Former Premier League bad boy Joey Barton has been accused of assaulting a fellow manager, Barnsley’s Daniel Stendel but the Fleetwood Town manager says he is not guilty.
The former QPR midfield was said to have shoved the former Barnsley manager hard enough to leave him with a broken tooth.
Barton appeared at Sheffield Crown court on Wednesday and maintained that although there was bodily contact, none of that amounted to an assault.
The incident took place in April and another trial has been scheduled for June next year and it remains to be seen how much trouble Barton will get as a result.
The former Manchester City player who courted controversy wherever he was has apparently continued the tradition of not being able to keep his emotions in check during matches.
The 37-year-old shoved Stendel in the tunnel during the League One match but someone was able to get an unconditional bail by the judge.
The case has however not stopped Barton from carrying out his duty as a manager for Fleetwood Town. A position many continue how he got the job in the first given how it is nearly impossible to see him as someone that can actually lead a group of people for more than a minute without tearing his face.
Barton’s troops defeated Barnet to advance to the next round where they would be facing Crawley Town. The EFL is also a tournament Fleetwood is still very much in.
For Barton, every game is a must win for his troops since they have nothing to lose than giving it their best. Even if according the former England international, “terrible pitches” pose a bigger threat to his team than oppositions.
So far he has been gracious enough to make his complaints known, without needlessly picking a quarrel with the English FA