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Joey Barton (now retired)


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I think Barton was 'allowed' to leave because he was very vocal in his disappointment over Hughton's sacking and the appointment of Pardew and this vocal element helped generate similar feelings among his team-mates too who shared his feelings. I've even heard he actually called Ashley and Llambias twats or something to their faces. It was his strong opinions and influence over the players that the board and even Pardew feared. Pardew for all his patter about rating Barton, wanting him to stay etc. will be glad such an influential spokesperson for the players has gone, and indeed Nolan too, who was also critical of the powers that be for sacking Hughton/appointing Pardew. Obviously from a financial point of view the club cannot pay huge wages to players like Nolan and Barton at their respective stages of their career (i.e. their ages and potential resale value) but for me anyway, the likes of Barton and Nolan were allowed to leave if you like because they had too much influence and the powers that be have shown they do not like that one bit. Hughton was peddled because the players adored him and he likewise. To Ashley and co players and managers are simply employees, not superstars, heroes and legends. Other than their purpose they have little value to Ashley and co hence why they allowed KK to walk, Nolan, Barton etc. to leave. This ideology will be repeated constantly throughout their reign. If the fans all started chanting Pardew's name and making a hero of him, I'm sure Ashley and Llambias would find ways to remove him, as much as he is their man.

 

It occurred to me last year as I watched Barton and Nolan interviewed after the victory over Liverpool--- well, that's it they're gone.

 

They had the temerity to dedicate the game to Hughton and laugh off the notion that Pardew had somehow made the difference.

 

But then I thought, no, that would be incredibly insane and petty. You'd have to be a real idiot and awfully thin-skinned to do something that stupid.

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http://www.purplerevolver.com/bulletin/news/121887-vice-magazine-offer-premier-league-star-joey-barton-chance-to-write-column.html

 

Vice Magazine UK have sent a mouth-watering invitation to Joey Barton via Twitter, asking if the Premier League footballer would like to write a regular column for their iconic publication.

 

Vice is a free magazine which started in Montreal, Quebec, before moving its HQ to the Big Apple. It is available in 27 countries worldwide including Brazil, New Zealand, South Africa and many parts of Europe.

 

The famous Mag has long been heralded as a champion of the free press, a symbol of dissident youth, culture, and art, and an outlet for the gnarled voice of the underground.

 

The approach from Vice UK came swiftly on the heels of an interview Joey Barton did with Kerrang Magazine today, in which he shared his perspective on “Kurt Cobain, Nirvana and being a dysfunctional teenage indie kid.”

 

Vice UK approached Barton with a brief Tweet asking: “do you want to write a regular column for us, Joey?” … and later elaborated on their vision, saying the column could be about: “Music, literature, sport, politics, the arts... Whatever's occupying your mind, basically.”

 

Barton is obviously considering their offer, and he put the question to his 500,000+ followers to get their thoughts: “What do people reckon about this @Viceuk column, would it interest you? #listentourdemographic”. The saga continues on the micro-blogging site.

 

Vice have always been risk takers, with their choice of obscure and irreverent content, they challenge boundaries and tackle issues others wouldn’t touch. Now it’s Joey turn to carry the torch, should he accept the challenge.

 

What a staggering change of fortunes this represents for the controversial sportsman, who was once vilified for his behaviour on and off the field, and depicted as a tyrant in the national press. The kind of man the editorial team at Vice wouldn’t have acknowledged as human, let alone offer work to.

 

But the 29 year old has undergone a miraculous transformation in the recent past, he has sobered up, cut his hair in the style of a Hitler youth, and has utilised Twitter as a springboard to reinvent himself as a quasi-intellectual poetic type who adores The Smiths, and dislikes writers of the Sunday supplements.

 

Barton’s verbal sparring matches with Piers Morgan have been full of surprising vitriol and witt, and he has held his own against the one time editor of The News of the World. He is now something of a cult hero, and Vice obviously want to tap into that.

 

The general public have also warmed to him considerably, after he helped to lobby a petition to get the Hillsborough papers published in full, badgering celebs, footballers and followers to contribute their names and support the movement.

 

 

 

Amazing what spouting off on Twitter can do for you. Looks like the Vampire Weekend manager he got to do his PR is doing a good job. Barton is well on his way from being a national hate figure  capable of some pretty vicious assaults to a sort of controversial Piers Morgan type figure who some people can warm to (not that I can stand Piers Morgan). He obviously has his heart set on being a celebrity, wouldnt be surprised if he had a show on talksport one day. Would rather listen to him than Collymore tbf.

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I reckon he'll definitely say yes to Vice's offer (lots of his followers have said go for it). If he does go through with it, I would actually look forward to reading the column tbh.

 

Oh, him and Savage should have a football show together tbh.

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Can definitely see him moving into the media when he finishes football providing he stays away from trouble.  Can't believe the way the London press are fawning over him now he has moved South.  Infact he provides so much copy for them, he should probably be asking for a percentage of their fees.

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I wonder who Joey is getting his PR from ? He's obviously not in the same intellect league as Saylor, but his transformation is dramatic. He's screwed Cashley/Lambias and as a result, he's screwed us. This presentation is not Mackays doing. I'd like to say good luck to the guy, but £60K a week is obscene which applies to many  EPL cnuts

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Someone who passes himself off as being smarter than the average footballer should know the difference between our and are.

 

Infact, a 6 year old should.

 

Hope somebody points it out, might crush his future journalism career. 

 

Cough, ghostwriter, cough cough splutter.

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So all in all QPR will have paid around £6m for Barton this year alone, hope he's worth it.

 

I doubt he will be. If they couldn't beat a side set up to invite defeat against us, I fear for their prospects against better organised teams.

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Barton isn't worth a tenth of that if they plan to use him in CM.

 

Here's something from the QPR pre-match thread:

 

http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/london-qpr/2011/09/12/qpr-boss-reveals-team-for-newcastle-clash-82029-29405900/

 

QPR boss Neil Warnock has revealed exactly where he intends to play his new faces – including two slots for Joey Barton.

 

The manager made six signings in less than five days before the transfer window shut, and has taken the extraordinary step of all but naming his team before tonight’s home clash with Newcastle.

 

When Rs play 4-3-3, Barton will have a free role in the centre of midfield . When Warnock sticks with a more conservative 4-4-1-1, that is more likely to be the case when the player makes his Hoops debut against his old team, Barton will be on the right of midfield.

 

As for the rest, Luke Young will be at right back with Armand Traore on the other side of defence. Anton Ferdinand will partner Danny Gabbidon at centre-back, and Shaun Wright-Phillips will get a free role in midfield.

 

Warnock added: “I got a bit lucky with Anton and Danny. They both know each other from their West Ham days and it won’t take as long for them to gel as a pair had they been strangers.

 

“Was that in the back of my mind when I went for Anton? It was a bit of that, and it was also that we could actually get a class defender.” DJ Campbell's virus that laid low the forward for the last three weeks could also see a debut for Jason Puncheon.

 

Warnock insists he will play Adel Taarabt in the same team as Barton, and with Ali Faurlin in mind – the Southampton winger may also slot into midfield on the right, with Campbell taking a place on the bench.

 

Shaun Derry’s reward for a sparkling start in the Premiership is an extended contract, and together with keeper Paddy Kenny and out-and-out forward Jay Bothroyd, Warnock was blending his new-look side in training this week with a special practice at Loftus Road on Thursday.

 

“I’ve always had a full-side practice match of around 70 minutes in these cases,” he explained. “I put the likely side against the rest and we stop-start the game to fine-tune stuff.”

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