Barnes storming

England have produced a mixed bag of World Cup songs over the years, but the high point was John Barnes' contribution in 1990, writes Nick March.

John Barnes visiting an orphanage in Luanda, Angola in January.

Two episodes define the World Cup career of John Barnes, one of the most naturally gifted players to ever wear an England football shirt. The first is the 15 minutes of magic he conjured against Diego Maradona's Argentina in the 1986 "hand of god" quarter-final - as a late substitute, he very nearly turned the game. Four years later, though, during the recording of England's Italia 90 World Cup song, he had greatness thrust upon him. Hitherto, England releases had been dreadful affairs featuring tuneless vocals dumped on top of plodding backing tracks: the turgid Back Home (1970), the awful This Time (1982) and the forgettable We've Got the Whole World at Our Feet (1986).

Aware of this catalogue of failure, the Football Association asked New Order to make a "good" football song. The resulting World in Motion is a joy. Unlike either Three Lions by Baddiel & Skinner and the Lightning Seeds (1996, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010), Vindaloo by Fat Les (1998) or other so-called World Cup songs, it even successfully involved footballers. After marrying Ibiza-lite keyboards to lyrics by Keith Allen, the band's genius was in coaxing one of the most memorable raps in history from the reluctant Barnes (he was regarded as the least-awful singer among the England players who bothered to show up for the recording). Today, his work remains a high point in the world of football songs, and few who have heard World in Motion can forget his tactical advice: "There's only one way to beat them - get round the back." Quite.