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Keegan's plea to chairman not to sack jailed footballer
KEVIN Keegan will urge Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley not to sack Joey Barton, but the club was last night "considering" its options after the disgraced midfielder was jailed for six months.
Barton pleaded guilty to assault and affray at Liverpool Crown Court after CCTV cameras captured his involvement in a street attack in Liverpool city centre in the early hours of December 27 last year.
At about 5am, the 25-year-old England international, his cousin, Nadine Wilson, 27, and brother Andrew Barton, 20, went into a McDonald's restaurant for food. Once inside, the court was told that Wilson became involved in a confrontation with a group of youths.
Outside the restaurant, the rows continued and Barton, who had consumed ten pints of lager and five bottles of lager, was caught on CCTV knocking an unidentified man to the ground.
He then straddled the man, and punched him four or five times as Wilson threw food at the victim before Barton punched him up to another 15 times.
Minutes later, the player attacked a 16-year-old youth, punching him in the mistaken belief the youth had slapped Wilson. The punch broke a number of his teeth.
The court was told the Barton brothers had been goaded by remarks about their half-brother Michael, who is serving life for the racist murder of Anthony Walker in Huyton, Merseyside, in 2005.
Barton, of Foxbank Close, Widnes, was jailed for six months for actual bodily harm and four months concurrently for affray.
He was also ordered to pay £2,500 compensation to the 16-year-old boy.
Wilson, of Childwall, Liverpool, was given a six-month sentence for actual bodily harm and two months for affray, suspended for two years.
She was also given a 12-month supervision order and instructed to carry out 12 months' unpaid work.
Andrew Barton, also of Foxbank Close, Widnes, was given a four-month sentence for common assault, suspended for two years, and a 12-month super-vision order.
Judge Henry Globe told Joey Barton: "You were restrained by others, but ignored them and acted in an extremely violent and aggressive manner.
"It also happened at a time when you were on bail for two other matters. If ever there was a time when you should have been on your best behaviour, it was then."
Yesterday's conviction leaves Barton's footballing future in doubt, but Newcastle boss Keegan will continue to support a player who has courted controversy on more than one occasion.
Keegan has backed Barton throughout his four-month reign at St James' Park, and will urge Ashley not to wash his hands of the former Manchester City midfielder.
When he was publicly paraded as Newcastle's new manager in January, Keegan said: "I will support Joey 100 per cent and I will help him in whatever way I can. The best people to help him are the people who know him, and we know him.
"He's an excellent player. He's had some problems, but I told him that he's got my full support. I've given it him before and he has let me down, but he's got it again because I'm convinced that all he wants to do is come and play for this club.
"The only thing I will say is that I can't control what's gone on before, and I can't control what's going to happen in a courtroom."
Keegan is expected to discuss Barton's future with Newcastle chairman Chris Mort later this week, but while the former England manager will urge his employers not to sack the Liverpudlian, the club could yet opt to cut their losses.
Barton has previously been fined six weeks' wages by Manchester City for stubbing a lit cigar into the eye of a team-mate and fined eight weeks' wages for his involvement in an altercation with a 15-year-old supporter during a pre-season tour of Thailand. He is due to stand trial again next month after an alleged training-ground assault that left his former Manchester City team-mate, Ousmane Dabo, needing hospital treatment. He was also bailed pending further inquiries after an arrest last year on suspicion of assault and criminal damage during an incident involving a taxi driver.
Even if he was granted an early release from his current sentence, he would still be unlikely to be available for the start of Newcastle's pre-season training programme in early July.
The Magpies could opt to terminate his contract for gross misconduct despite spending £5.8m to secure his services a last June.
An official club statement released last night said: "Newcastle United notes the sentence passed to Joey Barton at Liverpool Crown Court. The club is considering the verdict and will be making no further comment at this moment."
Players' union chief Gordon Taylor has admitted that Newcastle would be within their rights to terminate its association with Barton, but insists his organisation will continue to support the midfielder.
Taylor said: "Whether he has a future at Newcastle United is a decision for the club. But when somebody has paid the penalty, which Joey will now have to do, every individual should be given the chance to reform themselves and get on with their life in a proper manner.
"We will try to continue to help him do that and hope we can succeed."
Is Kevin Keegan right to back Joey Barton
2:03am Wednesday 21st May 2008
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CommentPosted by: Ian james., Darlington on 10:56am Wed 21 May 08
NO DEFINITLY NOT, Keegan should take a step back and for once in his life keep his trap shut, and let the real boss of N.U.F.C. decide the fate of this overpayed, spoilt, waste of talented, footballer. Coz, at the end of the day the chairman is the one who pays his wages and he is representing his football club and if it had happened in any other situation and a man had hit a sixteen year old kid he would have got a lot more severe sentence and its a good example to set to other spoilt brats like Barton who think they are above the law, to think and act maturely as a professional footballer and know they have a very priveleged life compared to the rest of us, and to set a good example at ALL TIMES. YEAH, WELL AYE SACK HIM AND LET HIM GO AND PLAY IN THE SUNDAY LEAGUES WHERE HE WILL MEET SOME REAL LADS WHO HE CAN SQUARE UPTO AND IF HE WANTS TO GET SHIRTY WITH THEM, WILL KNOCK HIS TEETH OUT FOR HIM, WELL AYE, COZ HIS A LOAD OF CRAP ANYWAY.LOL.Also, i can just imagine Barton spending his first day in nick and the screw asks him if he wants anything doing? and Barton says, YEAH, CAN YOU MOVE THE WALL BACK PLEASE MATE, BY TEN YARDS.LOL, AND ALSO HE SAYS TO THE SCREW, ITS COLD IN THIS CELL, AND THE SCREW SAY, I'LL PUT YOU ANOTHER BAR ON THEN.LOL. WELL AYE FUNNY AS F--K.
NO DEFINITLY NOT, Keegan should take a step back and for once in his life keep his trap shut, and let the real boss of N.U.F.C. decide the fate of this overpayed, spoilt, waste of talented, footballer. Coz, at the end of the day the chairman is the one who pays his wages and he is representing his football club and if it had happened in any other situation and a man had hit a sixteen year old kid he would have got a lot more severe sentence and its a good example to set to other spoilt brats like Barton who think they are above the law, to think and act maturely as a professional footballer and know they have a very priveleged life compared to the rest of us, and to set a good example at ALL TIMES. YEAH, WELL AYE SACK HIM AND LET HIM GO AND PLAY IN THE SUNDAY LEAGUES WHERE HE WILL MEET SOME REAL LADS WHO HE CAN SQUARE UPTO AND IF HE WANTS TO GET SHIRTY WITH THEM, WILL KNOCK HIS TEETH OUT FOR HIM, WELL AYE, COZ HIS A LOAD OF CRAP ANYWAY.LOL.Also, i can just imagine Barton spending his first day in nick and the screw asks him if he wants anything doing? and Barton says, YEAH, CAN YOU MOVE THE WALL BACK PLEASE MATE, BY TEN YARDS.LOL, AND ALSO HE SAYS TO THE SCREW, ITS COLD IN THIS CELL, AND THE SCREW SAY, I'LL PUT YOU ANOTHER BAR ON THEN.LOL. WELL AYE FUNNY AS F--K.
Posted by: allan kelley, aycliffe on 12:26pm Wed 21 May 08
No absolutely not, and neither should football generally. NUFC should terminate his contract and be compensated by the player himself and the Premiership and Football League clubs should close rank and isolate this overpaid criminal. The game does not need this type of behaviour and neither does the general public deserve to be expected to wipe the slate clean and let him continue to earn millions.
No absolutely not, and neither should football generally. NUFC should terminate his contract and be compensated by the player himself and the Premiership and Football League clubs should close rank and isolate this overpaid criminal. The game does not need this type of behaviour and neither does the general public deserve to be expected to wipe the slate clean and let him continue to earn millions.
Posted by: bobby, stockton on 12:43pm Wed 21 May 08
surely not even an idiot like keegan can back this scum
ps wasn't he out injured when this happened-he really is takkin the watter
surely not even an idiot like keegan can back this scum
ps wasn't he out injured when this happened-he really is takkin the watter
Posted by: stu, Darlington on 1:05pm Wed 21 May 08
As a football fan I would like to see this idiot sacked by NUFC and he should never be allowed to play football again.
To do something like this once is bad enough, but to do it repeatedly is unforgivable. In any other walk of life the employer would sack the employee on the spot.
It's little wonder we can't produce a decent England football team when our players (and Barton was a half decent prospect at one time) enjoy going out for 10 pints, a fight and a McDonalds. Continental footballers do not do this. They knuckle down and train hard.
Another thing, Keegan is an idiot for saying this in public. A big mistake.
As a football fan I would like to see this idiot sacked by NUFC and he should never be allowed to play football again.
To do something like this once is bad enough, but to do it repeatedly is unforgivable. In any other walk of life the employer would sack the employee on the spot.
It's little wonder we can't produce a decent England football team when our players (and Barton was a half decent prospect at one time) enjoy going out for 10 pints, a fight and a McDonalds. Continental footballers do not do this. They knuckle down and train hard.
Another thing, Keegan is an idiot for saying this in public. A big mistake.
Posted by: anon, Darlington on 1:08pm Wed 21 May 08
This is not the first time he has been in trouble, remember the cigar in the eye incident to name but one? You can take the chav out of the council estate and give him lots of money, but you cant take the chaviness out of him.
This is not the first time he has been in trouble, remember the cigar in the eye incident to name but one? You can take the chav out of the council estate and give him lots of money, but you cant take the chaviness out of him.
Posted by: see, durham on 2:55pm Wed 21 May 08
is barton really a positive role model to our youngsters i think NOT, get rid of him and no one else sign him let kids see that violence does not give reward.
is barton really a positive role model to our youngsters i think NOT, get rid of him and no one else sign him let kids see that violence does not give reward.
Posted by: annon, darlington on 4:36pm Wed 21 May 08
idiot keegan speaks again..thats what the headline should of been. he just can not keep his yap shut. i say sack barton,
idiot keegan speaks again..thats what the headline should of been. he just can not keep his yap shut. i say sack barton,
Posted by: annon, darlington on 4:37pm Wed 21 May 08
idiot keegan speaks again..thats what the headline should of said. he just can not keep his yap shut. i say sack barton,
idiot keegan speaks again..thats what the headline should of said. he just can not keep his yap shut. i say sack barton,
Posted by: yan, darlington on 4:41pm Wed 21 May 08
idiot keegan speaks again..thats what the headline should of said. he just can not keep his yap shut. i say sack barton,
idiot keegan speaks again..thats what the headline should of said. he just can not keep his yap shut. i say sack barton,
Posted by: yan, darlington on 4:42pm Wed 21 May 08
idiot keegan speaks again..thats what the headline should of said. he just can not keep his yap shut. i say sack barton,
idiot keegan speaks again..thats what the headline should of said. he just can not keep his yap shut. i say sack barton,
Posted by: hilly, durham on 5:08pm Wed 21 May 08
would kevin say the same thing if it was his son that barton punched "i think not" sack him and anyone else who think they are above the law
footballers prima donna's more like
would kevin say the same thing if it was his son that barton punched "i think not" sack him and anyone else who think they are above the law
footballers prima donna's more like
Posted by: hilly, durham on 5:09pm Wed 21 May 08
would kevin say the same thing if it was his son that barton punched "i think not" sack him and anyone else who think they are above the law
footballers prima donna's more like
would kevin say the same thing if it was his son that barton punched "i think not" sack him and anyone else who think they are above the law
footballers prima donna's more like
Posted by: Paul, Stockton On Tees on 5:24pm Wed 21 May 08
Idiots such as Barton who have to serve a prison term should not be allowed to be employed as a professional footballer full stop. Lee Hughes shouldn't have been allowed back into the game either. It's something UEFA and the FA should look into
Idiots such as Barton who have to serve a prison term should not be allowed to be employed as a professional footballer full stop. Lee Hughes shouldn't have been allowed back into the game either. It's something UEFA and the FA should look into
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