Former England international Eni Aluko has spoken of her relief and honour at being inducted into football's Hall of Fame, just days after Joey Barton was convicted of sending her grossly offensive messages on social media.
A Landmark Legal Case
The former Manchester City and Queens Park Rangers midfielder was found guilty of six counts of sending grossly offensive communications, including messages directed at Aluko, fellow football commentator Lucy Ward, and broadcaster Jeremy Vine. The verdict came after a trial that examined posts Barton made on X, formerly known as Twitter, in January 2024.
Jurors convicted Barton on two counts relating to Aluko and Ward, while clearing him on three other charges involving the women. He was also found guilty on four counts concerning messages sent to Jeremy Vine, while being acquitted on three further counts related to the broadcaster.
The Impact on Career and Safety
Speaking after her induction at the National Football Museum in Manchester, Aluko revealed the profound personal and professional consequences she faced following Barton's online attacks. The 38-year-old former Chelsea and Juventus star believes her punditry work significantly decreased in the aftermath of the social media abuse.
"I would have liked to have seen a lot more courage on the broadcasters' part to say 'this is not something we're going to accept'," Aluko told The i Paper. "When you look at the 12-month period, or 18-month period during this litigation, I have done the least TV I've ever done."
More alarmingly, Aluko detailed how she feared for her physical safety at the height of the abuse. She expressed concern that Barton's large following could embolden others to act on his words, revealing she had received threats including one message from a 20-year-old man who wrote "I should be shot".
A New Chapter Begins
Despite the challenging period, Aluko struck a positive note during her Hall of Fame induction ceremony. "I feel great, I feel a sense of relief that difficult chapter is all over," she told PA Media at Wednesday's event.
She emphasised the importance of standing up to online bullying: "I have always been very clear about making sure there are consequences for that type of conduct online, because it is bullying. It was never going to be something I tolerated."
The former Lioness, who earned 104 caps during her distinguished playing career, now joins footballing legends including Sir Alex Ferguson, George Best, and Alan Shearer in the Hall of Fame. She becomes one of several recent women's football honourees alongside Jill Scott, Karen Carney, Alex Scott, and Steph Houghton.
Looking forward, Aluko expressed her determination to move past the ordeal: "There is always good news round the corner and to come out of that last week, a difficult week that ended well, and to be here now being recognised, I am very happy and very pleased."
Barton is scheduled to be sentenced on December 8th, with trial judge Andrew Menary warning that all sentencing options remain open following the preparation of a pre-sentence report.
