JOEY Barton will be a footballing free man by the end of next month, if he stays out of trouble, after the FA handed him a six-match ban for his assault on Ousmane Dabo.
The attack, which happened in May last year at City's Carrington training ground, left the France midfielder in such a state that he felt he "looked like the Elephant Man".
Barton pleaded guilty to the FA's charge of violent conduct in August, but the 26-year-old had requested a personal hearing to plead leniency.
Former boss Kevin Keegan, who resigned from his position yesterday, was scheduled to attend the hearing as Barton's character witness but is thought to have submitted a character statement by fax instead.
In July, Barton was given a four-month suspended prison sentence for the assault and entered Tony Adams'Sporting Chance Clinic in an attempt to rid himself of his behavioural problems that have blighted his career.
As part of his punishment for the attack, Barton was also ordered to pay £3,000 compensation and carry out 200 hours of community service.
A four-man FA disciplinary panel decided this afternoon after a hearing at Soho Square that Barton should be banned for 12 matches, six of which will be suspended until the end of the 2009-2010 season.
A statement issued on the FA's website read: "Much has been written about Mr Barton over recent months.
"The regulatory commission had the benefit of taking all appropriate information into consideration. The commission members considered principally the serious attack by Mr Barton that clearly cannot be accepted.
"The members also had to take into consideration the sanctions imposed by the courts and the pro-active support Mr Barton has received from Newcastle United FC and other professional bodies.
"The commission members wanted to punish the offence appropriately but give Mr Barton an opportunity to ensure his professional conduct does not falter again and ensure he is fully aware of the consequences should he make another serious error of judgement."
Barton will miss the next six Newcastle games against Hull, West Ham, Tottenham in the Carling Cup, Blackburn, Everton and Manchester City.
If able, he could return for the Tyne-Tees derby against Sunderland on October 25.
He would no doubt receive a similar reception at the Stadium of Light to the one he received when he made his first appearance for the Magpies this season as a substitute at Arsenal last weekend.
Barton came off the bench at the Emirates Stadium to a chorus of boos in the 89th minute of that match, his first appearance for the club since coming out of Strangeways jail, where he had been imprisoned for a another offence.
He was released 74 days into a six-month sentence after being convicted of assault and affray last December.
During proceedings at Liverpool Crown Court, the court heard that Barton had thrown around 20 punches during the assault on a teenager which happened in Liverpool city centre after the midfielder had consumed around 10 pints of lager.
Keegan had promised to stand by the player in the wake of the attack, but Barton's future at the club may fall in to question with the former England manager's departure from the club.
Barton pleaded guilty to the FA's charge of violent conduct in August, but the 26-year-old had requested a personal hearing to plead leniency.
Former boss Kevin Keegan, who resigned from his position yesterday, was scheduled to attend the hearing as Barton's character witness but is thought to have submitted a character statement by fax instead.
In July, Barton was given a four-month suspended prison sentence for the assault and entered Tony Adams'Sporting Chance Clinic in an attempt to rid himself of his behavioural problems that have blighted his career.
As part of his punishment for the attack, Barton was also ordered to pay £3,000 compensation and carry out 200 hours of community service.
A four-man FA disciplinary panel decided this afternoon after a hearing at Soho Square that Barton should be banned for 12 matches, six of which will be suspended until the end of the 2009-2010 season.
A statement issued on the FA's website read: "Much has been written about Mr Barton over recent months.
"The regulatory commission had the benefit of taking all appropriate information into consideration. The commission members considered principally the serious attack by Mr Barton that clearly cannot be accepted.
"The members also had to take into consideration the sanctions imposed by the courts and the pro-active support Mr Barton has received from Newcastle United FC and other professional bodies.
"The commission members wanted to punish the offence appropriately but give Mr Barton an opportunity to ensure his professional conduct does not falter again and ensure he is fully aware of the consequences should he make another serious error of judgement."
Barton will miss the next six Newcastle games against Hull, West Ham, Tottenham in the Carling Cup, Blackburn, Everton and Manchester City.
If able, he could return for the Tyne-Tees derby against Sunderland on October 25.
He would no doubt receive a similar reception at the Stadium of Light to the one he received when he made his first appearance for the Magpies this season as a substitute at Arsenal last weekend.
Barton came off the bench at the Emirates Stadium to a chorus of boos in the 89th minute of that match, his first appearance for the club since coming out of Strangeways jail, where he had been imprisoned for a another offence.
He was released 74 days into a six-month sentence after being convicted of assault and affray last December.
During proceedings at Liverpool Crown Court, the court heard that Barton had thrown around 20 punches during the assault on a teenager which happened in Liverpool city centre after the midfielder had consumed around 10 pints of lager.
Keegan had promised to stand by the player in the wake of the attack, but Barton's future at the club may fall in to question with the former England manager's departure from the club.
Copyright (c) Press Association
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