If true, Ive mixed emotions. Great to get him off our books, but he'd strengthen a team that would be immediate relegation candidates. And we'd be subsidizing him. Bollocks the more I think about it, it's a bad idea. WEST HAM are ready to offer disgraced Joey Barton an *escape route out of Queens Park Rangers. The Loftus Road skipper was slapped with a 12-match ban and a £75,000 fine by the FA last week *following his red-card show at *Manchester City on the final day of the season. After being sent off for elbowing Carlos Tevez, Barton kneed Sergio Aguero in the back before trying to headbutt Vincent Kompany. As a result, QPR, who are holding an internal investigation into the shocking scenes, have decided they must get shot of their wayward *midfielder. They are even prepared to pay up a significant slice of the three years left on his £80,000-a-week contract in order to shove him out of the door. And the good news for Mark *Hughesâ men is that newly-promoted West Ham are keen to take Barton, 29, to Upton Park as they prepare for life back in the top flight. Hammers boss Sam Allardyce has always admired one-time England *international Barton. When he was in charge at Newcastle, Big Sam signed him from Manchester City for £5.8million. Most believe Barton is not worth the aggravation or money but *Allardyce remains convinced he can handle one of footballâs most *controversial characters and get the best out of him. Yet history *suggests the east Londoners, who would hand *Barton a two-year contract worth £40,000-a-week, will be taking a massive gamble â even if he is a free transfer. For no matter where he has played down the years, Bartonâs *career has been littered with *unsavoury *moments. At Man City, the Merseysider was involved in a string of off-the-field clashes with his team-mates, which included stubbing out a cigar in a youth team playerâs eye. But it was during his time at *Newcastle that *Barton hit rock- *bottom. He was *sentenced to six months in jail in May 2008 after pleading guilty to an assault in Liverpool city *centre the previous Christmas. That crime list, however, does not appear to worry Allardyce, who is desperate to boost his squad *following last weekendâs play-off final win over Blackpool. Another player on the Hammers wanted list is West Brom *contract rebel Jonas Olsson, who is refusing to sign a new deal at The Hawthorns. Allardyce has been monitoring the Sweden defender for a number of weeks and plans a £3m raid once the summer window officially opens. Everton and Aston Villa, who had a £5m bid rejected in January, are interested too but Olsson, 29, is *believed to favour a move to the capital. With just 12 months left on his contract, the ex-NEC Nijmegen star knows the Baggies will have to sell him now rather than see him leave for nothing at the end of next season. Hughes has *already begun his *overhaul of QPR by axing eight *players. Peter Ramage, Danny *Gabbidon, Danny ****tu, Fitz Hall, Lee Cook, Gary Borrowdale, Rowan Vine and Patrick Agyemang have not been offered new terms. Hughes will *rebuild his side after they avoided relegation on the final day of the season after Bolton lost.
If west ham really wants buy barton after all this it would be one problem less for sparky. If it happens im sure that barton would come and haunt us when we play against them. Well, i dont buy that story yet.
Regardless if it is west ham or not I think Barton is defo out the door. In the season ticket magazine there is not a single photo of him. Not even in the general training pictures. A picture paints a thousand words they say !!
The express says we can sack him with no payoff as hes been employed for less than 1 year, he has no right of compensation. I hope theyre right and WHU are welcome to have him.
Bolton drew 2-2 with stoke on the last day We stayed up because they failed to win, even though we lost The OP post insertion implies Bolton lost on last day
Yeh, and the OP comes from the Star, and seems pure speculation. Great news if West ham do want him though.
Could the several people that were offering to drive Mackie to Cardiff last year volunteer to drive Barton all the way to West Ham!!
Well they seem pretty clued up on the law and its going to be changed to 2 years. How do you know they are wrong then?
Since when has the employment law applied to you and I ever been applied to football contracts? Yes, we'd like to see him sacked but I doubt what has been quoted would apply to a fixed-term contract with stipulations such as PL contracts. If I were sacked I wouldn't receive a massive pay-off and neither would you...
Players have been sacked before, notably that Plymouth goalie who went to prison, the chelsea youth player we had on trial. If its the law, it applies to football contracts as well.
Lady luck owes us a couple of big favours from last season. If West Ham takes Barton off our hands, i will forgive her instantly.
You was right the first time to put Bolton lost? they didn't lose they drew. Beth needs putting over your knee
