Bad boy Barton fined £120k

JOEY BARTON has been fined more than £120,000 by Manchester City after the club found him guilty of gross misconduct for his part in the incident in the team hotel on the recent Asia Trophy trip to Thailand.

Barton reacted badly to provocation from a group of Everton supporters and also lashed out at team-mate Richard Dunne after the defender tried to act as peacemaker.

The 22-year-old midfielder, who was sent home from the Far East last Friday, was yesterday fined eight weeks’ wages by the Premiership club.

Barton’s punishment includes two weeks’ wages carried over from a suspended fine following a previous disciplinary hearing in December last year.

Then, the player was threatened with the sack and fined £60,000 after poking former team-mate Jamie Tandy in the eye with a lit cigar during the club’s Christmas party.

The Liverpool-born midfielder has agreed to undertake a programme of rehabilitation in a bid to prevent such incidents arising again.