Andy Buckley

As the English season drew to a close last season, there was a lot of fuss made about the frequency of players approaching referees during the game to protest against their decisions. We saw how Liverpool’s Javier Mascherano was dealt with using the full force of the law after he protested vigorously to the referee at Old Trafford against Manchester United. He was sent off for receiving two yellow cards, suspended for three matches and fined £15,000 by the FA as apparently his behaviour was not in keeping with the spirit of the game and his actions did not set a good example to the younger generation.

In truth, he was a scapegoat for the FA and his sending off for protesting to the referee in such a high profile game has now set a precedent. FA officials are considering drawing up a zero-tolerance policy for such behaviour on the pitch as professional football players are required to be role models both on and off the pitch.

So if professional football players are supposed to be role models then why on earth have the FA not banished Newcastle United player Joey Barton from English football?

Barton appeared in the dock again this week for assaulting his former team mate Ousmane Dabo whilst at Manchester City and was given a suspended sentence as he was already serving a six-month custodial sentence for a violent rampage in Liverpool city centre in December 2007.

The rogue midfielder remains a contracted player at Newcastle and the club are reportedly deciding whether to reduce his estimated £50,000 weekly salary or to terminate his contract. Surely the FA should step in and ‘strike him off’ as the General Medical Council would do with a Doctor for committing an act of gross misconduct.

England’s governing body is sending out the wrong message if they fail to act in the light of Barton’s further violent conviction as they are, in effect, excusing his criminal behaviour by not taking any independent action of their own. Even if Barton’s contract at St James’ Park is terminated, there is nothing to stop him from signing a contract at another club.

Barton is not the first player to have a brush with the law and he probably won’t be the last but it is intriguing to see how the footballing authorities have tolerated criminal behaviour by professional footballers over the years and allowed them to continue their careers.

In the 1990s, it was well documented when Arsenal captain Tony Adams and Glasgow Rangers’ Duncan Ferguson both had their collars felt by the police. Adams was arrested in 1990 for drink driving and was found to be four times over the legal limit after he crashed his car into a wall and was jailed for four months. In Scotland, Ferguson head-butted an opponent whilst playing for Rangers against Raith Rovers in 1994 and was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment for assault.

More recently, in 2001, we saw the infamous court case when Tottenham Hotspur’s Jonathan Woodgate and West Ham United’s Lee Boywer (then both at Leeds United) were tried after being charged for attacking an Asian student in Leeds city centre. Bowyer was cleared but Woodgate was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm and affray and sentenced to community service.

In 2002, Wigan Athletic striker Marlon King (then at Gillingham) was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment for handling a stolen BMW but his sentence was later reduced to five months after an appeal. In 2005, Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant (then at Birmingham City) was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment for drink driving and driving whilst disqualified. He was released early from prison with a curfew and re-started his career at Birmingham wearing his electronic tagging device under his football sock.

In the lower leagues, Oldham Athletic striker, Lee Hughes, was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment after being convicted of causing death by dangerous driving in 2004. During the 2003/4 season whilst at West Bromwich Albion, Hughes was involved in a fatal car crash when his Mercedes collided with another vehicle killing the passenger in the other vehicle. In August 2007, 31-year-old Hughes was released from prison on parole and resumed his football career with the League One side.

Last month, in similar circumstances, Plymouth Argyle goalkeeper Luke McCormick was arrested and charged with two counts of death by dangerous driving, drink driving and no insurance after two children were killed in a motorway collision involving McCormick’s vehicle.

All this makes me wonder if the anti-social society in which we live in these days is reflected in the behaviour of our players. In the old days, players were exposed for excessive drinking, gambling and drug taking or they were caught with their pants around their ankles; you never heard of players going to prison for viciously assaulting members of the public or killing people in car crashes.

As for Joey Barton, there is no doubt that he has the talent and ability to play top flight football but I firmly believe that the FA would be doing a disservice to the younger generation if they fail to condemn his behaviour and strip him of what it is, to the average football fan, the privilege of playing professional football.