Joey Barton responds to Premier League last-day red card by quoting Smiths lyrics

Midfielder was sent off during QPR's crucial match with Manchester City yesterday (May 13)

Queens Park Rangers midfielder Joey Barton has responded to being roundly criticised for his red card in his team’s defeat yesterday (May 13) in the only way he knows how – tweeting lyrics from The Smiths.

Barton was dismissed following an off the ball incident with Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez and, after he was shown the red card, responded by kicking out at Blues match-winner Sergio Aguero before being dragged away from the pitch.

The midfielder, as is his custom, immediately took to his Twitter page, Twitter/Joey7Barton, to try and attach some higher meaning to his actions. Responding to criticism aired on BBC One’s Match Of The Day by pundits Alan Shearer and Alan Hansen, he tweeted the following from The Smiths‘ ‘Still Ill’:

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He later tweeted a choice couplet from ‘Cemetry Gates’, writing:

Barton then proceeded to trade Twitter insults with Match Of The Day host Gary Lineker after the programme’s pundits questioned his conduct during the incident.

Of course, it’s not the first time Barton has referenced The Smiths on his Twitter page – his bio has previously quoted another line from ‘Still Ill’ – “I decree today that life is simply taking and not giving. England is mine and it owes me a living“.

His public fandom led to a meeting with the indie legends’ frontman Morrissey at Glastonbury last summer. He’s since said he’ll do everything he can to reunite the band – something he may have more time to devote to given he’s facing a nine-game ban over yesterday’s incident…

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