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Welcome To The Gang, Then
I have never previously submitted an email to this website, but reading David Glen's drivel forced me to commit some words to paper.
David is correct to blame Barton for his own shortcomings. He's been a thug and an alcoholic and has done some terrible things. The mistake Newcastle made was investing in Barton in the first place, not standing by him now. For these past misdemeanours, however, he has been punished. Now he has the opportunity to start again.
He's not the first footballer to have done so - what of Lee Bowyer, Eric Cantona, Paul Merson and others? These players were all able to have successful careers after their respective problems, and have gone on to lead decent lives. Why should Joey Barton not be given the same opportunity?
I'm sure that there would have been ample grounds for Newcastle United to terminate Joey Barton's contract.
However, there has been a decision made to allow him to remain on the books and a conscious decision made to enable his rehabilitation. As such, he should receive the full support of the Newcastle fans for any on-pitch achievements (even while we may all hold reservations about his off-pitch behaviour) until such time that he offends again.
I hope that Joey Barton can get to a point where people are able to credit him with what he deserves, without judging him on his past behaviour, as this will have showed how football clubs can exert a positive influence on the life of a troubled young man, rather than throwing him on the rubbish dump at the first opportunity. If the Newcastle United fans can help with this process, then we should do all we can.
Martin (is David Glen Ousmane Dabo in disguise?) Gardner, Sunderland
Barton Has Done His Time
David Glen,
Get over it man. He's paid his due in prison. The whole point of the legal system is that you are given a punishment in proportion to the crime committed, but after that has been served you are free to carry on with your life. Did you have the same feeling about Duncan Ferguson after his assault on the football field? And what about about Lee Hughes? Surely you'd be better placed to comment on that as it should be much closer to home (hoping that Oldham is in Surrey)...
Let him get on with it.
Simon 'Bored of people having a go at him, pick on someone else' Goddard, SFC
...I write in response to David Glen from Manchester.
I agree that Joey Barton is a thug but, he has served time for his offences. Perhaps he should never be allowed to enjoy himself ever again. Can we ban smiling? According to your logic, anyone that has ever fallen foul of the law doesn't deserve to be able to return work, in a profession that they were born to do. Should this rule have applied to Duncan Ferguson, Lee Hughes, Jermaine Pennant or Tony Adams, to name a few ex-con footballers that spring to mind.
Should Tony Adams not be allowed to manage Pompey? If you're a Utd fan then your hypocritical after Kung-Fu Cantona's incident at Selhurst Park. If you're a City fan then I think you've probably held a major grudge against Barton since he decided to leave your club. Whoever you support, save your bitter sickness for chat down at your local. Me, and probably most Newcastle Utd fans, don't really give a sh*t what you think.
Ross, Tottenham in Jersey
...The criticism of Joey Barton and Newcastle from David Glen begs the question; who does he support? Man Utd? Who are captained by a steward-kicking, speeding homophobe with a poor memory? Chelsea, captained by the lovely John Terry, he of the nightclub fights and disabled parking bay? Name the club and chances are there are unsavoury characters.
Most Newcastle fans wanted Barton gone in the summer when he was convicted. But now he has been given a second chance at Newcastle, the fans have no choice but to support him. That's what rehabilitation is all about. And no, keeping him on was not criminal; immoral maybe, but David Glen does his argument no favours by confusing the two.
Matt Rutherford
The Real Reaction Of The Toon Fans To Barton
I have to reply to David Glen's mail that suggests we were all worshipping Barton last night. Yes we celebrated when he scored the penalty but we didn't ask him to take it, were we not meant to celebrate the goal at all? Also, after that one section of the crowd did try to start up a 'one joey barton' chant which quickly got hushed. Everyone around me in the gallowgate was appalled at that idea and no one wanted to chant his name. The majority of people haven't forgiven him and it will take more than a few goals for that to happen.
Jon H
...I can only hope that David Glen was at least taking some writer's liberty in his rage filled missive of this morning as otherwise it takes the tone of the messsage from general vitriol into the land of unfounded hatred of an entire group of people based on ignorance. Either way I guess I am the lemon who is going to have to disagree with him directly.
David, you are an idiot. And apparently a bit of a plum. Do you really honestly want us to believe that the entire geordie support at the match and at home were cheering on Joey Barton because he is living some pseudo -gangster life of jail and violence that we all secretly desire for ourselves and our children? That he was playing in that game because , despite the ready availability of Ronaldinho, Eto'o, Van Persie, Gerrard, Kaka (insert frankly anyone else here) Joe " Ramsey" Kinnear decided to let his B team take the field for laughs? That , despite having gone to prison, despite the fact he will never get over or through the stigma of what he has done, and despite spending his time last Saturday being showered with coins and other delights ......
WE MIGHT BE JUST HAPPY THAT SOMEONE SCORED FOR US?
I have no love of Joey Barton, I think he is a creep and I think that he has a shocking propensity for violence. However I am also adverse to hanging around in a relegation dogfight all year long and so at this stage I could not care less if Given starts banging them in for us- we need goals to win the games and the relief that we had scored first was what was being cheered.
So don't talk nonsense about "adoring fans" and "disgracing" ourselves by letting him play football, we do not exactly have a lot of choice in our team at the moment and I would rather field a team of players who are match fit than forfeit games.
Try being in our shoes the next time you decide to ingnore your conscience and write a load of old cobblers...
Plus "craic" is Irish..
Matthew Rogerson (wonders wether David Glen has been allowed out of his locked and padded room long enough to justify being sent back in?) NUFC
The Big Dilemma
Is it immoral to put Joey Barton in my fantasy football team?
David Snewin, London, AFC
Football Sins In The Workplace
Gearóid's fine moment reminds me of when I was between assignments at work (not near Liverpool by-the-by) and they got me involved in recruitment. One of the duller jobs was sifting through hundreds of CVs to decide who to 1st interview.
I rejected one otherwise impressive candidate at this first stage for no other reason than his interests section on the CV contained just the following words "Liverpool season ticket holder and devout Christian".
Maybe I will rot in hell, but it was worth it.
Rich "Sinned for West Ham" Wood
The Mailbox: It's Crap Now Apparently
Is it just me or does the general intelligence of the mailbox contributors seem to be plummeting of late? In today's mailbox we have a conversation from Gearoid that isn't funny at all and simply makes him sound like one of those people that says "I'm really mad I am" or "I'm always coming out with funny stuff." We had crap XI's featuring some genuinely top class players, someone complaining teams shoudn't use every legal trick in the book to win a game and probably thinks muggers should politely shake your hand as they make off with your wallet, and a bloke who thinks Newcastle is a place in Ireland.
Did F365 change their mailbox compiler No - MC or has the stuff being sent in really dropped that far in quality in recent months?
Sean Kelly - Where have all the sane, witty people gone?
Respect For The Fat Fool
I normally never think too much into your headlines. Actually, I think most of the time they are well thought of in a humorous way. Finding a way to make fun of Pool even when they win. BUT.
Today's headline "Argentina to appoint fat fool as coach". I think that lacked respect to arguably the greatest player to have graced the game. Sure, he's not as politicaly correct, and squeeky clean as FIFA's favourite Pele, but he's still a great, great footballer and for a website that makes fun of almost everyone, but always respects the great, it's pretty low.
End of complaint.
Dev, he could just make a great caoch, Lewis
The Maths Of The Best Result For ManYoo On Sunday
About all of this "Liverpool winning was good for Man U" business, people need to take emotion aside and apply some simple logic to this.
Any two teams that are likely to be roughly around your own clubs league position come the end of the season should always be cheered on to draw when playing. Given the option of both teams sharing 3 points or 2, the later is always preferable surely.
People still think of these games as one offs, but they happen multiple times a season. So Liverpool got 3 points on Sunday, but is it so unlikely the Chelsea will take 3 points at Anfield? From an Arsenal or Man U fans perspective, the teams would both get 3 points from the games, when surely 2 draws and 2 points would have been the preferred long term outcome. Every time one team wins, points are given that wouldn't have been otherwise.
The same applies to any combination of Chelsea, Man U and Arsenal games from my perspective (Liverpool). In fact, a bore draw is probably the best as goals scored are still a factor given equal goal difference.
Matt (i signed on for the first time today, finally i can call myself a proper scouser) G, London
...I felt the need to draw a line under the whole debate about how Liverpool beating Chelsea was best for Man Utd. Comments in your recent mailboxes and especially from Jamie Owen have incensed me. Let me put it straight for those of you who are mathematically confused, it is not statistically more likely for one team to finish with more points than another at the end of the season if said team draws when the other one wins. Liverpool are currently the most statistically likely to win the league as you can only base the assumption on number of games left and points currently accrued (plus they already beat you lot quite convincingly, I thought). I know education is patchy at best in the peoples state of Mancunia but currently IT IS STATISTICALLY more likely that Hull will win the league than Man Utd, that's statistics and I should know as it's my job.
Nic (the gooner who is currently using the club brain) Shurmer
Not So Crap Actually...
An interesting crap XI, Russell from Worcester, however I must challenge you on including Angelo Di Livio, who I thought was a cracking midfielder for Juve and Fiorentina (indeed when Fiorentina were relegated to the equivalent of the Italian fourth division he stayed at the club - what a gent) and also Hasan Salihamidzic, of which there's quite an interesting article here (link :
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2007/jan/31/europeanfootball.sport).
As for you liking Mihajlovic, I think we all know his views on Patrick Vieira and his skin colour, so I wouldn't call myself a big fan, Di Livio and Salihamidzic are far better examples of humanity in my opinion. And weren't/aren't crap.
J Ainsworth
...I'm aware that the whole 'crap 11 who won loads' thing is just a bit of a laugh and shouldn't be taken too seriously, which I hope it hasn't. However reading peoples suggestions I came across Alan Smith. All's well I though, he is pretty rubbish, but then saw the brackets indicating that it was the Arsenal one.
Smudger was Arsenal's top scorer when they won the league in 89 and 91 (and I think the leagues top scorer overall in both seasons), scored goals with both feet and his head and could drop deep to link up play (see his touch in the build up to Michael Thomas' league winning goal at Anfield). I would agree that he wasn't the worlds greatest player, but I would suggest that he was a solid player who had a key role in Arsenal's success under George Graham and was far from carried in the team.
Agree with most of the rest though, including the impostor Alan Smith.
Graham Callam
Liverpool's Scoring Prowess, Part Two
Dear Sir,
Perhaps Jay McNaught should be aware of the phrase "lies, damn lies and statistics." In his haste to trumpet Liverpool's "goalscoring prowess" last season he includes all competitive matches. In fact he is simply proving himself wrong by rebutting someone's Premiership data (hint: COMMON OPPONENTS).
Let's see.... just in the first two stages of Liverpool's Champions League last year they scored 24 goals in 8 matches. None of the other three clubs he says "score less often than Liverpool" played ANY of these same 8 fixtures, whereas over the course of the Premiership all teams play (almost) exactly the same schedule! Surely the Premiership numbers are unbiased and much more relevant to the actual question of "which team scores most". After all, if Chelsea (for example) were drawn against the local pub team and knocked 30 past them* and none of the other "big four" got to play them, surely the statistics for the season would be somewhat skewed...
* Not as silly as it seems! 8 of Liverpool's goals last year can be traced back to a single match. Against Besiktas. Who neither Chelsea, Man U, or Arsenal played. I rest my case.
Yours in support of properly-used statistics,
Will Terry
Rob Styles: Wonder Ref!
I have to strongly disagree with Matt Tremlin from this mornings mailbox. I was at the Bristol City V Shef U game last night and I thought Rob Styles did a fantastic job of reffing the game, he got every decision spot on and if any refereeing officials are reading this he should be instantly promoted straight back to the good old premiership again and never be forced to grace the lowly championship with his presence ever again.
There we go, problem solved!
Ricky Cartwright
Forget About Diarra Returning To N5
Diarra to Arsenal is never going to happen, no matter how much JD, myself and every other Gooner would want to see it happen. If Diarra had any level of patience he'd could have waited 12 months and been first choice at Chelsea, taking Makele's position or waited 6 months he'd be first choice at Arsenal taking Flamini's place. His lack of patience was pointed out by Wenger and Diarra snapped back accordingly so that would certainly go against any likilhood of Arsenal signing him as would his transfer fee.
Diarra would rightly cost anywhere between 10 and 15million and those are fee's Wenger loathes to spend especially on a player he sold for 5.5million 12 months previously. For the same reasons I cant see him buying Palicious for 18million from Wigan having offered him to Bruce or taking Yaya Toure for 12million having rejected him when on trial despite these being players we clearly need.
Like many Arsenal fans, I wish we'd kept Flamini, Gilberto and Diarra (or at least one of them, ffs) and can see the obvious gap in our midfield that needs plugging but im not sure Diaby is the man. If you saw the game in Turkey (I can't spell Fenerbache, or can I?) Wenger chose to play Diaby behind Adebayor. I can see the similarities with Vieria but they are based more on his appearance and nationality, if Diaby was Nigeria and had some dreadlocks he'd be the new Kanu given the quick feet he showed in Turkey.
At this point it seems more likely that Wenger will convert my downstairs toilet to a spare room than convert Diaby to the tough tackling, ball winning player we need!
Bri 'The Belfast Gooner' McCart
An Interesting Relegation Fight Ahead
With Daniel Levy admitting to a mistake last week and swooping for 'Arry, Tottenham will now be a pretty safe bet atleast to escape relegation this season.
I doubt that 'Arry will do much better than Jol in terms of league position (even if he is given 5 years), but he certainly has the cunning and the experience to drag them out of relegation. Similarily, JFK seems to have won over most people and Newcastle have actually turned in 4 half-decent performances under him - the last of them being their first victory in over two months. Irrespective of whether Joe is a long-term prospect or otherwise, I would expect the Toon to also escape relegation this season.
Now that leaves us with a very interesting situation. If Spurs and Toon arent relegated, then who will be? Stoke are a safe bet to drown. Bolton too would be the next logical choice. But what about the third team? Could be any one of Wigan, Fulham, West Brom, Middlesbrough, Blackburn. My instinct tells me that it will be the Cottagers that will go down.
Having spent "stupid money" on AJ and Zamora they have no quality up top and are severely missing McBride. If Bullard leaves in the Jan transfer window, I know which team I'l be putting my money on for the fall.
RV, LFC
And Finally...
When someone used to take an attacking long throw-in, a member of the opposite team would sometimes stand right in front of them on the other side of the touchline, trying to impede them or at least put them off. I always wondered what the referee would do if the player taking the throw just hurled it straight into the other player's face, thus winning another throw-in for his team and giving the guy a bloody nose in the process.
Joel 'I was feeling sorry for Tottenham before greedy Harry took over' Bradley
