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Joey Barton successful in reducing playing ban after breaking betting rules

7 years ago
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Joy Barton was banned in April (2017) after being charged with breaking FA rules for placing 1,260 bets on matches between 26 March 2006 and 13 May 2016.

These included many bets whilst he was at Newcastle United, including a number where he was betting against NUFC whilst paid by the club.

The original ban meant that Joey Barton was banned from football until 25 October 2018, which the public and media had taken to mean his football career at a decent level was effectively over.

The former Newcastle player being by that time beyond his 36th birthday and also having missed any involvement in football during that intervening time.

Barton may have been successful in getting the ban reduced but it has surely been a hollow victory.

If the reduction had meant he could be playing again early this season then maybe…but instead the ban still doesn’t end until 1 June 2018, five months knocked off but effectively only two months of actual playing time during the (2018/19)season.

The FA Appeal Board agreed with Joey Barton that the initial ban was ‘excessive in the circumstances’, with evidence from Barton’s consultant psychiatrist about the player’s gambling addiction not having been taken into account.

The FA Board says that the new ban ‘reflects the overall seriousness of the breaches and also the mitigation including the full extent of Mr Barton’s addiction’.

Joey Barton’s £30,000 fine has not been reduced.

The player was released by Burnley having joined the Premier League club for a second spell in January 2017, making 14 PL appearances last season after a disastrous move to Rangers.

Interesting to see now whether Barton has the interest/determination to come back at a lower level in over a year’s time?

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