Premier League - The life and times of Joey Barton

Eurosport - Tue, 05 May 11:59:00 2009

A look at the turbulent career of Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton.

FOOTBALL Newcastle United Joey Barton leaves FA hearing - 0

April 2004 - Storms out of Eastlands before kick-off after being axed from the Manchester City side to face Southampton.

July 2004 - Sparks a mass brawl in a pre-season 'friendly' against Doncaster.

December 2004 - A Christmas bash for Manchester City players sees him stub a lit cigar into the eye of young team-mate Jamie Tandy. He is fined six weeks' wages by City.

May 2005 - Breaks the leg of a 35-year-old pedestrian while driving his car at 2am in Liverpool city centre.

June 2005 - Involved in a spat with a 15-year-old Everton fan at City's team hotel in Bangkok. Again he is fined by City.

October 2006 - The bad blood with Everton fans continues in 2006 when he drops his shorts in the direction of home fans at Goodison Park. He is fined and warned by the FA for his conduct.

December 2006 - Blasts England players releasing autobiographies after an unsuccessful World Cup campaign. "England did nothing in the World Cup, so why are they bringing books out? 'We got beat in the quarter-finals, I played like s***, here's my book'. Who wants to read that? I don't," he says.

February 2007 - Makes his England debut against Spain, replacing Frank Lampard, one of the players he was thought to have aimed his earlier criticism at.

March 2007 - Arrested on suspicion of assault and criminal damage in an incident involving a taxi driver. He is alleged to have ripped out the cabbie's radio because he would not wait at a McDonald's drive-through while Barton got food.

May 2007 - Involved in a training ground incident with Manchester City team-mate Ousmane Dabo.

June 2007 - Sold by City to Newcastle Utd for £5.8 million. Aims parting shot at City boss Stuart Pearce, blaming his departure on a "relationship breakdown" between the pair.

November 2007 - The press reacts furiously to a studs-up challenge on Sunderland's Dickson Etuhu during the Tyne-Wear derby. "Ban him" screams the News of the World headline. He escapes FA sanction.

December 2007 - Hits the headlines again as he brings into question Newcastle fans' commitment to the cause.

December 2007 - Sits out Newcastle's Boxing Day game through injury, but goes drinking in Liverpool city centre afterwards. In the early hours of December 27 he gets into a row in a McDonald's and violence again breaks out. Drunk, Barton straddles his victim, punching him repeatedly in the face.

December 2007 - Refused bail and is forced to spend the New Year behind bars.

May 2008 - Admits assault and affray and is jailed for six months.

May 2008 - Found not guilty of vandalising the taxi during the incident in March 2007. His cousin, Joshua Wilson, 19, admitted doing the damage.

June 2008 - Pleads guilty to assaulting Dabo in May 2007.

July 2008 - Given a four-month suspended sentence for the Dabo assault.

July 2008 - Released from Strangeways prison after serving 74 days of six-month sentence.

July 2008 - Newcastle announce the club will retain his services.

September 2008 - Banned for six matches, with a further six suspended, after admitting FA charge of violent conduct relating to Dabo incident.

November 2008 - Escapes FA action after an on-pitch incident involving Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor. Media reports claim Barton made a racial slur but Agbonlahor decides not to pursue disciplinary action.

November 2008 - Sidelined for eight weeks with knee injury, then for a further three months with a foot injury.

May 2009 - Sent off on first game back against Liverpool for a wild tackle on Xabi Alonso. Suspended by club following claims of a dressing-room row with manager Alan Shearer.

Sporting Life / Eurosport

Comment 52 - 71 of 91

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  1. are you listening toon board,shearer,ashley.the fans­ and everyone else appear to have a different opinion to­ you lot.get this rot out now!!!!!!!!!!

    From farsical, on Tue 5 May 3:28PM
  2. suspended!damn right,from the nearest tree or­ bridge,ronnie biggs is an angel compered to this­ one,malicious and sick, hope your listening toon­ directors whoever you are the fans have just about had­ enough of this tripe.be warned!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

    From farsical, on Tue 5 May 3:14PM
  3. HE IS TOTAL SCUM, AND EVEN THO I AM A POMPEY FAN, I­ WOULD NOT WISH HIM ON SOUTHAMPTON LET ALONE ANY­ TEAM.

    CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR HIM AND HIS DEAD-WRONG,­ RACIST THUG FAMILY.

    From MARGARET T, on Tue 5 May 2:36PM
  4. How many chances has this bottom feeder had? Newcastle­ should be reprimanded for not kicking his sorry @#$%­ into touch long ago. The filthy low life animal.­ Shearer should have made sacking this immature pathetic­ gutless half wit his first priority, he certainly­ should not have given this Vile moron the opportunity­ to perpetrate yet another disgusting attack.

    From orion.x, on Tue 5 May 2:23PM
  5. Rubbish Of A Newcastle.Shearer are right,he lets his­ club down.He don't know what is clean­ game.....Newcastle must sell him before the club is­ down ! ! ! A rubbish

    From Liverpool, on Tue 5 May 2:22PM
  6. Utter pr!ck and a waste of carbon.

    Oh, and wasn't­ his other cousin responsible (or part of) a murder of a­ kiddy not so long back? Runs in the family. Get them­ neutered.

    From pogo_98, on Tue 5 May 1:35PM
  7. scum!

    From andi_bower, on Tue 5 May 1:01PM
  8. just watch what happens after he leaves football.its in­ the family,jail that is

    From bangkokblue, on Tue 5 May 12:49PM
  9. you wonder what joey barton will do when he does'nt­ have the footbal ptich to take out his anger on .

    From Linda S, on Tue 5 May 12:47PM
  10. I was at the Pompey vs Man City game when Barton­ tackled Mendez and said to my now hubby that Barton is­ an animal and does not deserve to be on the pitch­ EVER!!!!! He should be banned from the game for life­ including watching it anywhere. I was under the­ impression that the FA wanted to clean up the game and­ make it more family friendly, leaving things like that­ on the pitch is a fantastic way to do that!!!!! He will­ never learn and has plenty of chances GET IT OUT OF THE­ GAME!!!

    From Jane, on Tue 5 May 12:36PM
  11. GO HOME BARTON TO YOUR MUMMYKINS!!

    From IAN, on Tue 5 May 12:34PM
  12. i just cant understand why k k signed him with a track­ record like that.

    From Ken A, on Tue 5 May 12:26PM
  13. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Can a leopard (or Barton) change it's spots?

    From Wingdoss, on Tue 5 May 12:01PM
  14. I didnt finish the list.I think FA should make a total­ ban to him playing football and a six month ban to­ watch any match in the pitch and finally 2weeks ban­ from watching any match on his TV screen.

    From Michael, on Tue 5 May 11:40AM
  15. barton is a tossa ..grade 1...

    From yvonne.armstrong4, on Tue 5 May 11:24AM
  16. 3 strikes and you are out.Its simple with no­ frills.Have you got it Mr FA and all other do gooders?

    From GRAHAM R, on Thu 6 Nov 7:38AM
  17. JOEY BARTON IS AN ENGLISH THUG THAT DOES NOTHING WRONG­ AS LONG AS HE HAS NOT SPAT ON THE QUEEN OR TACKLES­ DAVID BECKHAM.

    From Olugbayi, on Wed 5 Nov 10:02PM
  18. Sad to hear the board so undermined Kevin Keegan that­ he had no option but to leave. The one really bright­ silver lining is that it should spell the end of the­ top flight football career of Joey Barton. KK was­ single handedly keeping his career alive at Newcatle -­ with his gone, Barton is history.

    From M, on Tue 2 Sep 2:11PM
  19. Barton is a fool and Keegan is a bigger fool for­ keeping him. And if Ashley is behind it, Keegan should­ have told him that if he wants to pick the team, he can­ do the job himself and walked.

    Barton will never­ change. He can't. After all that's happened­ to him over the last year (and everything before, as­ laid out in the piece above) virtually his first act on­ returning to the pitch, when he knew the eyes of the­ football world would be on him, was to go through a­ young lad like a steam train and then strut off, giving­ him the same arrogant, smart-arse, taunting grin that­ you'll see on the face of any number of p*ssed up­ dickeads every single weekend. Right before they smack­ you.

    He is surely the thickest player in the PL by a­ country mile, not to mention the most gutless,­ worthless excuse for a professional sportsman that­ we've seen for years. He isn't fit to sweep­ the stands, let alone play for a top side.

    From Andy Jones, on Mon 1 Sep 9:46PM
  20. Yes, I believe in forgiveness but how many chances does­ someone need to clean up their act? He has had more­ than enough. Such a thug and Keegan is a fool for­ believing he can change and playing him before the FA­ hearing. Did anyone see Keegan shouting at him against­ Arsenal when he came blazing in on the challenge­ against Nasri? He even smiled after he did it. As long­ as he keeps getting chances, he's just going to­ abuse people's trust.

    BARTON NEEDS TO GO BACK TO­ PRISON WHERE HE BELONGS

    There is no place for ugliness­ in the "beautiful game"

    From Stina, on Mon 1 Sep 9:17PM
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