SLOEY BARTON’S all over the front and back pages of the tabloids today. There’s a betting scandal, a controversial interview in The Guardian in which he claims Celtic tried to sign him in the summer and a statement from Celtic Chief Executive dismissing the claim, explaining what did happen (Barton’s agent tried to get Celtic to take him, Celtic said no thanks), and to add to the fun and games, there’s a nice wee dig by Peter Lawwell referring to The Rangers as a “New Club”.
Here’s how they are reacting over in Govania to all of this…
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‘That Guardian interview is an absolute car crash. Delusional doesn’t even begin to cover it.”
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“He will slaughter us in the updated book. Nothing surer.
He will give it both barrels on how small time we are as a club, how shit the leagues is, how parochial the support are, how his team mates were all losers, how the manager was an amateur and how Rangers never deserved or understood the legend that is Joey Barton.
He’s also just gave us the perfect out to sack him with the betting nonsense. Thanks, you absolute dumb plank.”
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“I had hoped and remained confident the original spat would blow over. Everything thats happened since then has only pushed him further out the door.
These latest quotes finishes him IMO. Hopefully there’s truth to the betting allegations and we can sack him without payoff.
Sooner he’s gone the better.”
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“Really thought he was going to be an excellent signing for us but in hindsight we should have passed on him and used the cash to sign a good centre half.
Really feel that him and Niko were never part of the plan but when we got word that they were available they were deemed “too good to refuse” so we signed them. It has ended up f*cking up the entire harmony of our dressing room (Barton I mean, not Niko). Last year we had a team full of young, hungry players with a point to prove and Barton has came in acting Billy big bollocks and put more than a few noses out of joint. I hope that we can get shot of him and it improves morale in the camp.”
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“If Warburton and the board are genuinely wanting to reflect on things for 3 weeks I’d say that reading this article will accelerate their thinking….
The only option now is the exit door for Barton. The sooner the better.”
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“A Squeaky voiced irrelevance, a foppish haired plodder bereft of both intelligence and honour.”
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“What a horrific signing this has been. He has destroyed team moral and never performed well in 1 game.”
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“Can I just remind posters about mindless abuse.
Joey Barton, for all he has done is still a Rangers player, and as such we ourselves have a standard to uphold. Thank you.”
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“Hopefully that’s that for Barton. I don’t blame Warburton for signing him but it’s just not worked.”
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“Joey will be on Afternoon edition tomorrow on radio 5 live talking about his new book : between 1 and 4pm.”
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“He’s been here for what a few months and look at the baggage ,we simply can’t afford to carry this, get rid now.”
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(On the betting scandal)…”Any chance the club grassed him up to help get him fired?”
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Now Celtic are speaking out. Peter Lawwell:
“I remember it well, we had just announced Brendan as our new manager and I was with our company secretary in London at the time. An agent called me saying that Joey was going to sign for Rangers but he would really prefer to come to Celtic and were we interested in signing him, but it wasn’t something we wanted to pursue.
“These things happen to players sometimes in football, but needless to say we wish Joey well at his new club.”
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“What a waste. He could have been a legend here, revered by our support and he would have known just exactly what being a Ranger was all about.
It strikes me that for all that Joey Barton portrays himself as some sort of working class philosopher with great intelligence, he comes across as incredibly naive at times.”
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“If nothing else has finished him with our support then Lawwell’s comments have.”
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“I wonder if the club blew too much smoke up his ass when he signed – there was a lot of bunting and pom poms being shaken before he had kicked a ball.”
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“Very unusual even for Lieswell to be speaking openly about this. He would normally leak their version of events to their favourite journos.
You’re starting to think we’ve been trolled on this by Barton and others.”
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“This has been a disastrous signing. I can’t see how he can turn out for us again and be accepted from the stands.
If there is a parting of the ways I can’t see motor mouth keeping hush about private club matters.”
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(On Lawwell’s comments)…”Joey Barton and Rangers – The End!!”
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“It is the end now, clearly. Anyone thinking he will play for us again is deluded.”
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“I don’t think I’ve ever seen the arse collapse on a signing quite as spectacularly and frantically as this.
The guys going to leave without an iota of respect or credibility from anyone at Rangers.”
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“He will be a bizarre footnote in history…reviled by most, despite playing only a handful of games for us. Without being any good. Like a deluded Scouse Jan Bertram.”
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“I, for one will be glad to see the back of him.
Stated on here that he should never have been signed, would cause no end of grief. That is without even thinking if he was good, bad or indifferent at playing the game.”
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“Unfortunately Warburton does need to take the blame here. McParland and Dyche may have given him glowing recommendations, but as team manager the final decision was his.
I’m sure he’ll be the first to accept that, but it’s a poor bit of judgment when all is said and done.”
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“Hang on, since when is Peter Lawwell’s word now gospel?”
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“The whole thing is just bizarre. Especially after keeping his nose clean for a few years.
But heigh ho, some people just aren’t cut out for playing for a big club and are more suited to relegation dog fights.”
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“This isn’t a circus, its a f***ing freak show!”
