Western Morning News (Saturday)
Barton hits out at Argyle’s football director Dewsnip
Rovers boss stokes the flames ahead of today’s match by admitting he bears a grudge
BRISTOL Rovers boss Joey Barton has made an extraordinary outburst about Plymouth Argyle director of football Neil Dewsnip ahead of the League One game between the two clubs at the Memorial Stadium today.
Barton admitted he had a grudge against Dewsnip, who was the head of the Everton academy when he was released as an aspiring 14-year-old footballer.
While Barton went on to have a successful career, playing for clubs such as Manchester City, Newcastle United and Queens Park Rangers, but that has not led to him changing his views on Dewsnip.
It was a subject he brought up without any prompting during his pre-match Press conference at the Rovers training ground yesterday.
Barton said: “I don’t have a moment for him, and he avoids me like the plague. I wrote about him quite frankly in my book and, to be honest, I still carry it around with me. I still carry grudges.
“I could have listened to him and given up on my dream. Luckily for me I knew he was full of (expletive) and didn’t know anything about football.
“He couldn’t ever really play football. Whenever he used to do demos, he wasn’t fantastic because he was a PE teacher and, luckily for me, I didn’t listen to him. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t forgotten what he did and the way he did it.
“And he obviously saddles up with Schuey and worms his way in as technical director there and then they’ve done great, so you can’t knock it.”
Plymouth Live approached Argyle and Dewsnip to ask for a response to
Barton’s outburst but they declined to comment.
Barton was more complimentary about Steven Schumacher, who has led the Pilgrims to the top of League One this season, although he suggested his side had ‘collapsed’ towards the end of last season when they missed out on a play-off place.
“I think Ryan Lowe did a superb job stabilising the club and I think they’ve done a great job in the aftermath,” said Barton. “Steven’s done a really good job in maintaining and building on the solid platform Lowey put in.
“And as a League Two promotion team - and you look up the sides that have gone up recently and done really well - Plymouth and Luton are the teams who have gone up and had a real go, they have to be sides you’re aware of and the way they did it.
“Schuey, he’ll be disappointed that they collapsed and didn’t get in the play-offs when I thought they were tracking for autos.
“They’ve obviously got the anger in them that has given them that fast start and, again, have given themselves a really good opportunity.
“But I can’t wait to play them and the challenge because you want to play the best teams and they sit top of the table.”
Meanwhile, defender Macaulay Gillesphey is still ruled out by a groin injury for the trip to Rovers.
The 26-year-old has missed the last five matches since playing as a late substitute in the 2-1 Sky-televised victory over Ipswich Town on September 25.
Argyle will also be without defender Dan Scarr against 12th-placed Rovers as he serves the second of a three-match suspension.
Midfielder Matt Butcher played as
a makeshift defender in the 4-1 win away to MK Dons because Brendan Galloway was not fully fit due to a calf problem.
Manager Steven Schumacher did not want to take a risk on Galloway, who was an unused substitute instead. However, Galloway went on to play the full game when an Argyle side, showing 10 changes from the defeat of MK Dons, beat Crystal Palace under-21s in the Papa Johns Trophy at Home Park on Tuesday.
The Zimbabwe international came through that without any issues and is therefore available for a return against Rovers.
Meanwhile, Schumacher has given an update on Mickel Miller, who suffered a torn thigh muscle the day before the 2022/23 League One campaign began at the end of July.
Miller had impressed with his pre-season performances at left wing-back after signing for the Pilgrims from Rotherham United this summer.”
Schumacher said: “He was on the grass running (on Thursday) so that’s looking good. I saw Macaulay Gillesphey on the training field as well with the physios, but he won’t be available for the weekend.”
On when Miller could return, Schumacher said: “I can’t put a timeline on it. He has got to go back and see somebody else soon - it’s to see everything is okay.”