Vulgar Barton turns on ITV in latest rant

FORMER footballer Joey Barton has launched his latest social media attack, accusing ITV of ‘covering up’ the Phillip Schofield scandal.

Barton’s vile, homophobic tirade came after ITV Football issued a statement on social media, said his comments were ‘contemptible and shameful’ and defended their female pundits Eniola Aluko and Lucy Ward.

They had come under attack from Barton, who mystifyingly labelled the pair as the ‘Fred and Rose West of football commentary’ while they worked for the broadcaster on Crystal Palace’s FA Cup game with Everton on Thursday.

In response to ITV, Barton posted on X, formerly Twitter: ‘Is this the same ITV @itvfootball that tried to cover up Phillip Schofield… Asking for a friend.’ Barton’s accusation refers to the revelation in May, first reported by the Daily Mail, that Schofield had lied about being in an ‘unwise but not illegal’ relationship with a younger man while working as a presenter on This Morning.

Barton, whose social media has been filled with sexist barbs over the past few weeks, then made a sinister threat towards Gary Neville, the former England defender and ITV pundit who came out in support of his employer’s statement over Barton’s attack on Aluko and Ward.

‘If you so much as utter my name in vain again, the floodgates will open on you. ’ Barton wrote on X.

Campaign group Women in Football praised ITV for coming out in support of Aluko and Ward.

‘We call on all employers in the football industry to show the same support for their female employees and take all possible measures to ensure their well-being in the current epidemic of misogynistic abuse,’ they said. ‘As the leading agency driving gender equality in football we stand with all those who suffer such abuse.’

Barton was sacked by Bristol Rovers last year, having previously managed Fleetwood, following a 15-year playing career in which he earned one cap for England in a friendly against Spain in 2007, coming on as a sub in the 79th minute.