Barton exit seems inevitable as suspension rolls on
THE prospect of Joey Barton pulling on a Rangers jersey again looks more remote than ever as the saga over his suspension rolls on for at least another week.
The club were last night waiting for their banned midfielder to inform them when he wishes to resume the disciplinary process against him, after Barton asked for a meeting, slated for last Wednesday, to be postponed.
The initial ban, doled out to the 34-year-old following an alleged training-ground altercation with Andy Halliday and argument with manager Mark Warburton in the aftermath of the 5-1 thrashing by Celtic last month, must stay in place until that formal hearing takes place.
The 1-0 Ladbrokes Championship victory in Inverness on Friday evening means Rangers have won three and drawn one of their five games since Barton was jettisoned from the training ground.
With a Betfred Cup semifinal against Celtic on Sunday to prepare for, there is no desire within the club to be distracted by the Barton issue this week. He will not report back for training at Murray Park tomorrow.
A parting of the ways in mid-season — after only eight appearances — appears the most likely and satisfactory outcome for the club.
How an exit strategy is negotiated between the two camps now appears the chief source of conjecture, with finding Barton a club in the English Championship to move to during the January window a prime possibility for his advisors.
A Rangers statement released late on Friday night reported: ‘The disciplinary hearing scheduled for October 13, at which Joey Barton was to appear, was postponed at the player’s request.
‘A new date will now be agreed between both parties which means Joey Barton’s suspension will continue until a reconvened meeting has taken place.’
Barton has also requested more time to present a case in the SFA’s action against him for a breach of their betting rules.
The player was served with a notice of complaint for allegedly gambling on 44 matches between July 1 and September 15. He will appear before the SFA judicial panel on the rescheduled date of November 17.