Despite a poor prognosis at the time, he recovered, and forced himself back in the Arsenal side after insisting on playing a reserves match against Cambridge University.
[1] Barnes switched to right back following an injury to skipper Laurie Scott, and won an FA Cup winners' medal in 1949–50 after Arsenal beat Liverpool.
Although he was back in the side for the next three seasons, his appearances were now less regular and he only played eight times in 1955–56, with Len Wills and Joe Wade competing for the same place.
He was one of many signatories in a letter to The Times on 17 July 1958 opposing 'the policy of apartheid' in international sport and defending 'the principle of racial equality which is embodied in the Declaration of the Olympic Games'.
He also assisted Wolstenholme in the live commentary to the 1966 World Cup final of England versus Germany to which he provided sporadic expert opinion.