Barton to appeal ban for betting
JOEY BARTON last night received the support of the Professional Footballers’ Association after being hit with an 18-month ban from all footballing activity for a breach of the FA’s betting rules which he admitted could all but end his career.
The 34-year-old former Rangers midfielder, who resigned for Burnley in January after a controversial spell at Ibrox which lasted just eight matches, was also fined £30,000 after admitting a rule breach in relation to 1260 bets placed on football, at an average stake of £150, including a number which were against his own team.
Barton announced his intention to appeal against a sanction which he feels is excessively harsh with a lengthy statement which included full disclosure of what he called his “30 most pertinent bets in the eyes of the FA”.
“I have never placed a bet against my own team when in a position to influence the game, and I am pleased that in all of the interviews with the FA, my integrity on that point has never been in question,” Barton’s statement said.
“A ban of 18 months is longer than several bans handed to players who played in matches where they bet for their team to lose and – unlike me – were found to have had an ability to influence the games ... I feel the ban is excessive in this context.”
The SFA and PFA Scotland were reluctant to comment on what they regard as an English matter – Barton was given a one-match ban for breaking SFA rules on gambling by placing 44 bets between 1 July and 15 September 2016 while he was a player at Ibrox.
However, the PFA south of the border said: “Sanctions for breaches must always be proportionate ... we hope that when the matter is finally determined, sufficient weight is given to the sanctions handed down in other cases of a similar nature.”