Ibrox View: Joey Barton isn’t fooling anyone at Rangers
Joey Barton has praised Rangers for igniting the Old Firm rivalry in the wake of their 55th league title triumph.
The Bristol Rovers boss spent six months at Ibrox, in which he made eight appearances in all competitions. In underwhelming fashion, his two-year contract was terminated in January 2017.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Barton said the special rivalry was back and it’s a good thing for British football overall. He said: “I’m really, really pleased.
“To see them get 55 and what it means to them, their passion for the club is incredible.
“The Old Firm is alive again, which I think is good for Scottish football, it’s good for British football and long may it continue.”
He’s not fooling anyone, though. Barton was a nightmare for the club in his 133-day stint, and it will not be forgotten.
The Englishman made an abrupt entry to Ibrox in June 2016. Barton claimed initially he was going to be the ‘best footballer in Scotland’, singling out Scott Brown and saying the Celtic skipper wasn’t in his league.
In his first Premiership match, Barton was nutmegged by Ali Crawford in a 1-1 draw with Hamilton. In the following game with Kilmarnock, he was left in the wake of then-19-year-old Greg Kiltie in the build-up to Rangers conceding. He struggled early on to cope with the intensity of Scottish football, which is why he barely played.
Barton featured in just one Old Firm clash. He was given the run around by Brown, who had taken Barton’s comments personally. A 5-1 thrashing from Celtic left him looking a fool, something he didn’t take lightly.
His response? To take it out on his teammates. Barton had the infamous training ground bust-up with Andy Halliday the following week and was banished from the club shortly after. He was then advised to take a week off and ‘lay low’ by the club. He instead went on national radio to criticise the club’s treatment of him.
In the years that followed it didn’t get much better. Speaking on the Football CFB podcast in April 2020, Barton tore the club to shreds, in particular former boss Mark Warburton. He said that training following the Celtic loss was a ‘waste of my time’.
Just a reminder for supporters who see his words today praising the club. Barton was never one of us and never will be, despite what he says to the press four years on from his time at Ibrox.
In other Rangers news, Ryan Jack has had to withdraw from the Scotland squad through injury.