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. in Sheffield, England, resulting in the deaths of 96 people, and 766 being injured, all fans of Liverpool F.C....
attending a number of the funerals, he then played his role as Liverpool reached the final of the FA Cup again. Dalglish brought him on as an extra-time substitute as Liverpool defeated Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
rivals Everton 3–2. They later lost the League title
1988-89 in English football
The 1988–89 season was the 109th season of competitive football in England.-Hillsborough disaster:On 15 April, a crowd crush at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough killed 94 people and injured more than 300. A 95th Liverpool supporter died in hospital...
in a decider against Arsenal
Liverpool 0–2 Arsenal (26 May 1989)
The final match of the 1988–89 English Football League season was contested on 26 May 1989, between Liverpool and Arsenal, at Liverpool's Anfield ground. By sheer coincidence, it was the match between the top two teams in the First Division and the teams were close enough on points for the match to...
at Anfield after Michael Thomas scored the winner with virtually the last kick of the whole season. Venison was on the bench again.
1990
1989-90 in English football
-European competitions:English clubs were still banned from competing in European competitions following the Heysel Stadium disaster.- First Division :...
saw Venison play 25 times in the league and earn another championship medal as Liverpool secured their 18th top division title.
The following campaign was a non-event for Venison as he only managed a total of 14 appearances in all competitions, however, this did include another Wembley appearance as the Reds faced bitter rivals Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in the Charity Shield, again, the Reds had to share the trophy as they drew 1–1 with their North West rivals.
Venison scored what would be his only league goal for the Reds on 31 March 1992, netting the side's final goal in a 4–0 win over Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
. He played 13 times in the league that season, as Liverpool finished sixth – the first time since 1981 that they had not been league champions or runners-up. They did win the 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...
by defeating Venison's old club Sunderland 2–0 at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
but he was not included in the squad.
Newcastle United
On 31 July 1992, exactly six years after joining Liverpool, he departed from MerseysideMerseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
and returned to the North East to play for Sunderland's rivals Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
, who were preparing for a promotion push in the new Division One (as the old Second Division was now named following the creation of the FA Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
) under the management of former Liverpool, Newcastle United and England striker Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
.
Venison made his debut of the Magpies on 15 August 1992 in the 3–2 league win over 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...
at St James' Park
St James' Park
St James' Park, known for sponsorship reasons as the Sports Direct Arena, is an all-seater stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Newcastle United Football Club and is the sixth largest football stadium in the United Kingdom with a capacity of between 52,387 and 52,409.St James'...
, Venison enjoyed a tremendous beginning to his Newcastle career as they won their first eleven league games in a row. The run came to an end when they lost to a last minute goal at home against Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
; they fell just 2 games short of the record 13 straight victories that had been set seven years earlier by Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
in the old Third Division. Keegan got his team to play in an exciting, attacking way with them becoming a talking point within the game for their exuberant style of play along with their mean defence which included a revitalized Venison. Newcastle went on to become Division One champions, winning the title with a 2–0 away win, coincidentally at Grimsby, thus gaining promotion to the Premier League.
Venison only scored one goal for the Magpies but he regards it as being the best goal he's ever scored; it was, in his words, "a 20-yard screamer" against Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
at a packed St James' Park.http://www.truegreats.com/player.asp?c=66&p=89
Venison remained a crucial part of the Newcastle defence as they returned to the top flight in 1993–94
1993-94 in English football
The 1993-1994 season was the 114th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:From the start of this season, the FA Premier League would be sponsored by Carling Breweries - an association which would last for eight years...
, and helped them hit the ground running as they secured a third place finish (though they never really looked like catching up with the leading pair that consisted of champions Manchester United and runners-up Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
. This gave the Magpies a place in Europe (the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
) for the first time since the 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
.
Keegan also successfully converted Venison into a midfield player following the arrival of right-back Marc Hottiger
Marc Hottiger
Marc Hottiger is a retired Swiss football defender.He was capped 63 times and scored 5 goals for the Swiss national team between 1989 and 1996...
at the start of the 1994–95
1994-95 in English football
-Premiership:Blackburn Rovers ended their 81-year wait for the league title thanks to the strike partnership of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton which scored a total of more than 50 league goals. Manchester United would have made it three league titles in a row if they had been able to turn a 1-1 draw...
season, though he lost the club captaincy when he was spotted in a wine bar outside of the club's curfew.
He played 28 times for the Magpies in 1994–95, scoring his only league goal for them, and for a while it looked as though he might be gaining another championship medal to add to the two he earned at Liverpool. The Magpies achieved the best start to a top division campaign in their history as they won their first six games in the Premier League and entered October still top of the league. However, the excellent form was not maintained as the season went on, and a sixth place finish wasn't even enough for another UEFA Cup campaign.
In 1994, aged 30, Venison was picked to represent his country by new coach Terry Venables
Terry Venables
Terence Frederick "Terry" Venables , often referred to as "El Tel", is a former football player and manager, as well as being a media pundit. During the 1960s and 70s, he played for various clubs including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers, and gained two caps for England...
. The call-up came as a surprise, not least to Venison, but he played well in both of his full international appearances. His debut came on 7 September 1994 in the 2–0 friendly victory over the USA
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
; his only other appearance for his country came on 29 March 1995 in a 0–0 friendly draw with Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
. Both games were played at Wembley.
Galatasaray
At the end of the 1994–95 season, after 130 appearances for the Toon, Venison was on the move. As his career reached its twilight years, Venison decided to try his luck abroad signing for GalatasarayGalatasaray S.K. (football team)
Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups....
in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
on 31 May 1995 for £750,000. He was one of many British footballers recruited by coach Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
, who had been his manager during his final year at Liverpool earlier in the decade.
Southampton
Venison spent just under 5 months with the Turkish side, playing eight games, before he was on the move once more. He joined SouthamptonSouthampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
for £850,000 on 25 October 1995. He played 27 Premier League games that season as Southampton avoided relegation on goal difference and reached the 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...
quarter finals.
He played two more games for the Saints in 1996–97
1996-97 in English football
The 1996–1997 season was the 117th season of competitive football in England.Arrival into the league and exit out of the league returns in the fourth tier for the first time after its 3 season absence with only 1 relegation spot.- Premier League :...
(by which time Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
was manager of Southampton, the third club Venison had played under him at) before he suffered a back injury which led to him announcing his retirement for playing on 20 October 1996 at the age of 32.
After football
In retirement, Venison took up punditry for Sky SportsSky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
before moving to ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
and though he expressed articulate and knowledgeable views on the game, his on-screen performances were overshadowed by his rather flamboyant and garish clothing, combined with a streaked-blonde "mullet
Mullet (haircut)
The mullet is a hairstyle that is short at the front and sides, and long in the back. . The mullet began to appear in popular media in the 1960s and 1970s but did not become generally well-known until the early 1980s...
" hairstyle which he had sported throughout his playing days. He also popularised the phrase "It's just one man's opinion", before he eventually dressed more soberly for television and had a haircut. He later revealed he had rejected a TV role as lead reporter for a new show entitled Mullet Hunter.
In the early 2000s Barry launched an on-line sports memorabilia auction site. The company "bid4sport.com" was a not-for-profit company and raised money for charities. Julie Venison was also involved in Bid4sport providing business support and book-keeping for the venture. The company was initially based on the outskirts of Romsey before expanding and moving to premises to the west of Fareham. The venture was created with the help of friend and co-professional Brad Freidel. Venison Sold Bid4sport shortly before his family relocated to the United States.
Venison now resides in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
with his family, wife Julie, son Max and daughter Jade.
Venison also made an appearance as himself in the 2001 comedy film, Mike Bassett: England Manager
Mike Bassett: England Manager
Mike Bassett: England Manager is a 2001 satirical comedy film directed by Steve Barron, following the fortunes of the manager of Division One football club Norwich City, Mike Bassett, who having led his side to the 'Mr Clutch Cup', is appointed England manager.The film takes the form of a...
.
Honours
SunderlandSunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
- Football League CupFootball League CupThe 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...
finalist: 1985
Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
- Charity Shield winner: 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990
- Screen Sport Super Cup winner: 1986
- Division 1Football League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
(Level 1) champions: 19881987-88 in English footballThe 1987–88 season was the 120th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Liverpool won the league title with a comfortable nine-point margin and just two defeats all season....
, 19901989-90 in English football-European competitions:English clubs were still banned from competing in European competitions following the Heysel Stadium disaster.- First Division :... - FA CupFA CupThe 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...
winner: 1989 - Football League CupFootball League CupThe 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...
finalist: 1987
Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
- Division 1Football League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
(Level 2) champions: 1993