FA's own goal
Published Date:
06 September 2008
IT is not the fine or prison term imposed on convicted criminals that forces them to face up to what they have done – it is the impact of these punishments on their life.
It is why the 12-match ban – six of which are suspended – and £25,000 fine handed out by the Football Association to Joey Barton is lenient in the extreme, and sets the wrong example to young players who often replicate the actions of their heroes each weekend on their local sports pitch.
The fine is no more than half a week's wages to an odious individual like Barton. And the frequency with which matches are played means that he will be available for first team duties within a matter of weeks.
Barton has a long history of disreputable behaviour on and off the pitch. The fact that a man with this track record has been welcomed back into the game, after his recent prison sentence, underlines modern football's moral bankruptcy.
The full article contains 189 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
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Last Updated:
06 September 2008 9:07 AM
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Source:
n/a
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Location:
Yorkshire
