Joey Barton, former football player and sacked Bristol Rovers manager, has come under fire for his “vindictive remarks” targeted at Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward. Aluko was a pundit and Ward was the co-commentator for ITV’s coverage of the FA Cup third-round tie between Crystal Palace and Everton. Barton compared the pair to serial killers Fred and Rose West on Twitter, which has been strongly criticized by ITV who called his comments “contemptible and shameful”.
ITV further stated in a post that Barton’s allegations were based on gender, and for someone with a large media following to target two pundits with such vindictive remarks was simply unjustifiable. On Twitter, Barton responded with an expletive-laden post, calling the broadcaster “woke” and threatening to call them serial killers from that point on.
Former football player Eni Aluko has won over 100 England caps before retiring in 2020, while Lucy Ward played for Leeds United and Doncaster Belles. Responding to ITV’s statement, former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville praised the network for taking action against Barton. Neville sited his personal experience with how difficult it is for women to succeed in sports, adding to the criticism against Barton.
Since last month, Joey Barton has been on a social media rant, attacking women working in men’s football. His comments have been widely condemned by the footballing world
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