Barton faces FA charge of violent conduct.

Posted on November 11th, 2010 | 58 Comments |

Joey 'one punch' Barton.
Joey 'one punch' Barton.
The breaking news is that Newcastle United midfielder Joey Barton has been charged by the FA for violent conduct.

Barton lashed out and appeared to ‘punch’ his Blackburn counterpart, Morten Gamst Pederson, in the chest in an off-the-ball incident that was missed by the match referee.

It is the fact that the match officials missed the incident which has allowed the FA to use video evidence to take a retrospective look at the incident. Barton now has two choices. He can admit to the charge which will mean he will face a three-match ban starting this Saturday against Fulham. Or he could deny the charges and face a hearing on Monday which could lead to a longer punishment.

An FA statement said:

“Newcastle United FC midfielder Joey Barton has today been charged with violent conduct by the FA following an incident in his side’s fixture with Blackburn Rovers FC on Wednesday, 10 November.”

“Barton has until 6pm on Friday 12 November to reply to the charge and under the FA’s fast-track regulations, may admit the charge and accept a standard three-match suspension.”

It’s a shame for Barton who has put so much effort into reforming himself, but all of that hard work will be undone and he will have to start from scratch. Not so much in the eyes of most Newcastle fans who will back him as long as he is wearing the black and white, but this latest move will certainly give opposition fans a reason to kick up a fuss.

The fact that it is Joey Barton means that the incident has been scrutinsed more than it would have been had it been any other player, but the simple answer to that is if he didn’t rasie his hands then he wouldn’t be in bother.

So that is pretty much that. I could argue the toss about it but with the video evidence being so strong there was no way that no punishment was going to be dished out. It seems that the use of video in sport can be implemented then, but only when it suits.

Newcastle will noe be without Barton for at least three games. The only question that remains is just when his suspension will start.

Admit it Joey, and take the three game ban!

NUFCBlog Author: toonsy toonsy has written 643 articles on this blog.

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58 Responses

  1. Admit, I would say, theres no way he’s getting out of it. Well done FA, very classy the way you pick on certain people only.

  2. It just angers me that this story is all over the news. Yes, Barton was stupid and probably should be punished but does anyone honestly think it would have hurt Pederson?
    On the other hand Essiens tackle could have easily broken the other guys leg, but that is barely a footnote in the match report of that game.

  3. DJG – It’s hardly picking on Barton is it? You can’t excuse the unexcusable. Bollocks to other players and situations. This one is seperate from tham and should be dealt with as it is.

  4. Toonsy, disagree there, Huddleston was a one off, but Cattermole and De Jong are serial offenders but for some unknown or explained reason, no action is taken against them despite one causing serious injury and the other an accident waiting to happen.
    Yes, each incident should be looked at in isolation but where is the consistency and what are the charging standards, i would suggest its easy for them to hang Barton out to dry as a way of showing that they can act quickly and decisively when it suits them.

  6. If it had been in a Gateshead game or something and not under the intense glare of the media then nothing would of come of it. Double standards both in which incidents they choose to investigate and the level of football your playing at. Still im not saying he should have done it, why is it every friken time he looks to have sorted himself out he go’s and does something else. Pleased Guthrie will get a chance though, think we are missing him at home through the middle.

  7. bigbadbob

    Mate, he punched someone in the ribs. It wasn’t a poor/aggressive/mistimed challenge. He is caught on national television punching someone during a football match. As I said on an earlier thread, there is no grey area and he must be punished.

  9. such a stupid move. totally inexcusable. clearly acting out of frustration and for the accidental bump he got by pederson…wonder if the club will follow up with a fine or something as well…

    agree also with the comments that the FA is a bit selective with who/what they take action on, but bartons hardly done himself any favors in the past so he needs to be extra careful with things like this. just plain stupid.

  10. thought he had turned corner after wolves game, guess not,gan to blame big dave its his fault.
    all teams play badly at times so lets move on,starting to get injurys/sup now will see how we come through it

  12. Nobody’s singling out anybody. The idiot punched someone on national telly. Simple as. How much damage he could have done is irrelevant. Yes, there will be more press coverage because of his past (which is also his fault and nobody else’s) but the FA have done nothing different.

    I’m gutted. I thought I was going to be proved wrong, as I’d said it was only a matter of time before he showed that with or without booze he is basically a nasty little yob. I was starting to be really impressed with him, but such a stupid, pointless, petulant betrayal of everyone who’s put so much into rehabilitating him just destroys what faith I’d started to build.

    So disappointed. Hate to say it, but sell him. You can’t polish a turd.

  13. Two separate problems then:

    1. Barton was stupid and deserves punishment.

    2. The FA is full of shit and seriously needs reform. The Huddlestone decision is beyond belief. More dangerous than Barton’s idiocy, yet overlooked and unpunished.

    In any case, Barton’s got it coming and we can only hope he learns from it.

  14. I never said Barton wasnt violent conduct, it is, but so were the other incidents, Barton has over reacted which he is always liable to do and after the Wolves game i thought he was beyond this behaviour.
    I am not making excuses for him but after the Ben Arfa incident i always thought the FA would come down on us like a ton of bricks first chance they got and i was proved right.

  15. I bet he’s got plenty to say about how it was Pederson’s fault and he is a reformed character, certainly talks a good game.

  17. The FA’s rules are simple. And stupid. If the ref says in his match report that he saw an incident, the FA can take no further action because the ref did what he thought was appropriate.
    The ref didn’t see the punch, so he has decided to refer it to the FA to be dealt with via video evidence.
    Stupid rule, but they’re following it – no double-standards that I can see.

  19. I think people saying sell him is a bit harsh, and in itself is displaying double standards. Should we then sell Carroll? Nolan too? He has been in the papers after all.

    He did it. He is getting punished. End of, and people need to get over it.

    Sell him….

    Aye, ok then. We’ll do without his assists then….

  20. bigbadbob says:
    November 11, 2010 at 4:44 pm

    ‘I am not making excuses for him but after the Ben Arfa incident i always thought the FA would come down on us like a ton of bricks first chance they got and i was proved right.’

    Thats a very interesting point.

    Does anyone know if Blackburn even submitted a complaint or it there’s any way of finding out? Im desperate to know.

  21. I was personally expecting him to get some sort of fine aswell but who knows. 3 match ban is more than fair, he can count himself lucky. He’s one of our players, I’ll support him. But, he punched a bloke on the football field. He’s supposed to be a professional, I really thought be might have at least started to turn a corner, very wrong. He’s let himself down. And us actually.

  23. ok he should no better and the cameras did show it was a punch, that said it was made to look much worse than it was by Pederson, and he had pushed Barton 1st.
    Bartons past record clearly goes against him here and if he goes to the hearing the FA will take the chance to make an example probablywith a lenghty ban.
    to put this incidence in context Blackburn were extremely phsical the charge on the keeper by their front man bordered on violent conduct and there were several “too physicl tackles” they are a horrible nasty side , no wonder players react. Barton seemed to have settled down and is in the form of his life, look at what he had to put up with against wolves. im sure we the magpies will be more disappointed than annoyed by his action. how is it that he gets a 3 match ban for this when all round the league we are seeing leeg breaking challenges go unpunished. something just isn’t right.

  24. Barton,just admit it and take it as a rest for 3games.

    It’s also good way to get other players back in and play as well.

    Guthrie for example.

    I hope i don’t see wayne starting against fulham though.

    Sol should start.

    Ranger might get his 1st premier league start.

  25. Aye, hear hear.

    Couldn’t see Roberts making a mug out of Big Sol like, would have ended up on his backside, he fell over! he fell over!

  26. He fully deserves his punishment.

    I think what’s getting on peoples nerves is the fact that he will be banned for this yet when someone makes a leg breaking tackle and only gets a yellow because of the referee’s incompentance the FA take no action.

  27. This is the FA getting their own back on NUFC for that letter they wrote to them when they did nothing about De Jong’s leg breaker on Benny. What their effectively saying is, you can be as violent as you like as long as its diguised as a challenge and with Barton accept your punishment (for an incredably weak punch on a sports field) or we’ll punish you even more. And it’s good justification coz Cappello doesn’t want to select you.

  28. Interesting thought that I have just had. Isn’t Barton still carryin a 6-match suspended ban for something he did a while back? Hoefully I’m wrong and that has expired like…

  29. I didn’t think match bans get suspended toonsy. Are you getting confused with his legal goings on off the field perhaps.

  30. I have to say , he’s going to be a big loss for the next few games. Joey is who he is and we just have to accept it, kept his nose clean for awhile but at the end of the day he was due an outburst. I think he’s extremely valuable to the team and would rather judge him on his excellent performances thus far.

  31. TOONSY@28 keep up old lad :) richietoon asked you that on last thread kna you just got of pit like,where richie never gets oot

  35. Great minds and all that eh, Rich ;)

    Hugely off-topic, and highly unlikely, but if anyone is driving round the Medway area I’d avoid it. I’ll be off down there in a bit……… to scrape one of my lorries off the road :lol:

    I told them I was right but they wouldn’t listen….. :D

  36. Again – the FA won’t take action if the ref ‘dealt with it’ at the time. Daft rule, not double-standards.

    I think I’m actually more gutted by the Barton thing than the match result. One is easily fixed by winning the next game. The other may not be fixable.
    Toonsy – I see a huge difference between Barton and Carroll. The latter, so far, has only been done for doing a crap job of throwing beer in someone’s face (i.e. letting go of the glass). That’s it, unless you’re going to equate having it away with two slappers (good on him, I say) with stubbing cigars in eyes, etc.
    Barton damn-near beat a kid to death in the street, while out on an all-night bender when he should have been home contemplating his latest bust-up with the boss.
    I had put it down to the booze, and was enjoying watching our ‘new Joey’ show restraint I’m not sure I could manage, such as against Wolves.
    Just so let down. Not sure he’ll recover from this one. Straws, backs, camels, etc.

  38. Whumpie – Carroll has also been cautioned for slapping a lass, and is on a charge at the moment for much the same thing. Then he glassed someone, and has allegedly broke a players jaw.

    I don’t mind any of that, but is Joey is going to be strung up and have his past thrown back in his face then so should others.

    Anything else is double-standards.

  40. As an independant on this subject I do feel sorry for you guys. Of course you are going to try and defend Barton because he wears black and White but you cannot compare his action on any bad tackle or football related challenge. He punched a fellow player and must pay the penalty. It’s you guys that pay the ultimate penalty for his childish and thugish behaviour. Good luck for the future Toon Army. Doc (Fulham fan)

  41. I don’t believe that it was unprovoked and I doubt that Ped apologized for tackle as whole Blacburn team says, he must have said something, tho’ it doesn’t excuse Barton.

  42. Toonsy fukin proud of you bonny lad ;)
    I have allways tried to defend Joey but I cant this time because he was stupid to lower himself to this, Though I do think most are going over the top because its Joey B

  43. He did wrong,let the club and the fans down.Take the 3 match ban on the chin and move on…It’s the bloody barber who gave him that haircut he should be punching anyway ;-)

  44. I’ve just got my hair cut like that :(

    Because all footballers are role models :roll:

    N.B. I personally think that is an excuse for shit parenting…

  46. NUFC-ULTRA says:
    November 11, 2010 at 5:25 pm
    I have to say , he’s going to be a big loss for the next few games. Joey is who he is and we just have to accept it, kept his nose clean for awhile but at the end of the day he was due an outburst. I think he’s extremely valuable to the team and would rather judge him on his excellent performances thus far.<<<< aye same here

  48. richietoon says:
    November 11, 2010 at 5:55 pm

    “It’s the bloody barber who gave him that haircut he should be punching anyway”

    I think the haircut looks rather good in a 1930s way, Richie. It was that ‘tache that made him look like a a young Peter Mandelson that he should punch himself for.

  49. exactly mate..unlike my goodself ;-)

    to be fair JB punches like a girl :lol: he’ll be back to score v WBA tho ;-)

  50. If you combine the tash and the haircut you get a young Adolf lookalike. Like a game of ‘Guess Who?’

    “Is it a curly tash?”

    “No”

    “Is it a he or a she?”

    :lol:

  55. I think you guys are kiddiing yourselves about a 3 match ban. The FA will give him a dozen match ban. Heck, he could have killed that guy with that vicious attack! Meanwhile, time to get out the tapes and show Pedersen’s fouls in the game as well as get dispositions from everybody that heard or saw anything. NUFC should not let Barton’s action be taken out of context, get the whole picture. In North America we have fouls and penalties in various sports for taunting and instigation. Demonstrate the instigation & then take the medicine.

  56. BeeGuy – Slight problem. Just because you have them in North America, it doesn’t mean we have them over here ;)

  57. Beeguy… As far as I know if he accepts the charge he will get an automatic 3 game ban, if he challenges it then it will possibly be increased(I think).

  58. Well its time to baton down the hatches and weather the storm , the press are going to have a field day on this one no matter wether he admits to it and gets a 3 game penalty or he challenges it and gets hammered with a big suspension . I suspect they are licking their lips in the hope that its the latter , makes bigger headlines . Then they will start to say Hughton is on the verge of being sacked again because he has lost the discipline in the dressing rooom , also read today that spurs want Williamson so they will write that a mass clear out of players is being planned . The barstewards have been waiting for this for a long while now and they can smell blood .