Just as Wiltshire-born Mick Channon was accepted by fans in both the red and blue halves of Hampshire,

so County Durham-born Barry Venison managed to hit it off with the fans of both Sunderland and Newcastle, following a six-year buffer-period with Liverpool.

True, his acceptance at St James’ Park must have been helped by his missing only two games in his first season – 1992-93 – as the Magpies won their first 11 fixtures and ran away with the championship of the newly-created Division I.

Barry played for Graeme Souness at three clubs. Having inherited him from Kenny Dalglish at Anfield, Souness then bought him for Galatasary. He soon sold him, though, to Southampton, where he duly inherited him, within the year, from Dave Merrington. Having started out as a full-back, Barry had converted to midfield at Newcastle, under Kevin Keegan, in 1994-95. He was twice capped by England, that season, in that position. He was used by Merrington as a midfielder in 1995-96 but started the next season, for Souness, at full-back. He was sent off in the second game, but the question of any suspension was rendered academic by a back-injury that meant he would never play again.

Retiring in October 1996, Barry took up punditry, for Sky and then ITV, unhindered by his notoriously garish dress-sense.

Remaining in Hampshire for a while, he set up an Online company – Bid4Sport – auctioning sports memorabilia. In 2004, he sold up and relocated to southern California. When his former co-presenter, Gabby Logan, visited him there in 2007, she found him teetotal and “completely surfed up.” She told the Mirror that “he looks about 23… and he’s covered in tattoos.” Up at 6.am to do yoga, Barry then “waxes down the surfboard and heads out.” He has been able to fund that surfer-lifestyle by his business interests, notably property-investment. He came off his surfboard briefly to be the head coach of Orange County but then set up his own business called Premier Install which in his words “focuses on detailed, pristine and timely installation of furniture, art and accessories into high end hotels, resorts, boutique hotels and luxury residences”.