A month after the Dabo incident, Barton landed on his feet with a big money move to Newcastle United. A fresh start. A new beginning. 27th December 2007. 'Joey Barton arrested after McDonalds scrap.' The thug midfielder was caught on CCTV punching a man 20 times, before moving onto a 16-year-old boy who ended up with broken teeth, after some heated 'discussions' on a... (you guessed it) heavy drinking session. This time, Barton didn't escape as lightly. He spent 74 days in prison for assault. Barton's brother and cousin were also charged in the incident which was allegedly sparked after an argument spiralled out of control as the victim made reference to Joey's other brother, Michael, who is serving a life-sentence for the racially-motivated murder of a student. In 2008, Joey was released, and strolled straight back into his £71k-a-week role at Newcastle to the fury of football fans everywhere. It was the darkest incident of his career. And that's quite an achievement.
What Culture contributor. NCTJ accredited Sports Journalist. Regret-filled Sunderland AFC season ticket holder. Optimism-filled NFL fan. Lover of all things Game Of Thrones, Breaking Bad, Walking Dead & more.
