Liverpool duo become first class
They have always been first class as far as Liverpool fans are concerned – and now the Royal Mail has recognised it by delivering a stamp of two iconic Anfield heroes.
John Barnes and Kevin Keegan have been selected in a team of Home Nations superstars to be honoured with their own 1st class stamp.
The team in full is: Gordon Banks, Bobby Moore, Dave Mackay, John Charles, Bryan Robson, Denis Law, Bobby Charlton, John Barnes, George Best, Jimmy Greaves, Kevin Keegan.
The stamps will be released in May and have been produced to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the FA. They were illustrated by artist Andrew Kinsman, who took existing photography of all the players, then created a composite artwork so that when the 11 stamps were placed together they formed a traditional team shot.
Sir Trevor Brooking, FA director of football development, said: "It is fantastic - especially in the year of the Football Association's 150th anniversary and the Scottish Football Association's 140th - that Royal Mail has honoured a whole team of these heroes from across the United Kingdom."
The 11 players were chosen for their outstanding record on the pitch and representation of their home countries. All are in the National Football Museum's Hall of Fame.
Keegan was twice named European Footballer of the Year and was arguably THE footballing superstar of the Seventies in Britain.
With his famous 'bubble' perm, the Yorkshire-born striker was an icon both for Liverpool and England.
Between 1971 and 1977 he scored a century of goals to help Liverpool clinch two UEFA Cups, three league titles, a European Cup and an FA Cup.
Barnes, meanwhile, represented England 79 times. For Liverpool he scored 108 goals in 407 appearances, but his impact stretched beyond records and trophies.
The Jamaican-born dribbler was the first high-profile black player to grace Anfield back in the 1980s, a time when racial abuse echoed around stadia across the land.
Barnes, alongside contemporaries such as Lawrie Cunningham, Cyril Regis and Viv Anderson, was a catalyst for change.
He didn't so much break down racial barriers as sweep around them at pace with the ball at his feet; always poised, always enthralling.
Fans can pre-order the stamps today by registering at www.royalmail.com/footballheroes. From 9 May 2013, the stamps will be available online at www.royalmail.com/stamps, by phone on 08457 641 641, and in 9,000 Post Offices across the UK.