The fact both were pinched from cash-strapped local rivals Northampton Town was a neat little bonus for Posh fans.
Posh reportedly paid just £60k in total for a lower division Teddy Sheringham (Adcock) and a dazzling, cocky little winger (Barnes).
Adcock joined in time to make his debut on January 1 and Barnes pitched up a few weeks later.
Turner would admit, after promotion to the old Division One was achieved for the first time in the club’s history, it was the best bit of business he did in his managerial career.
Halsall conceded the pair added the bit of quality a hard-working, efficient and well-organised Posh side needed to get up through the Third Division play-offs (the divisions were re-named that summer enabling Posh to jump two divisions with one promotion)!
“Turner’s style of play suited me,” Adcock told the Peterborough Telegraph earlier this year.
“It wasn’t pure long ball like John Beck used to play at Cambridge United, but he liked the ball to be played forward quickly and then we had licence to play. The more I saw of the ball the better.
“Me and Bobby knew we were were joining a club on the up, but we didn’t expect the level of success so quickly. It was a great time in our careers for both of us.”
Adcock didn’t actually score in the final 20 matches of that promotion season, but his understanding with ‘King’ Ken Charley made him undroppable.
“Tony and Bobby were class players,” Halsall recalled. “We were a fit, strong side capable of holding our own in the Third Division, but they both gave us some quality. Adcock was top class and in Bobby and Worrell Sterling we had two outstanding wingers who were key to our promotion that season.”
Such is the fickle nature of football, and such was the ruthlessness of Turner, Barnes replaced Garry Kimble in the Posh side. A couple of months earlier Kimble had scored the goal that secured Posh a famous League Cup win over Liverpool at London Road.
Adcock and Barnes arrived at Posh in the days before transfer windows became compulsory in the 2002-03 season.
Since then Posh have made some outstanding signings in January, but also some duff one as we recall here...
1.
SHAQUILE COULTHIRST: Signed January 2016 Undisclosed fee from Spurs. Posh apps/goals: 43/7. Left for Barnet on a free transfer in July, 2017. Now Boreham Wood. Signed by manager Graham Westley to replace Conor Washington. Scored the opening goal of a 3-0 win over Northampton but a POOR signing. Photo: Midlands
2.
JACK TAYLOR: Signed from Barnet for £500k January, 2020. Posh apps/goals: 36/8. Still at Posh and already looks like a TOP-CLASS recruit. Powerful, gifted all-round midfielder. Photo: Midlands
3.
ADIL NABI: Signed from West Brom on a free transfer, January, 2016. Posh apps/goals: 10/0. Left for Dundee on a free transfer in August 2018. Another Graham Westley signing who looked well OUT-OF-HIS-DEPTH at Posh. Nabi started six games in 30 months at Posh and now plays in Greece. Photo: Midlands
4.
From left, CRAIG MACKAIL-SMITH, AARON MCLEAN & GEORGE BOYD. Joined: All in January, 2007 although Mclean had been on loan at the club since previous October. Posh apps/goals combined: 761/265. The 'Holy Tinity' and three of the GREATEST players in Posh history who won eight promotions with the club between them. Mackail-Smith cost £125k from Dagenham & Redbridge, Boyd £265k from Stevenage and Mclean £150k from Grays. Mclean moved to Hull for £1 million in December 2010, Mackail-Smith joined Brighton for £2.5 million in July, 2011 and Boyd went for a sizeable loan fee to Hull City in February, 2013. All three returned to Posh for less successful spells. Boyd is now at Salford, Mackail-Smith is at Bedford Town and Mclean is a TV pundit. Photo: Midlands