GOBBY soccer boss Joey Barton sparked fury by using the term “holocaust” to describe a bad football performance.
Fans were appalled he used the word describing the Nazi regime’s slaughter of Jews during WW2 after his Bristol Rovers side lost to Newport County.
He described his League Two outfit as a “fragile group” that is low on confidence after they went down 3-1 at home on Saturday.
In a post-match interview with Sky, Barton, 39, used the word “holocaust”, “a nightmare” followed by “absolute disaster” to describe the inconsistency of his team.
The former Newcastle midfielder told reporters: “The team is almost like musical chairs. Someone gets in and does well, but then gets suspended. Someone gets in and does well, then gets injured.
“Someone gets in, does well for the game, then has a ‘holocaust’, a nightmare. You know, an absolute disaster.”
Sussex Friends of Israel – a community group dedicated to promoting a better understanding of Israel – said: “The use of the term ‘Holocaust’ has been so badly abused in recent years that idiots think it can be used in the context of a bad performance by a football team.
“If you need to remind people like Barton that 6,000,000 perished in the Shoah I despair for the future.”
Supporter Rick said: “Joey Barton descends to new depths.”
And James said: “What this shows is how lacking in awareness he is – for the intentional or unintentional use of such an abhorrent comparison.”
Another football fan said: “Have you heard Joey Barton’s post match interview today? He has described a defender having a holocaust. It’s crazy that this man is still in football.”
Yet another person said: ”Only Joey Barton could call a football performance a holocaust.”
Even fans of Rovers, nicknamed the Pirates, hit out, with one commenting: “You really have to be spectacularly thick to use the word holocaust in relation to the performance of a player in a football match. How this guy has a career in management is beyond me.”
Another said: “All the ways to say ‘bad’ yet you decide to say that. Will players be having a ‘9/11’ next?”
One supporter, frustrated at Rovers struggling in 18th spot in League Two, added: “The amount of chances this ****head gets.”
CAREER LITTERED WITH SCANDAL
The former combative Newcastle and Man City star has had a career littered with scandal on and off the pitch.
He faces a delayed trial accused of assaulting former Barnsley boss Daniel Stendel. Barton was boss of League One Fleetwood at the time of the alleged 2019 incident.
He has been convicted of two violent crimes, spending time behind bars, and been charged with violent conduct by The FA on three occasions.
In 2004 while at Manchester City, he sparked a mass brawl during a pre-season friendly.
During a Christmas party that year Barton, dressed as Jimmy Saville, lost his rag when he caught youth player Jamie Tandy attempting to set his shirt on fire.
In retaliation, furious Barton stubbed a lit cigar out in Tandy’s eye, leaving his teammate with a burnt eyelid.
City charged Barton with gross misconduct and was fined £60,000.
Barton apologised for his actions and Tandy later sued his attacker, winning £65,000 in damages.
Just six months later Barton was aggrieved by comments made by a 15-year-old Everton fan at a Bangkok hotel, resulting in a fracas. In 2006 he pulled his shorts down and exposed his bum to Everton fans. The FA warned Barton about his future conduct and he was fined £2,000 for bringing the game into disrepute.
Barton had a violent training ground fight in 2007 with former teammate Ousmane Dabo, who suffered head injuries, including a detached retina, after the bust-up and was left needing hospital treatment.
After initially pleading not guilty to assault, Barton changed his plea to guilty and received a four-month suspended jail sentence plus 200 hours of community service.
He was also punished by the FA with a 12-match ban – six of which were suspended – and handed a £25,000 fine.
LIVERPOOL ARREST
After moving to Newcastle United, Barton was arrested in Liverpool city centre in 2007.
CCTV footage captured the footballer punching a man 20 times, causing him to lose consciousness. Barton pleaded guilty to common assault and affray and was sentenced to six months behind bars. He served 74 days of his prison terms before being released in July 2008.
He was in trouble once again in 2010 when he punched Blackburn winger Morten Gamst Pedersen during a 2-1 defeat for Newcastle. Barton was charged by the FA over the incident and admitted to violent conduct, earning himself a three-match ban.
Battle lines were drawn when Barton declared war on the cast of TOWIE in 2011. When he got some stick back on Twitter from the likes of Mark Wright and James Argent, Barton claimed Arg had teeth “like a burnt down fence”.
Arg confessed Barton’s joke about his teeth was part of the vicious trolling he received which led to a dark downward spiral.
In one of the most dramatic matches in football history, Barton was sent off for elbowing Carlos Tevez in the throat on the final day of the season in 2012. He was suspended for 12 games and fined £75,000 after being charged with two acts of violent conduct against Aguero and Kompany.
In the wake of the dismissal, Barton launched an expletive-ridden Twitter attack on Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker.
The Sun has approached Bristol Rovers for comment.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
