Barton denies assault on rival manager

Former England international Joey Barton has denied being “hostile and aggressive” towards rival manager Daniel Stendel minutes before the coach was injured in the tunnel following a match.

Barton, 39, was giving evidence during his trial at Sheffield Crown Court, where he denies assaulting ex-Barnsley boss Mr Stendel following his Fleetwood Town team’s 4-2 defeat to the South Yorkshire club in April 2019.

A jury has been shown footage of the handshake between the two managers at the end of the League One match at Barnsley’s Oakwell stadium.

Barton agreed he is captured using a strong swear word toward Mr Stendel.

Asked by Ian Goldsack, prosecuting, whether this was “hostile and aggressive”, the defendant said: “No.”

He told the jury that before the mobile phone footage begins, he had gone over to Mr Stendel to shake hands and congratulate him.

Barton said he told him they needed to control their playing staff or they both might face fines from the league of up to £10,000.

He told the jury the Barnsley manager told him he knew that, which is when he responded with the expletive caught on video.

Barton told the jury “industrial language” was an “unfortunate” reality in football.

Mr Goldsack said to the defendant: “You took the opportunity in that tunnel to barge your way through and knocked over Mr Stendel quite deliberately.” Barton replied: “No.” The prosecutor went on: “You knew full well at the time that that’s what you’d done.”

Barton again said: “No.”

The trial continues.