Joey Barton has been accused of going ‘too far’ with his latest attack on women in football, which saw him take aim at BBC journalist Emma Jones. Barton has caused a stir with his controversial views on the topic over the last few months, leading to widespread condemnation from the likes of ITV, Gary Neville and Eni Aluko.
Barton’s latest jibe on social media went down like a lead balloon, with a number of his followers accusing him of overstepping the mark. He shared a video of BBC reporter Jones interviewing Burnley midfielder Sander Berge about his favourite English foods alongside the caption: “A short film that encapsulates why women must not be allowed to infect our game further.”
The post drew plenty of criticism from Barton’s followers on X, formerly Twitter, with some even claiming that it had turned them against him despite supporting his views in the past. @thevillachats said: “Taking it too far having a go at Emma Jones. She’s a great presenter and journalist who has grafted her way to where she is.
“You’re going to lambast her for talking to a player about whether they’ve tried the local food on a magazine style show? Grow up.”
@JackWat12848913 added: “Was with you until this. She’s not ‘punditing’, she’s doing a light hearted piece to get a bit of background from a pro’s life. The kind of questions a male couldn’t ask without looking like a fool. You’ve dropped the ball on this and probably lost massive support.”
@fkhanage did not hold back in their reply to Barton, saying: “You are taking the f*****g p**s with digs at Emma here. She’s absolutely elite and a tremendous presenter.”
Others questioned if Barton would have criticised a male reporter in a similar way for asking the same things, with @IsaacTombs5 writing: “If a bloke asked that question on Soccer Saturday you wouldn’t bat an eyelid, Joseph.”
Barton recently made headlines by threatening to cancel his Sky Sports subscription if female pundits were not removed from the channel. It came after Aluko accused him of ‘deliberately’ targeting her on social media, which led her to flee the country after being left ‘genuinely scared’ for her safety.
The former Bristol Rovers manager compared Aluko to serial killers Fred and Rose West, leading to condemnation from ITV as they branded his comments ‘contemptible and shameful’. He was also singled out for criticism by Sky Sports pundit and ex-Manchester United defender Gary Neville, who said: “It’s gone too far this and mentioning serial killers is quite simply incredible.”
