Rangers Suspend Barton For Three Weeks Over Verbal Attack

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, Sports News Monday, September 19th, 2016

BALTIMORE, MD (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Rangers have suspended Joey Barton for three weeks, over a heated argument with a team-mate, Andy Halliday.

The suspension was announced six days after he was sent home from training.

Barton, 34, who admitted guilt, uttered some offensive expressions to fellow midfielder Halliday.

Rangers in a statement said the club and Manager Mark Warburton felt all parties now needed “time and space”. It added neither the club nor Barton would make “any further statement”.

The verbal altercation between suspended Barton and Halliday came as Rangers players reviewed their 5-1 loss to Scottish Premiership rivals Celtic.

The player was initially told to stay away from the club until Monday. After, he released a statement on Thursday in which he acknowledged he overstepped the mark.

“Some of the things I said were inappropriate and for that I apologize unreservedly,” Barton specified. Still, he noted that the order to stay away from training was unnecessary.

Also in a tweet, Barton declared: “Apologizing doesn’t always mean that you’re wrong and the other person is right. It means you value your relationship more than your ego.”

He also said in a radio interview that his suspension was “strange” and “strong”, contending that he not had done anything that warrants apology.

Barton joined Rangers in the summer on a two-year contract as a free agent, after he turned down an extension contract at Burnley.