The soccer world woke up to the news Wednesday morning that Burnley midfielder Joey Barton had been suspended for 18 months for a decade’s worth of gambling on sports. Among the thousands of bets made by Barton, a total of 1,260 were made on soccer matches, according to the English Football Association. Some of those soccer bets allegedly involved his own team.
Pete Rose may still be the textbook example of the consequences of gambling on your own sport, but Barton’s suspension is right up there. Barton apparently admitted to placing 1,260 bets on soccer matches between March 2006 and May 2016, according to a statement from the FA.
Joey Barton has been suspended from football and all football activity for 18 months with immediate effect after he admitted an FA misconduct charge in relation to betting.
It was alleged that between 26 March 2006 and 13 May 2016, he placed 1,260 bets on the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of, or occurrence in, football matches or competitions in breach of FA Rule E8.
Following the Independent Regulatory Commission hearing, the Burnley midfielder was also fined £30,000 and warned as to his future conduct. Written Reasons will follow in due course.
Barton requested a personal hearing in his appeal of the length of the suspension. He is hoping that providing some context to his gambling history will result in some mercy. In a lengthy statement on his website, Barton admitted to betting on his own team to lose but said he did not play in any of those matches.
Raised at the hearing was that between 2004 and 2011 I placed a handful of bets on my own team to lose matches. I accept of course that this is against the rules, for the obvious reason that a player with an additional financial stake in the game might seek to change the course of it for his own personal gain. However I’d like to offer some context.
First, in every game I have played, I have given everything. I’m confident that anyone who has ever seen me play, or played with or against me, will confirm that to be the case. I am more aware than anyone that I have character issues that I struggle with, and my addictive personality is one of them, but I am a devoted and dedicated professional who has always given my all on the pitch.
Second, on the few occasions where I placed a bet on my own team to lose, I was not involved in the match day squad for any of those games. I did not play. I was not even on the bench. I had no more ability to influence the outcome than had I been betting on darts, snooker, or a cricket match in the West Indies. I should add that on some of those occasions, my placing of the bet on my own team to lose was an expression of my anger and frustration at not being picked or being unable to play. I understand people will think that is childish and selfish and I cannot disagree with that.
Barton betting against his team is bad no matter the context provided, but his explanation does remove the idea of him throwing a match due to his gambling predicament. Barton’s gambling habits are not uncommon though, as anyone who knows anything about gambling may attest. Emotions can influence your gambling decisions for better or worse sometimes. In Barton’s case, he apparently took his anger out in his gambling. It may not be the most healthy way to deal with stress, but it worked for Barton.
Barton takes exception to the length of the suspension because, as he noted, there be a difference in punishment between those who play in matches they bet on and those who don’t.
We’ll have to wait and see if the appeals process has any mercy for Barton. If not, the 34-year-old may have played his final game.
