A transfer to Manchester City in 1950 meant Barnes turned professional, but his pro career had a slow start, making only one first team appearance in four years.
Barnes worked at the Post Office during the day, trained with Moor Green in the evening, and played for Birmingham City Colts at the weekend.
He continued to play for Bolton when circumstances permitted it, but when the club made a formal request for his services the RAF refused.
Inspired by the Hungary team which had beaten England 6–3 the previous year, the reserves began using a tactical system in which Johnny Williamson was used as a deep-lying centre-forward.
At the start of the following season Manchester City manager Les McDowall decided to try the system at first team level, using Don Revie in the centre-forward role.
Revie opined that the system required attacking half-backs to be successful, and that City's half backs, John McTavish in particular, were too defensive.
[9] City beat Sheffield United 5–2, and Barnes became an integral part of the team, playing all but one of the matches in the remainder of the season.
[11] A derby victory against Manchester United and a win against Luton Town followed, setting up a quarter-final against his boyhood heroes Birmingham City.
Single goal victories against Birmingham and Sunderland gave City a place in the final, where they faced Newcastle United.
[13] During the 1957–58 season Barnes became the third player to score a hat-trick of penalties in an English top-flight match, as part of a 6–2 defeat of Everton.
After leaving Wrexham Barnes took a job outside football, working in sales for WalkerSteel owned by future Blackburn Rovers Benefactor Jack Walker.
Players he signed included future European Cup winner Chris Nicholl and former greats Dennis Viollet and Bobby Johnstone.
When Malcolm Allison departed the club in 1973, Barnes was offered the role of caretaker manager, but, soured by his experiences at Wrexham, he turned it down.
In the reorganisation that followed the appointment of Hart's replacement Ron Saunders, Barnes became chief scout, a role he retained for two decades until he was sacked by Peter Reid in 1991.
One of his sons, Peter Barnes, was also a professional footballer, who played for England, both Manchester clubs, West Bromwich Albion and Leeds United.