Rehabilitation
I meant to mention this a few days ago, but no matter.
Longer-time readers will know of my dislike of football & the modern day ‘ethos’ which seems to surround the game. I see this week that Wayne Rooney has been interviewed on suspicion of spitting at a photographer outside a restaurant in London. I don’t know about any of you lot but I’ve been spat at a few times over the years. It’s absolutely disgusting & I think I’d rather someone throw a punch at me than spit at me. Anyway, this entry isn’t about this overpaid little yob.
It’s about another overpaid yob, one Joey Barton.
Barton was released from prison on Tuesday having served (just) 74 days of a six-month sentence. He’s on a tag & must do 200 hours community service as a condition of his early release. He also got a four-month prison sentence for assaulting a colleague during a training session. Sadly, that sentence was suspended for two years. These are the last two violent events in Barton’s career.
Barton is on about £65,000 a week as a Newcastle United football player. The team’s manager, Kevin Keegan is welcoming Barton with open arms, back into the fold at Newcastle. He was heard on the radio this week saying he was willing to give Barton another chance.
What a fantastic opportunity for football to stand up & be counted. What a wonderful example it would have been to football fans everywhere & the wider community had Keegan stood up & said that there was no place for violence within the sport, that Newcastle would not condone anyone to do with the club being involved in such horrendous violence as that which Barton found so acceptable once he’d necked a few beers. How refreshing it would have been had Keegan announced that nobody who exhibited the kind of behaviour like Barton’s would be welcome within the confines of Newcastle’s stadium.
The truth is that Newcastle don’t want to lose out on their precious £5.8 million investment in the player. They could sack Barton for gross misconduct but if they were to do so they would lose all financial interest in Barton & any other club would be free to sign him at no cost. Of course, if the FA backed up this action & banned the player from the sport this would negate that possibility but Newcastle would still be out of pocket. And Barton can probably help Newcastle win games, which is far more important than the morality of the dilemma.
It’s ironic that a fan can shout out some socially unacceptable insults on the terraces & receive a life ban from the club, but a player can receive 2 prison sentences for violence & walk back into a £65,000 a week job.
The only glimmer of hope is that the FA appear ready to take disciplinary action over the incident for which Barton received his second prison sentence (suspended) for his attack on Manchester City team member Ousmane Dabo. He could be fined two weeks wages (big deal) & be banned for several matches.
Litew8 says:
Thank you!!! You mirror my sentiments exactly! That oik should be sacked.
Last Christmas party, someone from my work had a verbal and subsequently physical altercation with a colleague. The agressor in this case was on a few too many, and was subsequently let go from the company.
The main difference is the size of the economic investment in that person versus the one in Mr Barton’s case. The other difference is that my employer has a strict expectation and sets out a rigid code of conduct for behaviour both on- and off-site… and what’s more it gets enforced.
The thing that grates me is that were Mr Barton to be banned by the FA or FIFA, then I’m sure he’d be able to hire some hot-shot lawyer to argue the case that it contrahends his human right to free movement of labour since the ban would effectively be a restriction of his trade. Mind you, I’m sure if he really wanted to earn some money he could try a proper job where consequences of actions are somewhat more severe than a slap on the wrist.
Absolute shame that Newcastle United are putting money before corporate responsibility/ethics… what is that teaching society? That it’s ok to beat the crap out of someone because the punishment is so slight it’s worth taking the risk in order to fulfil whatever savage satisfaction can be gained out of beating someone up.
Shame on you Newcastle… very unimpressed!
L.
August 3rd, 2008 at 10:53 am
Tony F says:
I feel that he should have been publicly executed. Mind you I think all ball kicking morons should be shot.
The best thing that could happen to this particular scrote is to be sacked from whatever bunch of illiterate wankers it is with now, and for it to pay back all the money that was wasted on it to a charity for victims of violence.
And whilst we are on, all ball kicking lack-wits should be taxed so as they only receive the national minimum wage. Their taxes can then pay for all the mess their stupid followers cause.
August 3rd, 2008 at 9:37 pm
Altercation says:
This is a tough one.
On the point of principle I agree with you entirely.
£5 million is a lot of money though. Why should Newcastle United loose that sort of money cos BARTON is a thug? No judge could realistically impose that sort of fine on BARTON.
The restriction of trade argument is a good one too.
The whole thing is about how a punishment really affects someone. Whether or not judges should consider this before sentencing.
More specially to BARTON’s case, should judges impose fines that are proportionate to a persons wages?
August 6th, 2008 at 2:07 am
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August 6th, 2008 at 7:25 pm