Police have charged former Manchester City, Newcastle United and Burnley midfielder Joey Barton with attacking his wife in an incident that left her with a head injury.The former Premier League player, now manager of Bristol Rovers, was arrested on 2 June concerning the alleged offence. His wife, Georgia, was injured in the alleged assault at a house in London, which occurred just two days before their second wedding anniversary.It’s the latest setback in the long and turbulent story of Barton’s rehabilitation. Throughout his life and career, he’s had problems with discipline. He was often violent towards his teammates in training, as well as on the pitch. He retired from playing in 2018 upon joining Fleetwood, having previously represented Burnley at the end of a career that had seen him feature for Manchester City, Newcastle, and Queens Park Rangers. During his career, he also made one appearance for England in a friendly against Spain in 2007.📰 Bristol Rovers manager Joey Barton, 38, is due in court tomorrow charged with attacking and injuring a woman.The Met. Police said in a statement: “Joseph Barton… of Widnes, is charged with assault by beating.” pic.twitter.com/AdMzDD7AZW— ΛROUND THE GROUNDS (@ArndTheGrnds) July 25, 2021 The long-lasting battle against personal demons saw Barton go back and forth on the promises he’d made to himself and the public. He often talked about his rough childhood and life in a deprived area of Liverpool as the cause of many of the bad things he’d done in his life.”I saw my dad get up at six in the morning and come back in at six in the evening, hands like sandpaper, just to put food on the table. I’d seen close relatives go to jail, and I thought: I don’t want that. Football was the only way out for me.”But he did end up in prison.EURO 2020 and domestic violence in Britain go hand in hand, reports showOne of Barton’s most infamous acts was a training ground fight with former teammate Ousmane Dabo in 2008, which saw the hardman midfielder hit with a six-match ban. He was also given a four-month suspended sentence after admitting assault occasioning actual bodily harm after Dabo was left with cuts and bruises as well as a detached retina. Later that year, Barton was sentenced to six months behind bars for common assault and affray during an incident in Liverpool. The incident didn’t leave Barton in the best light – punching a man 20 times and breaking a teenager’s teeth.This Joey Barton tweet didn’t age well pic.twitter.com/YFcME9KL8p— Mike P Williams (@Mike_P_Williams) July 25, 2021 Prison changed Barton – or so he proclaimed.”The hardest moment in jail was probably the first night – when you realise you’ve had your liberty taken away from you. There is no easy moment. My mindset was to learn from it and then not let it happen ever again. I tried to use the time there to the best advantage, and, sitting here today, I think that I did.”He returned to Newcastle United and regained the fans’ trust by playing well and keeping his head down. He’d also become a Twitter star as he often tweeted his philosophical thoughts about football and life itself.The stakes were high going into the last Premier League game of the season in 2012 between Barton’s QPR and title-chasing Manchester City. Joey didn’t help his teams’ cause surviving relegation, though, after he was sent off for elbowing Carlos Tevez in the throat. He also kicked out at Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and Mario Balotelli as he left the pitch.Joey Barton has been charged with assault by beating after a woman suffered a head injury. The former Premier League footballer Barton is due to appear at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Monday. pic.twitter.com/6SD3W4pAtk— BBC North West (@BBCNWT) July 25, 2021 As the years passed, Barton managed to present himself as a changed man.”I regret the number of off-field incidents I’ve been involved in during my career. If you give me the opportunity to travel back in time – I’ll go back, and I’ll quite happily change all that, but I can’t. Could I have decided not to resort to violence? Yes, but it was so difficult with the skill set I had at the time.”But, deep down, he never really changed. Just ask ex-Barnsley boss Daniel Stendel – who lost two teeth when Barton headbutted and punched him during an altercation in the tunnel after their League One match in April 2019.The sad saga of Barton’s sins has just gotten another sombre chapter.
