Updated at 20.03
BURNLEY MIDFIELDER JOEY Barton says he has been forced into retirement from football after the English FA banned him for 18 months over betting offences.
“Joey Barton has been suspended from football and all football activity for 18 months with immediate effect after he admitted an FA misconduct charge in relation to betting,” the FA said in a statement.
Barton, 34, admitted a charge relating to 1,260 bets he placed on football matches over a 10-year period between 2006 and 2016.
The outspoken Barton, whose former clubs include Manchester City, Newcastle United, Marseille and Rangers, has also been fined £30,000 (€35,330) and warned as to his future conduct.
In a personal statement following the announcement, Barton confirmed that the suspension leaves him with no choice but to call time on his playing career, however he does intend to appeal the decision.
“I am very disappointed at the harshness of the sanction,” Barton said.
“The decision effectively forces me into an early retirement from playing football.
“To be clear from the outset here this is not match fixing and at no point in any of this is my integrity in question.”
Barton accepts he was at fault but feels the FA must do more to tackle problem gambling in the game, including reviewing their policies on sponsorship by bookmakers.
I accept that I broke the rules governing professional footballers, but I do feel the penalty is heavier than it might be for other less controversial players.
“I have fought addiction to gambling and provided the FA with a medical report about my problem.
“I’m disappointed it wasn’t taken into proper consideration.
“I think if the FA is truly serious about tackling the culture of gambling in football, it needs to look at its own dependence on the gambling companies, their role in football and in sports broadcasting, rather than just blaming the players who place a bet.”
Barton has already outlined his intention to appeal the FA’s judgment in what he sees as a last-ditch attempt to prolong his professional football career.
“Having consulted with my friends and lawyers, I have decided I will be appealing against the length of the ban.
“I hope that I shall be afforded a fair hearing by an independent Appeal Panel.
“If I am, we are confident that the sanction will be reduced to a fair one that both reflects the offences as well as the mitigating factors and the fact that there was nothing untoward or suspicious about the bets I made.”
Barton also added that he made no obvious efforts to hide his gambling from football authorities and he saw betting as a relaxation tool away from the game.
“As for the scale of my football betting, since 2004, on a Betfair account held in my own name, registered at my home address and verified by my own passport, with full transparency, I have placed over 15,000 bets across a whole range of sports.
“Just over 1,200 were placed on football and subject to the charges against me. The average bet was just over £150, many were for only a few pounds.
“Raised at the hearing was that between 2004 and 2011 I placed a handful of bets on my own team to lose matches.
I accept of course that this is against the rules, for the obvious reason that a player with an additional financial stake in the game might seek to change the course of it for his own personal gain. However I’d like to offer some context.
“First, in every game I have played, I have given everything. I’m confident that anyone who has ever seen me play, or played with or against me, will confirm that to be the case.
“I am more aware than anyone that I have character issues that I struggle with, and my addictive personality is one of them, but I am a devoted and dedicated professional who has always given my all on the pitch.
“Second, on the few occasions where I placed a bet on my own team to lose, I was not involved in the match day squad for any of those games.
“I should add that on some of those occasions, my placing of the bet on my own team to lose was an expression of my anger and frustration at not being picked or being unable to play. I understand people will think that is childish and selfish and I cannot disagree with that.
“Third, I should point out that the last of these bets against my own team was six years ago (and in a reserve game), when I was going through a particularly troubled period, and when the FA were not nearly as hard on gambling as they are now.”
You can read Barton’s full statement here.
– © AFP 2017 with additional reporting from Alan Waldron
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Just looking at it for a minute as I flicked around the channel and it seems a shame to have so many empty seats for an all Ireland final. I sure the football final in two weeks time would be something similar. Would it not be an idea to play both the football and the camogie final on the one day. It still wouldn’t fill the stadium and it would save the cost of opening the stadium for a second day.
@mickmc: or Gaa fans could support their county teams.
Very good idea Mickmc … then you wouldn’t have to post you sarcasm again next Sunday.
@Adrian Costigan: Well the economic reality is they don’t support this particular code in any great number. Ideally the game should be played in a smaller stadium but of course that would be regarded as sexist blah blah blah. Holding the two games the one day like in the quarter finals of the men’s competition would make much more economic sense.
@Rory Murphy: Can’t see there too many empty next sunday
Sincerest apologies… read your initial comment wrong… thought you were on about next week! … how daft do I feel now.
Go on the Rebelettes!!! Rena Buckley, what more can you say 18 AI medals. A warrior
HT Cork the better team so far but havent managed to put it on the scoreboard.First ten in the second half will tell alot.
Doesn’t make sense having it on in Croke Park. A bit embarrassing really – an all Ireland final and only 10 or 12 thousand in attendance. Varadkar doesn’t look too happy being there.
Cork the far better team but Kilkenny are clinging onto them.
@John Ryan:In fairness Varadkar did not look any happier last sunday when those strapping lads from Galway went up the steps to him.:-):-)
Rena Buckley is a phenomenon, what a sportsperson.
Eimear O’Sullivan for Player of the Match, she was outstanding!!