Soap-On-A-Rope For 'Hard Man' Barton!

Last updated : 03 December 2007 By Footy Mad - Editor

But Barton, the hard man that he is, says he is not afraid of prison ... should he be dealt those cards.

The Newcastle midfielder is expected to be in court in June on a charge of occasioning actual bodily harm on Dabo.

But Barton insists (despite just about every Man City player willing to give evidence AGAINST him) he has done nothing wrong.

Barton: "If you go to prison for defending yourself then, yes, I suppose I'll have to think about it.

"I don't care. It doesn't scare me at all, because I've done nothing wrong.

"I can go home and sleep at night and know I've done what I thought was right.

"I don't think I'm a bad person.

"If the incidents I've been involved in had been to anyone other than a Premier League footballer, I don't think they'd even be mentioned.

"It was something that I've seen five, six, seven times since I've been a professional footballer.

"But nobody cares whether I'm innocent or guilty - nobody cares. I'm already guilty before I've been sat in front of a judge - that's the disappointing thing.

"It's my reputation. It's my fault I've got that reputation, but you shouldn't be slaughtered for trying to make yourself a better person. One day I will get to speak about the full facts."

So why are so many City players backing Dabo? Not ONE player on the training ground that day is defending Barton.

The midfielder has already made his feelings felt about "the great Newcastle fans", in his words "I haven't seen anything of it yet", and said they were "vicious" in their attack at St James' Park after the final whistle against Liverpool.

Let's see how he rides out THAT attack.