Joey Barton, the former Queens Park Rangers midfielder, has sparked outrage with a series of misogynistic rants aimed at female pundits in men's football. The 41-year-old has used his social media platforms, where he has 2.7 million followers, to criticise specific broadcasters, prompting widespread condemnation.
Barton, who had a brief spell as manager of Bristol Rovers with a win ratio of 37.1%, has a history of controversial behaviour. He was dismissed in QPR's final game of the 2011-12 season against Manchester City. His recent comments have been described as an attempt to promote his podcast.
Writing in The Guardian, Jonathan Liew argues that Barton's remarks are symptomatic of a deeper malaise within football's culture of 'bruised and broken masculinity.' He suggests that many former footballers, having lost their status, become vulnerable to conspiracy theories and far-right ideologies.
Liew cites examples such as Matt Le Tissier sharing antisemitic 9/11 conspiracies, Iker Casillas questioning the moon landings, and Rickie Lambert attending marches against the '15-minute city.' Barton himself has championed Alex Jones, the disgraced alt-right fantasist.
The article highlights the emotional labour that women in football have had to perform in defending their positions and colleagues. It calls on men to address the problem, emphasising that this is a male issue that has been ignored for too long.
