FA charge Barton over 'moon' incident

Joey Barton is expected to escape with a fine after being charged with improper conduct by the Football Association for dropping his shorts in front of Everton supporters.

The Manchester City midfielder has been charged with improper conduct and/or bringing his sport into disrepute following the incident when the 24-year-old bared his backside after being targeted by home fans at Goodison Park on Saturday.

Barton has until 6pm on Friday to respond, and an FA disciplinary commission will hear the case on Tuesday.

Although the most famous `mooning' incident in English football led to a two-match ban for Arsenal's Sammy Nelson following his actions in the 1979 FA Cup semi-final against Coventry, it is understood Barton is more likely to be fined.

The charge is of a similar scale to the one brought against Manchester United's Gary Neville in January when he ran 40 yards to taunt Liverpool fans following Rio Ferdinand's last-minute winner. He was later fined £5,000.

Merseyside Police have already confirmed they will not be taking any action against Barton.

City boss Stuart Pearce believes the matter should just have been laughed off, and that Barton had been the target of some unpleasant abuse.

He said earlier this week: 'Maybe some of the things that were said to that player are a more serious matter, but we are not going to rake that up.

'I saw one of my players give his shirt to a disabled fan. As he's walking off the pitch, he's being sledged about things I'd prefer not to go into.

'He kept a smile on his face throughout the whole incident and he's done something that, at worst, is a little bit childish.

'At best, it's a bit of comedy that everyone should laugh off - but I still have to deal with it several days later.'

Soccernet

Barton has a reputation for causing trouble, not just with fans, but on several occasions fighting with his own teammates (not on the field though) :x

BARTON GETS MORE TIME OVER FA CHARGE

The Football Association have given Joey Barton more time to respond to the charge he faces for dropping his shorts in front of Everton supporters.

The Manchester City midfielder now has until midday on Monday to answer the charges of improper conduct and/or bringing the game into disrepute.

Barton is expected to be fined after baring his backside in front at the end of Saturday´s Barclays Premiership match at Goodison Park.

Source:- givemefootball.com

Barton cheek slapped with fine

Last Modified: 10 Oct 2006
Source: ITN

Manchester City's Joey Barton has been fined £2,000 for exposing his backside to Everton fans but has escaped a ban from the FA.

The 24-year-old midfielder has also been warned as to his future conduct after he twice dropped his shorts as a reaction to being taunted by Everton fans during the 1-1 draw at Goodison Park on September 30.

Barton had admitted a charge of improper conduct and/or bringing the game into disrepute and was fined by a Football Association disciplinary commission.

In his mitigation, Barton told the disciplinary commission that he had been targeted by fans about his half-brother Michael Barton, who is serving a 17-year prison sentence for the racist murder of Anthony Walker in Liverpool.

City have been supportive of Barton on this occasion and indeed criticised the FA's decision to bring a charge against the player.

In the past however, the club have taken internal action against Barton for misdemeanours.

He was sent home from a pre-season tournament in Thailand in July last year for fighting with a 15-year-old Everton fan in a hotel bar.

Barton was fined six weeks' wages, with a further fine of two weeks' wages suspended for a year, after he jabbed a lit cigar into the eye of City team-mate Jamie Tandy at the club's Christmas party in 2004.

The midfielder will now be available for City's match against Sheffield United on Saturday.

ITN News