Rangers midfielder, Joey Barton, is once again in the news for all the wrong reason after news sources reveal the Scottish Football Association and the Gambling Commission are investigating him over a breach of gambling rules.
On Monday, Glasgow Rangers suspended Joey Barton for three weeks after a training ground altercation with his teammate Andy Halliday following their 5-1 thrashing at the hands of arch-rival Celtic.
Surprised?
Today, we learn, that the Scottish Football Association (SFA) and the Gambling Commission, are investigating allegations that Barton gambled on the outcome of the Champions League match between Celtic and Barcelona. The Spanish giants inflicted Celtic’s heaviest ever Champions League defeat after a 7-0 win.
Surprised?
I don’t understand the Joey Barton story? You don’t need to be Hannibal Lector to figure out that Barton has a problem with rules, respect and authority. There are hundreds of thousands of top quality footballers in the world. If you put Barton’s DNA under a microscope, they would be giving you the finger. Everyone knows this. Why do clubs take a chance on him when history shows his influence on a club always ends up to be destructive?
That question is one that the Rangers management team will be pondering this week. Barton moved to the Scottish club in the summer on a two-year deal, but he could easily be cut loose after this double whammy.
According to SFA rules, footballers, coaches, and referees are not allowed to gamble on football matches anywhere in the world. Barton isn’t the first player to fall foul of the rules, and he won’t be the last. Former Rangers players Ian Black and Steve Simonsen both suffered bans after being found guilty of breaching rules in 2013 & 2015 respectively. Black received a 10-match ban for betting on the outcome of his own team. The SFA has also banned Partick Thistle’s Steven Lawless and former Ayr United player Michael Moffat for similar offences.
In the build-up to the new season, bookmakers were offering odds of 5/6 that Barton would pick up more than ten yellow cards, and 7/4 that he would be sent off in an Old Firm clash.
You have better ask for your money back.
Rangers is sponsored by the online betting firm 32Red.
