Joey Barton - how many second chances does one man get ?
August 5, 2008
Joey Barton’s name will be remembered in football circles long after he’s retired. Not because he’s a great player but because ,currently at least, he’s a disgrace to the game of football.
I’m all in favour of people being given a second chance to be a success or to redeem themselves. Just because someone committed a crime when they were 16 or 18 doesn’t mean to say that by the time they’re in their mid-twenties that they can’t hold down good jobs or be a credit to society.
Unfortunately Barton no longer deserves a second chance and Kevin Keegan’s determination to allow Barton back into a Newcastle shirt straight after completion of a 6 month prison sentence for assault committed on the streets of Liverpool after a drunken incident on December 27th 2007 is unwise at best, utterly stupid at worst. Barton has a history of violence both at the workplace and on the streets. Many of Newcastle’s toon army,have probably temporarily, turned against Keegan because of his willingness to forgive Barton.
Newcastle punished Barton harshly for his transgression (!!!!!!) still paying him £60k a week but depriving him of such fantastic perks as his Newcastle box for family and friends and the help of a club driver. How will he survive??
The FA meanwhile look as if they may be going to punish Barton more severely for his vicious training ground attack 15 months ago on French midfielder Dabo when Barton was still with Manchester City. The assault was so vicious and bloody that Dabo likened himself to ‘elephant man’ afterwards. The FA were unable to act until Barton had served time for his streets of Liverpool attack but are now talking of imposing a 15 match ban for violent conduct which will mean Barton won’t play until after Christmas.
At last, the FA are (probably) going to do something. I’m afraid that if it was me I’d ban Barton for playing football for life. He’s had more than enough opportunities to show that he’s not a mindless thug who would have been more at home in the terraces in the 1970’s but he’s failed miserably.
He is vicious and nothing indicates that he won’t repeat his violence on some other innocent whether its on the training ground,the pitch or on the streets.
Football has enough problems, it doesn’t need second rate men such as Joey Barton to drag it further into the mire. Get rid of him for good!
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While I agree to a certain extent of banning him, Joey Barton was raised in a setting that condoned violence and bigotry. His neighborhood was (and mostly still is) segregated, so there are still more coming out like him. The solution of banning him I agree with. Banning him for life I do not. I understand that he has to take an anger management course. I don’t know much about the course in England, but I would imagine that if it’s like some of the ones in the US, they’re a sham and you can probably fake your way thru it.
Getting him to understand that people of color (as well as homosexuals, and anyone else different from him….) are people and deserve to be treated equally is not something he is going to learn in a few weeks. He may never learn. However, he can learn to keep his emotions in check, as well as his fists and words. He should be banned for a portion of the season, take the class, AND be required to see a psychologist (of color!) to work out his issues. This should continue as long as he’s playing professional football. Mandatory or do not play!!!
I think he’s a very talented individual. His intensity is one of the reasons he is a success on the pitch, and it’s also the reason he is on trouble off of it.
Good luck Joey, I wish you the best…
Joey Barton, what has he ever done to improve the game of football. His name is not Pele or Charlton or any of those magnificent ambassadors of the game.
Even Nobby Stiles or Norman Hunter and dare I say it Vinny Jones never ever took the game into so much disrepute.
As for Kevin Keegans decision to have him back and let him play, well sorry Kevin you must be desperate to want Barton back. There are plenty of players out there with much more skill and determination to succeed and who want to contribute to the game not use it as a showplace for a fight.