
Despite growing up in nearby Kenilworth, Barry Powell slipped through the normally exhaustive Coventry City scouting net and made his name at Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Sky Blues did invite him for trials as a 13-year old but played the six stone, five footer at right back and centre-half, ignoring his outstanding midfield skills. In the summer of 1975 however Barry, a skilful and hard working midfield player was struggling to win a regular place at Molineux. Ironically it was former City star Willie Carr who had forced him out of the first team and a transfer away from Wolverhampton looked the best option. With the season just a few weeks old manager Gordon Milne wanted more from his midfield and swooped with a cheque for £75,000 to sign Barry. He appeared in a Sky Blue shirt for the first time in a 3-1 League Cup win at Bolton when he came in for the injured Jimmy Holmes with skipper John Craven switching into defence. He made an immediate impact with his strong running, silky skills and accurate shooting and was building up an impressive partnership with Dennis Mortimer before City’s crown jewel was sold to Aston Villa.
Barry went on to spend four happy years at Coventry and was a key member of the 1977-78 team that went so close to qualifying for Europe, finishing 7th in Division 1 and scoring 75 goals. His midfield partnership with Terry Yorath was perfect. Hard man Terry was the anchorman winning the ball in midfield whilst Barry provided the ammunition for Ferguson and Ian Wallace, arguably the best City strike force in the post-war era. He moved to Derby for a fee of £350,000 in 1979 but had an unhappy spell there, not helped by the dreadful Baseball Ground pitch that was not helpful to skilful midfielders. Sadly he couldn’t save the Rams from relegation.
In 1981 he spent the summer in the USA with Portland Timbers and had the honour to have dinner with the great Brazilian, Pele at the top of the former World Trade Centre. He later played in Hong Kong and for Swansea, Burnley and finally Wolves again where he got a chance to do some coaching. After he retired he became Football in the Community officer at Highfield Road for almost ten years but still had a nagging urge to try his hand at club management and accepted an exciting offer to become manager at Welsh club Aberystwyth Town. He guided them into Europe in his first season but things didn’t work out and he returned to the Midlands. In 2004 he guided Hednesford Town to victory in the FA Trophy.
Penalties (8 - all scored)
1977-78
27 December 1977 v Norwich City, scored
25 March 1978 v Norwich City, scored
1978-79
17 March 1979 v Bolton Wanderers H, scored (after retake)
14 April 1979 v Bristol City H, scored
5 May 1979 v Wolverhampton Wanderers H, scored
1979-80
18 August 1979 v Stoke City A, scored
21 August 1979 v Bristol City H, scored
15 September 1979 v Bolton Wanderers H, scored







































































































































































































































































































































































































