Newcastle Fans’ 11 Most Hated Players Of The Modern Era

6. Joey Barton

Like Hatem Ben Arfa, the self-styled Football Philosopher was a divisive figure during his time at Newcastle: some admired his blood and guts spirit and his refusal to go quietly into the night as Mike Ashley tried to strangle the life out of the club, while others saw a petty thug given the opportunity to kick people for a living. But it's a lot easier to remember Barton with fondness now that he has left the club: aside from the Championship season and what he played of the following year, Barton's time at Newcastle was massively disappointing. Rumoured to be on a massive contract, the former Man City midfielder spent way too much time in the headlines and too little on the pitch. And when he did get on the pitch he got himself needlessly sent off a couple of times, including in the relegation season against Liverpool, which almost ended his Newcastle career right there and then. In the aftermath, Barton apparently clashed with caretaker manager Alan Shearer over his stupidity, lashing out at the striking legend in a way that won him no fans in the crowd. And though there is something to admire in his tenacity, there's no denying he did a lot to deserve fan hatred.