By his own admission, there was only one thing that could tear Tony Barrett away from JOE – and that’s Liverpool Football Club.
So with huge regret, but also admiration and pride as one of the JOE family becomes Liverpool’s signing of the summer, we can confirm that Tony Barrett will be leaving the company to start an exciting new job at Liverpool Football Club.
Tony is one of the foremost football journalists in Britain, and has contributed in countless ways to JOE’s comprehensive football coverage since joining from The Times last year.
From keenly observed live coverage and unparalleled access for in-depth features to reports on safe standing at British grounds and powerful writing such as his interview with Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren about growing up as a refugee, Tony’s work has been widely acclaimed and highly influenced the conversation around football in the UK.
Tony pioneered JOE’s first-of-its-kind partnership with Everton Football Club around their ‘Home is Where the Heart Is’ campaign – an industry first for any Premier League club or any media brand in Britain.
His coverage was also a contributing factor in landing JOE.co.uk’s recent nomination for Best Commentary at The Drum Media Awards, where we will compete against the likes of The Guardian and political heavyweights Robert Peston and Peter Oborne.
Tony has also been an integral part of our flagship Facebook Live show, Football Friday Live, providing sharp studio analysis as well as live reports from grounds around the country.
Tony says: “I genuinely believe that JOE is one of the most ambitious and forward-thinking media organisations currently operating. It is also staffed by some of the most talented and creative people that I have had the privilege to work alongside, so until recently I had no thoughts about my own future other than believing that it did not lie anywhere else.
“That changed when I was approached by Liverpool Football Club who presented me with an opportunity to work for them. For the first time in my career, I knew what it was to have an offer that couldn’t be turned down and as a result I will be beginning a new challenge at Anfield in the near future.
“All that remains is for me to thank everyone at JOE for making my time with them so enjoyable and to wish them well for the future in the knowledge that they are going onto bigger and better things.”
