Barton injured after fight outside Scouse nightclub.

[FatFreddysCat]

With a bit of luck quite seriously and a bonus of getting his collar felt. What a dickhead.

[Berserker]

No surprise really, think he has anger managent issues. He should go on one of those NHS 6 session courses for it, i've heard there very good ;-)

[The Rock]

I read someone punched him and he walked away. What a sissy.

[TheDon]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,,12040_7794824,0.html

[MJG]

I read someone punched him and he walked away. What a sissy.

to be fair on the bloke who punched him he was only doing his duty for queen and country.

[The Doctor]

I read someone punched him and he walked away. What a sissy.

Given his previous, walking away was probably the most sensible thing he's ever done.

[Mr_Moon]

For those that don't know, it happened outside Garlands which is a gay bar/club.

Garlands has a student night on a Thursday but apart from that, it's gay every other day of the week and Barton was there on a Monday.

[Oiseau]

It seems like quite a double standard that people condemn Barton's thuggish behaviour and then celebrate this thuggish attack on him... Shows how much he's matured that he walked away. I think that Barton's grown up a lot and he's definitely matured since his City days - he still has a long way to go, though. It doesn't excuse his actions on the pitch a few weeks ago, either.

Did Barton do anything to provoke the attack?

[Mr_Moon]

Barton was jailed for an assault (whilst at Newcastle) that happened about 5/10 minute walk from where Garlands night club is. I'd imagine anymore trouble in the L1 area and he would be banned from the City centre. If maturing since City means still being a scumbag then it doesn't really say a lot. Numerous assaults on the pitch since (Etuhu, Alonso, Pedersen to name a few) and you're only going to attract the unwanted attention.

He had it coming.

[sipwell]

5:30 AM? Lol. What is he? 21?

[finnster01]

From the BBC:
"Police were immediately on the scene and... Barton decided not to press charges and left the scene with his girlfriend soon after."

Sounds like he may not be as innocent as he'd like. Why wouldn't he press charges if he is beaten up in front of his girlfriend? How embarrassing is that?

[finnster01]

Joey Barton punched in the face, police looking for 60 million suspects.  :011:

[Berserker]

I'm surprised he hasn't tweeted about it yet. Maybe he's more hurt than was thought

[Mitch]

From the BBC:
"Police were immediately on the scene and... Barton decided not to press charges and left the scene with his girlfriend soon after."

Sounds like he may not be as innocent as he'd like. Why wouldn't he press charges if he is beaten up in front of his girlfriend? How embarrassing is that?

No one presses charges after getting into a fight outside a nightclub really do they... you just head home p**sed and needing bed.

[FatFreddysCat]

Now been arrested on suspion of affray  yee-haw!

[EJL]

[Me-ate-Live, innit??]

If you are a drunk .....................stay out of pubs
If you are a smack head ............stay away from the dealer
If you are a gambler..................stay away from the bookies
and if you are a Scallywag .................it does not matter you are what you are

[Blingo]

He simply has one of those faces you'd never get sick of punching.

[SKSW6]

It seems like quite a double standard that people condemn Barton's thuggish behaviour and then celebrate this thuggish attack on him... Shows how much he's matured that he walked away. I think that Barton's grown up a lot and he's definitely matured since his City days - he still has a long way to go, though. It doesn't excuse his actions on the pitch a few weeks ago, either.

Did Barton do anything to provoke the attack?

-Barton's "matured" and "grown up a lot".

-Knee'd a player in the back of the leg, then tried to headbutt another, attempting to incite a reaction and get another payer sent off with him, which happened less than a month ago.

Pick one.

He probably walked away because the guys who smacked him were twice his size. He's a scumbag and always will be. How many times has he said he's "changed" now?

[Oiseau]

It seems like quite a double standard that people condemn Barton's thuggish behaviour and then celebrate this thuggish attack on him... Shows how much he's matured that he walked away. I think that Barton's grown up a lot and he's definitely matured since his City days - he still has a long way to go, though. It doesn't excuse his actions on the pitch a few weeks ago, either.

Did Barton do anything to provoke the attack?

-Barton's "matured" and "grown up a lot".

-Knee'd a player in the back of the leg, then tried to headbutt another, attempting to incite a reaction and get another payer sent off with him, which happened less than a month ago.

Pick one.

He probably walked away because the guys who smacked him were twice his size. He's a scumbag and always will be. How many times has he said he's "changed" now?

There is a MASSIVE different between violence on a football pitch and violence in the real world. How many ordinarily well behaved football players can become involved in fracases on the pitch? Hundreds! Our own Clint Dempsey had such an encounter during the Liverpool game this season. Are you to suggest that Clint is also a 'scumbag?' Or John Pantsil against Steven Gerrard?

A bad foul or tackle in football is not a sign of a violent personality. I doubt those players would do the same thing in the real world. A professional football match is unlike any other situation - there are pressures and hormones involved that would not be found elsewhere. The situation can lead to some players acting rashly, especially if they're vulnerable in certain departments (like taking a recovering alcoholic into a bar.) There are also so many parties involved that it can be difficult to place to blame solely on one individual (i.e. was the player provoked and who acted first?)

What I'm saying is that there's a huge different between the City/Newcastle Joey Barton who stubbed out a cigarette in someone's eye to today's Joey Barton. He has taken enormous steps forward to reform and educate himself. I think that's incredibly admirable and most people could learn something from that. Just listen to him in interviews and see how articulate he's become. He's become a much more upstanding individual and a lot of fans seem to pick on him. Yes, he still has a long way to come in terms on his behaviour on the pitch but can't we appreciated how much he's changed? He's realised (from the sounds of interviews) what an idiot he was in the past and he's come to terms with that. He now works with charities and tries to educate himself. This is more than you could say about many footballers.

And no, I don't believe that he deserves to be punched. An eye for an eye leaves everyone blind.

Postscript: Barton doesn't drink any more (according the interviews, etc) and he's been arrested 'on suspicion.' That could mean anything. If he's guilty, well he deserves the punishment and we can lose yet more respect for him. Until then he's innocent until proven guilty.
If you read Twitter, he says that the whole issue is sorted. The attack was on him and he didn't cause any trouble.