BARTON I’LL APPEAL 18-MONTH BETTING BAN
JOEY BARTON has vowed to appeal his 18-month FA ban after revealing he gambled more than £2million on sporting events. The controversial Burnley midfielder, 34, who admitted to a gambling addiction, claimed the “excessive” ban would end his playing career. As well as being banned, Barton was fined £30,000
and warned about his future conduct after placing 1,260 bets on matches between 2006 and 2016. But Barton confessed to placing more than 15,000 bets over various sports between 2004 and 2016. Barton said: “I have fought addiction to gambling. 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. The decision effectively forces me into an early retirement.” Barton admitted to placing bets on his own teams to lose games, but claimed he was not involved in those matches.