Joey Barton

[NG32]

[move]I KNEW WE SHOULD HAVE KEPT SCOTT PARKER[/move]

[Guest toonlass]

George Culkin is arguably the very best football journalist out there. Time and again spot on articles written about our club. Well done  

[NG32]

George Culkin is arguably the very best football journalist out there. Time and again spot on articles written about our club. Well done  

 

He does write good articles, manages to be critical without the venom as other writers from other papers.

[afar]

Yet another incident in an incident filled season. When will it all stop ? This could be exactly what we don't need right now or exactly what we do, depending on how the rest of the players react.

 

If what is being reported is true, and I'm not totally convinced, then Barton is way out of line and it's time to cut the cancer out of the club. I've been prepared to give him a second chance simply because he's our best midfielder, but if he's going on like this then his mere presence at the club is causing more problems than it's worth.

[Segun Oluwaniyi]

An onrunning theme this season has been our potential returning saviors letting us down during th esecond half of the season. Martins came back half fit and not really seeming to care all that much. Owen came back in the owrse form he's ever been for this club. Viduka seems to have lost a step, even from last year. And now Barton, our best midfielder can't even keep his head for one match. This season has done a fantastic job of raising our hopes and then brutally destroying them.

[NG32]

It stops here, i cant see a way back now.

 

game set match.

 

Sadly tho he will walk away with loads of dosh.

[Guest neesy111]

how many primadonna's have we got / had at this club

 

no-one is bigger the club and player's should not be saying their the best player at the club, it's up for the manager and fan's to decide that on players performance's

 

fuck them all

 

i've had enough of this circus and the gentleman's club culture we have and had at this club

 

 

[SEMTEX]

Just on the comparison to Smith's lunge - Smudger clean missed his opponent, and if there had been any real contact then he would certainly have been sent off.

 

Yes, Smith's challenge was worse, but that's like saying which is worse out of cancer or AIDS.

 

And as for Barton's intent, as far as I'm concerned the ball was there to be won - the fact that he barely touched the ball while collecting the man tell me plain as day that his intent was to vent frustration/mete out vengeance. It was unforgiveable, reprehensible violence.

 

Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out Joey. Thanks for the memories (alas, mostly on the front pages rather than the back...)

 

 

AIDS surely.  There is the possibility of recovering from most types of cancer.

 

Definately AIDS.

 

Maybe we should have a vote.

[Mistle17]

Sickening, embarrassing....disgraceful!! I'm fed up of seeing our club being dragged through the muck like this by little scumbags like Joey Barton. Fucking wanker!

 

I hope he never plays for a club again. Sad thing is though, some managers might think the can handle him. Stuart Pearce, Sam Allardyce, Kevin Keegan, and now Alan Shearer have all tried in vain to tame Barton. He's a lost cause.

 

There's no going back now.

 

It just had to be us who took him off City's hands, doesn't it?

[Kanji]

http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2009/05/joey-barton-an-apology.html

 

May 05, 2009

Joey Barton: an apology

 

 

George Caulkin

 

In the past, this newspaper, along with many others, may have inadvertently given the impression that Joey Barton should be granted a second chance. Subsequently, we may have acquiesced in the process of allowing him a third, fourth and fifth chance. Unfortunately, memory fails us and we can no longer remember which number of chances Mr Barton has now reached. But we apologise, unreservedly.

 

Furthermore, The Times has previously used quotes in which - to borrow from the Bumper Book of Football Cliches - Mr Barton has opened his heart or bared his soul regarding his latest indiscretion and we have printed them, albeit in good faith. If were being brutally honest, well do it again, because thats how this business works but, again, we apologise. The truth is that, to a certain degree, we fell for it.

 

Speaking of chances, were enamoured with the Sporting Chance clinic, the facility dedicated to helping sportsmen and women deal with addiction, which was founded by Tony Adams, the former England captain, and is run with dignity by Peter Kay (not that one). We have publicised their work with Barton and the work he has put back into it, because we think it has merit. Should we apologise for that?

 

We apologise for listening to a long list of managers at Newcastle United (five at the last count, although it may have changed by the time you read this), babble enthusiastically about Bartons changed character. We held our noses and wrote the story, half convincing ourselves that all these football men must know something we dont. That there must be more to it than self-interest.

 

We believe in humanity and we believe in redemption and we believe that there are different shades of right and wrong - in spite of Newcastles colours, not every issue is black and white - but we have always believed that the most self-destructive club in the country should never have signed its most self-destructive footballer. Never mind Barton, how many chances do Newcastle want?

 

We do not apologise for feeling nauseous at the way Newcastle has been utterly mismanaged. Even now, we marvel when we consider the arrogance of successive regimes - a club that has provoked such a widespread collection of corrosive headlines believing it is the appropriate home for Barton. And even last summer, when Barton was imprisoned and Newcastle perched warily on the moral high ground, they botched their attempts to tie him to a contract on reduced terms and then dismiss him.

 

Nor do we apologise for standing squarely alongside Alan Shearer in his attempts to impose some order on a club bereft of leadership. We support his decision to suspend Barton until further notice. We do so because after a lifetime of watching Newcastle and a decade of watching Shearer, we know what he has done for the club. We know that his instincts are sound, that his motivation cannot be questioned. We know that behind the scenes he is laying down a structure and discipline and the most amazing thing about it is not what is being done, but that it needs to be at all. We will accept his mistakes, because they will be honest ones. We will forgive him his inexperience as a manager, because he is one of us.

 

We do not apologise for thinking it is reasonable for professional footballers to report for training on time. To eat together. To spend extra hours on the training pitch or on the treatment table when injured, if it can help their cause against relegation. We do not care one jot if some Newcastle players - the same underachievers and vanity signings who have participated in the clubs demise - do not like it. If fact, we like it if they dont like it. We believe that Shearer must be given the tools to do the job full-time and long-term, although we do not believe that Mike Ashley can be relied upon to take the correct decision.

 

Cards on the table time. We love Newcastle, just as we love Sunderland and Middlesbrough. And, no, that isnt a cop out - were ferociously proud of the north east, a region often treated with disdain by the rest of the country, that has battled through economic deprivation to reinvent itself and now finds itself battling through deprivation again. We love the people, the geography, the passion.

 

We love the rhythms of Tyneside, the bustle of the city and the fact that its football club infiltrates every aspect of its life. We feel the history pressing in on us; we toast the achievements and reputations of men like Jackie Milburn, Kevin Keegan, Sir Bobby Robson and Shearer and shake our heads. We wonder how long supporters will continue to fill the stands, at St James Park and also at the Stadium of Light and the Riverside Stadium, in the face of so much engrained disillusion. We love football, but we hate it, too.

 

We apologise if this column appears to wallow in misery; it doesnt, but what else is there? We apologise for looking ahead to next Monday nights fixture between Newcastle and Middlesbrough and feeling sick at the prospect. We apologise if the mixture of sarcasm and anger on this page, confuses or jars. We apologise if it feels as though there is no theme. Week upon week, there is only one: this has been an apology of a season.

 

 

 

 

Brilliant, 100%.

[johnnypd]

Barton's response to Shearer that he was 'the best player at the club' is a pointer to the underlying problem. FWIW, I'd agree with that opinion, but he'd have a much bigger incentive to change his ways if was an ordinary player who had to scratch around for a living. Deep down, Barton knows that he'll always get second chances, if necessary at another club, because managers will always want to take the risk on a player with his talent.

 

As a fan, I'll admit that has influenced my judgement of him in the past. Despite his record, I've been eager to see him back in the team. I now feel that there's an arrogance about him which is a big obstacle to him changing. Sadly, it's time to call it a day.

 

agree with this. he's been exposed here and can't use the cliched excuse that 'i lost my head' or that he is the victim of his own inner turmoil. he's got into this slanging match because he's an arrogant cock who will never change.

[Offshore]

All the daft cunt had to do was play four games and if we'd beaten the drop his 'cult' status would have soared.

 

But no, he gets himself a three match ban for a stupid lunge, if it had been a match saving (Solksjar v Lee) red then while i'd not be exactly happy, i'd at least understand why he did it.

 

Daft cunt deserves all he gets.

 

 

[Consortium of one]

If Joey Barton is indeed the best player at the club it's more of an indictment of the club than anything else.

 

Joey Barton may have talent but talent unrealized is equal to no talent at all.

[joeyt]

He's our best midfielder  

[2sheds]

Fucks sake there is a whole pile of shite being talked here about this.

 

There's more than enough stupidity in this for it to be the fault of one person.

 

1 Undoubtedly Barton was stupid to make that tackle but Smith's earlier on was worse.

 

2 Guthrie's on Fagan (as has been mentioned ) was far worse AND intentional which resulted in a broken leg.

 

3 The most idiotic thing of all is Shearer publicly slagging Barton and calling the sending off correct. When have you ever seen Wenger or Fergie do the same?

No they keep their mouths shut and appeal against the decision in the hope it gets reduced to a one match ban . In this case that was a distinct possibility- until Shearer opened his mouth.

 

4 And publicly suspending Barton achieves what exactly?

 

 

[Ronaldo]

Not a peep against Nicky 'captain' Butt when he grabbed hold of that Bolton's players throat when we were down to 2 fit central midfielders

 

 

[TRon]

Fucks sake there is a whole pile of shite being talked here about this.

 

There's more than enough stupidity in this for it to be the fault of one person.

 

1 Undoubtedly Barton was stupid to make that tackle but Smith's earlier on was worse.

 

2 Guthrie's on Fagan (as has been mentioned ) was far worse AND intentional which resulted in a broken leg.

 

3 The most idiotic thing of all is Shearer publicly slagging Barton and calling the sending off correct. When have you ever seen Wenger or Fergie do the same?

No they keep their mouths shut and appeal against the decision in the hope it gets reduced to a one match ban . In this case that was a distinct possibility- until Shearer opened his mouth.

 

4 And publicly suspending Barton achieves what exactly?

 

 

 

Only if we are living in Cloud Cuckoo Land.

[Guest neesy111]

Fucks sake there is a whole pile of shite being talked here about this.

 

There's more than enough stupidity in this for it to be the fault of one person.

 

1 Undoubtedly Barton was stupid to make that tackle but Smith's earlier on was worse.

 

2 Guthrie's on Fagan (as has been mentioned ) was far worse AND intentional which resulted in a broken leg.

 

3 The most idiotic thing of all is Shearer publicly slagging Barton and calling the sending off correct. When have you ever seen Wenger or Fergie do the same?

No they keep their mouths shut and appeal against the decision in the hope it gets reduced to a one match ban . In this case that was a distinct possibility- until Shearer opened his mouth.

 

4 And publicly suspending Barton achieves what exactly?

 

 

 

sorry mate, but your barking up the wrong tree

 

this club would be slated 10x more if we backed barton, and also there is no chance in hell that the appeal would suceed

 

and I have heard fergie not complain about many sendings of in the past

 

one last thing, he deserve's everything he get's and will unite a large section of fan's behind shearer even more now

[Shak]

Not a peep against Nicky 'captain' Butt when he grabbed hold of that Bolton's players throat when we were down to 2 fit central midfielders

 

 

Much as I dislike Nicky Butt and his continued presence in the team it's hardly the same thing like?

 

Point is that Barton continues to do stupid shit like this time and time and time again. It's not an aberration for Barton, it's who he is.

 

Shame, he could have been a top class footballer in my opinion.

[Guest float one in]

I backed him when most of my mates were saying get rid after the MacDonalds incident but enough is enough. He's let everyone down in a massive way this time and shown that he didn't deserve the faith people like me continued to put in him.

I don't want to see him playing for us again. Pity because I think he could have been a very valuable for us if he hadnt been such a knacker.

Unfortunately, although I think Shearer has probably done the right thing, I can't help thinking of Souness vs Bellamy in all of this...

[johnnypd]

Not a peep against Nicky 'captain' Butt when he grabbed hold of that Bolton's players throat when we were down to 2 fit central midfielders

 

 

Much as I dislike Nicky Butt and his continued presence in the team it's hardly the same thing like?

 

Point is that Barton continues to do stupid shit like this time and time and time again. It's not an aberration for Barton, it's who he is.

 

Shame, he could have been a top class footballer in my opinion.

 

exactly, it's not this one event in isolation, it's the whole story of how he continues to repeatedly do crazy shit. this must've been his 5th or 6th "last chance". no more.

[lovejoy]

I backed him when most of my mates were saying get rid after the MacDonalds incident but enough is enough. He's let everyone down in a massive way this time and shown that he didn't deserve the faith people like me continued to put in him.

I don't want to see him playing for us again. Pity because I think he could have been a very valuable for us if he hadnt been such a knacker.

Unfortunately, although I think Shearer has probably done the right thing, I can't help thinking of Souness vs Bellamy in all of this...

this has been put to bed far quicker than that saga was.

 

cant see him appearing on tv and dragging it out further.

[Oakie Doke]

but you know all the press will want to talk about now is Barton, rather than our fight for survival.

[Dinho lad]

Fucks sake there is a whole pile of shite being talked here about this.

 

There's more than enough stupidity in this for it to be the fault of one person.

 

1 Undoubtedly Barton was stupid to make that tackle but Smith's earlier on was worse.

 

2 Guthrie's on Fagan (as has been mentioned ) was far worse AND intentional which resulted in a broken leg.

 

3 The most idiotic thing of all is Shearer publicly slagging Barton and calling the sending off correct. When have you ever seen Wenger or Fergie do the same?No they keep their mouths shut and appeal against the decision in the hope it gets reduced to a one match ban . In this case that was a distinct possibility- until Shearer opened his mouth.

 

4 And publicly suspending Barton achieves what exactly?

 

 

I take it you don't remember Arsene Wenger's reaction at Robin Van Persie when he got himself sent off against Southampton few years ago?

[Dinho lad]

Did he nowt man. Lennon headbutted his boot.

 

Is that you disagreeing with Shearer's handling of Joey Barton, BTW?