The two faces of Joey Barton were cruelly exposed following Burnley’s FA Cup defeat from Lincoln.
Off the park the former Sevco midfielder cultivates an image of a thoughtful Scouser who cares about the game sharing his insight into the mysteries on the park.
It’s a lucrative image that brings plenty of media cheques through print and broadcast.
On the pitch Barton is the lowest of the low, a Premier League footballer who will go to any length, who will try to create fictitious contact in order to get a non-league player sent off.
The former Strangeways Prison inmate was slaughtered the length and breadth of the country yesterday, even by some of his media chums, after yesterday’s disgraceful incident in which he tried to get Matt Rhead sent off and earn his team a penalty.
Awkward. #JoeyBarton pic.twitter.com/tVypI09PV9
— Steven Winstone (@steven_winstone) February 18, 2017
In all his glory Barton was seen standing on his opponents foot, hiding behind Rhead then falling to the ground holding his face.
Equally as bad, after the match the 34-year-old took to twitter after the match to explain and justify his actions.
Barton is soon to appear before the FA accused with ten years of gambling offences, if Burnley want to salvage their reputation they can use the FA ban to bin Barton and leave some other fools to pay his salary and live with the consequences.
Justice was done in the end with Lincoln winning 1-0 at Burnley to reach the last eight of the FA Cup.
