Matthew Barnes-Homer
Encyclopedia
Matthew Brian Barnes-Homer (born 25 January 1986) is an English
footballer who plays as a striker for Rochdale
. He is currently on loan to Rochdale from Conference side Luton Town
.
Barnes-Homer started his career as a youth player at Wolverhampton Wanderers
, where he spent three years. He went on to have short spells at three clubs in the lower leagues of the United States of America football pyramid during 2004, before returning to England with Aldershot Town
. He then played for various non-league clubs in his local West Midlands region between 2005 and 2007 until League Two
side Wycombe Wanderers
signed him on a short-term contract in March 2007. He was released shorty afterwards, where he joined Conference National
side Kidderminster Harriers
. After a lean first season at the club, Barnes-Homer established himself as top scorer in the next campaign with 21 goals, averaging almost one goal for every two games.
A similar goal return during 2009–10 prompted interest from former Football League
club Luton Town, who signed him in January 2010. He finished the 2010–11
season as Luton's top scorer with 19 goals.
, West Midlands
, Barnes-Homer began his career as a 15-year old trainee at Wolverhampton Wanderers
, but was released three years later at the end of the 2003–04 season. He went to the United States
where he played for Rochester Rhinos, Syracuse Salty Dogs
and Virginia Beach Mariners
, before heading back to England to join Aldershot Town
in 2004, where he made two appearances. He then joined Hednesford Town
, where he made one substitute appearance, and was signed by Bromsgrove Rovers
in April 2005 after impressing in Bromsgrove's reserve side.
Barnes-Homer had a short spell at Tividale
before he joined Willenhall Town
in August 2008 and scored a hat-trick on his debut against Stourbridge
. After impressive performances for Willenhall, he joined League Two
club Wycombe Wanderers
in March 2007 after a successful trial. However, he was one of several players released at the end of the 2006–07 season after Wycombe failed to reach the League Two play-offs
.
He joined Conference
side Kidderminster Harriers
in July 2007 after featuring in pre-season games. After scoring 6 league goals during the 2007–08 season, he signed a new one-year contract in April 2008.
Barnes-Homer scored 21 goals the next season
, ending the campaign as highest goalscorer at the club as Kidderminster finished narrowly outside the play-offs. He signed a new two-year contract with the club in June 2009.
Barnes-Homer began the 2009–10
season for Kidderminster as he had finished the last, with a return of roughly one goal in every two games. His goalscoring form did not go unnoticed and, on 26 November 2009, Barnes-Homer joined Luton Town
, initially on a one-month loan deal. On 13 January 2010 the transfer led to a permanent two-and-a-half-year-contract, for which Luton paid Kidderminster a five-figure fee, believed to be around £75,000.
Barnes-Homer made a below-average start to his Luton career, with just three goals in 20 league games. Luton manager Richard Money cited the fact that Barnes-Homer had lost his stepfather mid-season as reason for his poor form. Money believed that in the following season, Luton fans would see the real Matthew Barnes-Homer and that he would be akin to a brand new signing. This faith from the manager paid off, as Barnes-Homer scored five goals in the opening three games of the 2010–11
season, including a hat-trick away against Kettering Town
. He fell out of favour with new Luton manager Gary Brabin
towards the end of the season, being used primarily as a substitute, including in the club's play-off final defeat to AFC Wimbledon
. Barnes-Homer ended the season as Luton's top scorer with 19 goals, 16 of which game in the league.
He started Luton's first game of the 2011–12
season, though was substituted after an hour. On 25 August 2011, Barnes-Homer joined League One
side Rochdale
on loan until January 2012.
's on 17 November 2009. He scored the winning goal on his debut in a 2–1 victory. On 9 February 2011, Barnes-Homer scored the winning goal in a 1–0 win against Belgium under-23's
that put England C into the final of the International Challenge Trophy.
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 plays as a striker for Rochdale
Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...
. He is currently on loan to Rochdale from Conference side Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
.
Barnes-Homer started his career as a youth player at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
, where he spent three years. He went on to have short spells at three clubs in the lower leagues of the United States of America football pyramid during 2004, before returning to England with Aldershot Town
Aldershot Town F.C.
Aldershot Town Football Club is an association football club based in Aldershot, Hampshire, England, founded in the spring of 1992 just after the closure of debt-ridden Fourth Division club Aldershot Football Club...
. He then played for various non-league clubs in his local West Midlands region between 2005 and 2007 until League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Wycombe Wanderers
Wycombe Wanderers F.C.
Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football team from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, which has been promoted to Football League One after finishing third in Football League Two in the season 2010–11. The club's nicknames are "The Chairboys" and "The Blues", and they play...
signed him on a short-term contract in March 2007. He was released shorty afterwards, where he joined Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
side Kidderminster Harriers
Kidderminster Harriers F.C.
Kidderminster Harriers F.C. are an English football club based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire formed in 1886 They currently play in the Conference National and have played at Aggborough Stadium since they were formed...
. After a lean first season at the club, Barnes-Homer established himself as top scorer in the next campaign with 21 goals, averaging almost one goal for every two games.
A similar goal return during 2009–10 prompted interest from former Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
club Luton Town, who signed him in January 2010. He finished the 2010–11
2010–11 Luton Town F.C. season
The 2010–11 season was the 125th season in the history of Luton Town Football Club.The club finished the season in 3rd place, 21 points behind runaway league winners Crawley Town and 6 points behind second placed AFC Wimbledon. This meant Luton would contest promotion to The Football League...
season as Luton's top scorer with 19 goals.
Club career
Born in BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, Barnes-Homer began his career as a 15-year old trainee at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
, but was released three years later at the end of the 2003–04 season. He went to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where he played for Rochester Rhinos, Syracuse Salty Dogs
Syracuse Salty Dogs
The Syracuse Salty Dogs were a professional men's soccer team based in Syracuse, New York. The club were a member of the USL A-League, playing only two seasons from 2003-2004. The club was owned and operated by the Syracuse Pro Sports Group and played most home games at P&C Stadium...
and Virginia Beach Mariners
Virginia Beach Mariners
The Virginia Beach Mariners were an American soccer club, who formerly played in the USL First Division of the United Soccer Leagues, the second division in the US Soccer hierarchy behind Major League Soccer...
, before heading back to England to join Aldershot Town
Aldershot Town F.C.
Aldershot Town Football Club is an association football club based in Aldershot, Hampshire, England, founded in the spring of 1992 just after the closure of debt-ridden Fourth Division club Aldershot Football Club...
in 2004, where he made two appearances. He then joined Hednesford Town
Hednesford Town F.C.
Hednesford Town Football Club are an association football team based in Hednesford, Staffordshire, England. They play at Keys Park.-History:...
, where he made one substitute appearance, and was signed by Bromsgrove Rovers
Bromsgrove Rovers F.C.
Bromsgrove Rovers F.C. were a non-League football club from the town of Bromsgrove in Worcestershire. The peak of the club's success was in 1993 when Rovers finished runner-up in the Football Conference...
in April 2005 after impressing in Bromsgrove's reserve side.
Barnes-Homer had a short spell at Tividale
Tividale F.C.
Tividale F.C. are a football club based in Tividale, near Dudley, West Midlands, England. They were established in 1954. In the 1976-77 season, they reached the 4th round of the FA Vase. For the 2011-12 season, they are members of the Midland Alliance....
before he joined Willenhall Town
Willenhall Town F.C.
Willenhall Town F.C. are a football club based in Willenhall, Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, West Midlands, England, currently playing in the Midland Alliance.-History:...
in August 2008 and scored a hat-trick on his debut against Stourbridge
Stourbridge F.C.
Stourbridge Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Stourbridge, West Midlands. The club currently plays in the Southern League Premier Division.-Early years:The club was founded in 1876 and was originally known as Stourbridge Standard...
. After impressive performances for Willenhall, he joined League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
club Wycombe Wanderers
Wycombe Wanderers F.C.
Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football team from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, which has been promoted to Football League One after finishing third in Football League Two in the season 2010–11. The club's nicknames are "The Chairboys" and "The Blues", and they play...
in March 2007 after a successful trial. However, he was one of several players released at the end of the 2006–07 season after Wycombe failed to reach the League Two play-offs
Football League Play-Offs
The Football League play-offs are an annual series of football matches to determine some of the promotion places within the Football League. Essentially, each division of the league offers a certain number of automatic promotion places to the top two or three clubs. A further promotion place is...
.
He joined Conference
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
side Kidderminster Harriers
Kidderminster Harriers F.C.
Kidderminster Harriers F.C. are an English football club based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire formed in 1886 They currently play in the Conference National and have played at Aggborough Stadium since they were formed...
in July 2007 after featuring in pre-season games. After scoring 6 league goals during the 2007–08 season, he signed a new one-year contract in April 2008.
Barnes-Homer scored 21 goals the next season
2008–09 in English football
The 2008–09 season was the 129th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Hull City were all playing in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship last season. Stoke returned to the top flight after a 23-year absence, while...
, ending the campaign as highest goalscorer at the club as Kidderminster finished narrowly outside the play-offs. He signed a new two-year contract with the club in June 2009.
Barnes-Homer began the 2009–10
2009–10 in English football
The 2009–10 season was the 130th season of competitive football in England.The season began on 8 August 2009 for the Championship, League One and League Two and 15 August 2009 for the Premier League...
season for Kidderminster as he had finished the last, with a return of roughly one goal in every two games. His goalscoring form did not go unnoticed and, on 26 November 2009, Barnes-Homer joined Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
, initially on a one-month loan deal. On 13 January 2010 the transfer led to a permanent two-and-a-half-year-contract, for which Luton paid Kidderminster a five-figure fee, believed to be around £75,000.
Barnes-Homer made a below-average start to his Luton career, with just three goals in 20 league games. Luton manager Richard Money cited the fact that Barnes-Homer had lost his stepfather mid-season as reason for his poor form. Money believed that in the following season, Luton fans would see the real Matthew Barnes-Homer and that he would be akin to a brand new signing. This faith from the manager paid off, as Barnes-Homer scored five goals in the opening three games of the 2010–11
2010–11 in English football
The 2010–11 season was the 131st season of competitive football in England.The season began on 6 August 2010 for the Football Leagues, with the Premier League and Football Conference both starting eight days later on 14 August 2010. The Championship, League One, and League Two ended on 7 May...
season, including a hat-trick away against Kettering Town
Kettering Town F.C.
Kettering Town Football Club are a football club originating in Kettering, Northamptonshire but currently based in the nearby village of Irthlingborough. The club play in the Conference National after winning the Conference North in 2007–08...
. He fell out of favour with new Luton manager Gary Brabin
Gary Brabin
Gary Brabin is an English former footballer and manager, currently manager at Conference National club Luton Town.-Playing career:...
towards the end of the season, being used primarily as a substitute, including in the club's play-off final defeat to AFC Wimbledon
AFC Wimbledon
AFC Wimbledon is a professional English football club that traces its origins to Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton. Based at Kingsmeadow, Kingston upon Thames, the club are members of Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football....
. Barnes-Homer ended the season as Luton's top scorer with 19 goals, 16 of which game in the league.
He started Luton's first game of the 2011–12
2011–12 in English football
The 2011–12 season is the 132nd season of competitive football in England.The season began on 5 August 2011 for the Football Leagues, with the Premier starting eight days later, League Football Conference Starting one day before Premier League starts.The Championship, League One, and League Two...
season, though was substituted after an hour. On 25 August 2011, Barnes-Homer joined League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Rochdale
Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...
on loan until January 2012.
International career
Barnes-Homer was named in the England C squad that played Poland under-23Poland national under-23 football team
The Poland national under-23 football team or Poland Olympic football team is the national under-23 football team of Poland and is controlled by the Polish Football Association.- Olympic Record :...
's on 17 November 2009. He scored the winning goal on his debut in a 2–1 victory. On 9 February 2011, Barnes-Homer scored the winning goal in a 1–0 win against Belgium under-23's
Belgium national youth football team
The Belgium national under-17 football team is the national under-17 football team of Belgium and is controlled by the Belgian Football Association. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship and the FIFA U-17 World Cup...
that put England C into the final of the International Challenge Trophy.