We asked The Legends: In light of his charge from the FA, do you think Joey Barton will ever be a reformed character?

Micky Horswill:

"To be honest I thought he was the way he's been handling himself for the last six weeks. He's had loads of stick from other clubs and people have tried to wind him up and he's just walked away and then all of a sudden he's shown he's got this in him and I don't think he'll ever change, it's going to be with him for the rest of his life. If you've got that in you, it's very hard to get rid of it.

"I really thought he had changed with all the things that have happened lately. I've stuck up for him quite a bit because of his time at City but he's not handled himself at all and it's not what Newcastle need either.

"I don't think he was provoked, they just bumped into each other and Joey turned round and punched him. It's like this black sheep comes over him every now and again and he does something stupid but it's not what Newcastle want. They're in all the papers at the moment with Nolan and Carroll and things like that don't help."

Bernie Slaven:

"Probably not. I think he's done brilliant this season though. He's played the majority of games, scored, created, helped out defensively and showed his worth as a player after three years in the wilderness, with all his problems but looking at it on Wednesday it was just sheer thuggary. 

"To punch opponents in the stomach after he's only brushed past him. There was no malice from Pedersen and Barton just clenched his fist and punched him.

"It's a cowardly and it's silly, if Joey is that tough why doesn't he get in the boxing ring and pick up the boxing gloves to show how tough he is?

"I watched the Wolves game when he was kicked from pillar to post and I thought he was absolutely magnificent to take that treatment and not respond and I thought he's put all his problems behind him but then last night in a nothing situation he's shown his true colours and he was right to get done for it."

Malcolm MacDonald:

"He's worked exceedingly hard and reformed himself and I think he's been a model of good behaviour until this incident but what I will say that over the season, I have watched him be absolutely victimised by opposing sides who just set out to obsess him and what I saw last night was something that you see in a toddler's creche.

"I'm not disappointed, I think this is a dreadful over-reaction by the FA, it really is and if the referee didn't see it when he was facing the incident, did he have his eyes shut?

"I think the referee saw it and just ignored it. It was something you'd see in a nursery, but because it's Joey Barton they're making a big stink about it. 

"There's a referee and two linesmen, if they fail to see an incident which is right by the touchline, then it's they that should be punishment, not Joey Barton.''