Joey Barton can brace himself for a smear campaign after Sevco were unable to sack or even fine the midfielder.
As recently as a month ago Barton was a brilliant addition to Scottish football being bracketed alongside Brendan Rodgers for reviving interest in the domestic game.
Five matches into his Sevco career the 34-year-old has become a £30,000-a-week liability that needs removed from the wage bill by whatever means.
Within a day of being handed a three match club suspension/holiday Barton has been linked with a claim that he has gambled on football matches.
SFA rules are clear cut that players can’t gamble on any football matches but their punishments carry hardly any bite.
In 2013 Ian Black was given a three match SFA ban after being found guilty of betting on 160 football matches some of which Sevco were involved in. No internal club punishment was given with Ally McCoist going public to defend the player.
This morning a report in The Sun claims: “RANGERS star Joey Barton faces an SFA charge of illicit match betting after a tip-off from a high street bookies, it was claimed last night.
“The under-fire ace is being probed on allegations he flouted strict rules which ban players from gambling on games.
“It is believed the former England midfielder and Ibrox chiefs are aware of the claims.
“A source said: “The bets were supposedly placed with one of the biggest high street bookies who flagged this up.
“It’s unclear whether it’s games in Scotland or England that he’s said to have gambled on, but that’s irrelevant.
“The SFA regulations clearly state players can’t bet on any match — this would be a clear breach of the rules.”
Barton and his advisers will be well aware of all the rules but with the backing of the all powerful English PFA it’s highly unlikely that Sevco will find grounds to sack the £30,000-a-week midfielder.
Barton’s England career lasted 12 minutes as a substitute in a friendly defeat from Spain in 2007 at Old Trafford. A year later he was back in Manchester spending 67 days as an inmate at Strangeways Prison.
