Should He Stay or Should He Go?: Joey Barton
By James Collins On Tue 1 Jul 2008 |
Today we turn to one of the most talked about issues at St. James’ Park this season. The future of Joey Barton.
The Lowdown
Joey Barton was signed for £5.8 million under the cloud of a court case after assaulting Ousmane Dabo during a training session at former club Manchester City. Yesterday, Barton pleaded guilty for this assault, and has today received a four month suspended sentence for his crime.
The avoided prison sentence may have been good news to Newcastle fans if he wasn’t already imprisoned for another offence. In December, a drunken Barton repeatedly punched a defenceless man, as seen on CCTV footage broadcast across the nation last night (If you haven’t seen it, go Here). He later assaulted an innocent 16 year-old passer by.
Barton was given a six month sentence for this crime. Having missed a large proportion of last season through injury, the Scouser has spent more time in prison clothes than he has in the black and white of Newcastle United. Parole should be granted in time for the start of pre-season, but should the club allow him to come back?
He Should Stay
It took a long time for Barton to recover from his broken foot, but he eventually became an important part of Kevin Keegan’s midfield trio. Barton plays the game at a good tempo, and is always looking to play the ball forward and join the attack.
He was certainly forming a good understanding with his team mates, and there is no doubt that if Newcastle gave him a second chance, he’d give more than satisfactory performances on the pitch. The Magpies have given second chances to Woodgate and Bowyer in the past. Perhaps Joey should get a second chance?
He Should Go
Joey Barton was given a second chance when club officials brought him to the club despite his previous misdemeanours. Both Woodgate and Bowyer took their chance and kept their noses clean, but Barton had let the club down within months.
The midfielder once described the Toon Army as ‘vicious.’ In response, it would be fair to describe Barton as a hypocrite and a monster. Should he return to St. James’ Park, he could be in for a bit of a shock. I for one will find it hard to applaud his actions on the pitch due to concerns that it could create the perception amongst others that his off-field actions are being condoned. Subsequently I would be pleased to see the club take a moral stance on this issue even at their own expense, although no fan could ever be described as being happy with the situation.
It has been alleged that certain footballers such as Mikael Silvestre hare turned down the opportunity of a move to Newcastle, as they do not wish to work with Joey Barton. If true, keeping hold of Joey Barton may not be the best long term solution in footballing terms either.
There has also been speculation that the club want to punish Barton by forcing him to accept a 50% pay cut. This would be a very bad move by our board if true. Not only is it going to reduce the player’s desire to play his best for Newcastle United, it also creates the impression that the club are mercenary, exploitative, and willing to ignore general principles in order to make a quick buck. There are just two possible options, sack, or back.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the final decision rests with Mike Ashley and Kevin Keegan. Cutting Barton loose may be desirable if the club want to take a moral stance, but Keegan may decide that Barton is a reformed character and can still be an important player to Newcastle.
Should Barton stay, he will have to work very hard to win people over again. Perhaps the club would be favourable to punishing Barton by forcing him to devote most of his free afternoons this forthcoming season to community service.
Going against the grain of the normal format of these articles, Newcastle-Online shall not be saying whether he should be backed or sacked. We are instead going to let you Have Your Say, not just by leaving a comment on this article or posting in our forums, but also by voting in our new poll.
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He is a lowlife, worthless, child beating scumbag and Keegan should be ashamed of himself for letting him back. What kind of example does it set for kids in the toon army? I hope you all give him the reception he deserves. He is not man enough to take the stick I hope he will get and will no doubt crack under the pressure.
Sent in on: August 15th, 2008 (6 days ago) at 12:51 pm
Joey Barton should stay at Newcastle because if it was any other footballer who had this incident, they would be given another chance within seconds of coming out of prison! Give him a chance to shine and he might surprise you! You call yourselves supporters and your not even supporting part of your team! I dont think thats very supportive now, do you?
Sent in on: August 9th, 2008 (2 weeks ago) at 1:38 pm
haha i guess no one wants joey barton at newcastle aye? well me on the other hand i don’t mind if he stays or goes hes a decent player whos made a few mistakes off the pitch but can easily be replaced by a better player so im not bothered
Sent in on: July 8th, 2008 at 10:54 am
I have contacted the ticket office and stopped the cheque for my season tickets, I have 2
I have been a season ticket holder for 20 years and been going to SJP since 1969 … I work chufffing hard for my money and there is no way I’m going to give it to the Toon for them to had it over that scumbag … I remember a couple of recent players who wore the No 7 with pride .. he’s disgraced that shirt
When he’s gone … I’ll go back
Sent in on: July 6th, 2008 at 7:40 am
The man that signed that Scum-bag to NUFC should’ve been in Prison… with the Scum-bag.
Sent in on: July 6th, 2008 at 2:56 am
He’s crap both as a player and a person. He’ll be laughing his ass off getting 50k a week, released from jail early and a suspended sentence for his other assault.
I fear he’ll still be here next season, he’s the type of player we should be getting rid of and i dont think his jail time will put a stop to his behaviour-he now knows he can get away with it with little punishment!
Sent in on: July 2nd, 2008 at 4:52 pm
The bloke is an absolute scumbag and should be sacked asap,the fact he is still on the books is a total disgrace…and to all those fans who say keep him “cos he`s a canny player etc etc” well you too are all morons aswell and should be ashamed of yourself.Just sums up one of many reasons thats wrong with the game today!
Sent in on: July 2nd, 2008 at 4:43 pm
He’s an utter scumbag, sack him now !
Sent in on: July 2nd, 2008 at 12:27 pm
i say get alan shearer to get in the ring with him-see if hes as eager with al as a 16 yr old kid.
Sent in on: July 2nd, 2008 at 9:22 am
I know I’m a Spurs fan. I’m not here to rub it in but for too long. Bad boys have got away with wrong doing. Bowyer for one. Barton has muddied the code of a professional football player. He should never represent the shirt of Newcastle F.C. I feel sorry for you I really do.
Sent in on: July 2nd, 2008 at 8:46 am
Signing Barton was a huge error of judgement by Allardyce(one of many).
I am not the only Toon fan who is sick of the club I support being set up as an utter disgrace by people within the club.
From the boardroom scandal of a few years ago to the idiot/thug players in recent years, when is it going to end ?
Perhaps a good start in rehabilitating the image of the club would be ditching Joey “vicious” Barton.
Sent in on: July 2nd, 2008 at 7:06 am
Sack him ASAP
Sent in on: July 2nd, 2008 at 3:15 am
The choice for NUFC is keep the thug or sustain a substantial loss by sacking him. In light of the apparent low amount of funds available for transfers and the current belt tightening I suspect we’ll keep him. It will all end up badly, I have no doubt. We’ll have no moral position in future and it reflects very badly on the club - a case of putting money before morals which is sad. If I honestly thought the thug had reformed and he acknowledged he was wrong and mistaken in his actions I’m all in favour of forgiving but in this case I’m certain it’s once a thug, always a thug. A bad day for NUFC
Sent in on: July 2nd, 2008 at 2:49 am
If it was one ‘drunken mistake’ then i would be backingJoey 100%, however, we all know it wasn’t he is a thug!
He battered his own team mate, but a cigar out in a youth players eye… what does he need to do in order for him to but dealt with properly?.. he’ll end up killing someone if he is jus let off and allowed to pull on a newcastle shirt again!
Sell him if we can if not lock him up and chuck away the key, newcastle is better than joey barton and we do not need him!
Sent in on: July 1st, 2008 at 11:01 pm
Gascoigne was as daft as they come, a trait magnified by his addiction to alcohol…. in contrast the man Joey Barton was presumably not under the influence of alcohol when he attacked Ousmane Dabo. He is a mean vicious thug who would have been in good company with the Kray brothers. Dump Barton in the sewer where he belongs and cut the loss.
Sent in on: July 1st, 2008 at 8:59 pm
It seems to me that Joey are the one who are pulling the other ones away. He is our best midfielder, and we have no cash. Give him a last chance!
Sent in on: July 1st, 2008 at 8:44 pm
He is scum and will never change his ways.
Please sack him and let him become a problem for someone else.
Sent in on: July 1st, 2008 at 7:14 pm
Didn’t want him in the first place as we’ve already had more than our fair share of his sort with Bowyer, Dyer and to a lesser extent Bellendemy and Woodgate.
Now he’s here and were looking like having a quiet transfer window I think we’ve got to keep him. We already need 3 or four midfielders so can’t afford to loose arguably our best midfielder (even if he is a cretin).
Once we get our 11 new players in mind we can let him go
Sent in on: July 1st, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Also. If anyone wants to view this CCTV footage, be my guest.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=qMorhNRmiDM
Our midfield dynamo in action. This is what Joey did with his “2nd chance”.
Sack him!
Sent in on: July 1st, 2008 at 6:41 pm
This was a massive gamble in the first place and most Toon fans didn’t really want him.Has let everyone down, from Big Sam,his fellow clubmates, the club itself, the supporters, his family and himself.Get Rid!!.
Sent in on: July 1st, 2008 at 6:37 pm
He has to go.
Thats the only way the club can keep their integrity and dignity.
He wont be missed - he wasn’t that good.
They can’t cut his salary. His conviction is either a sacking offence or its not. It would be unethical to allow him to stay but cut his salary.
Get rid of him and Smith in a BOGOFF deal.
Sent in on: July 1st, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Joey had his chance. And thanked us with his christmas celebrations in Liverpool.
He is a loathsome individual, and I was very much against his arrival in the first place. Bye!
Sent in on: July 1st, 2008 at 6:13 pm