English Premiership
Barton receives good news
2012-07-19 22:19
London - QPR midfielder Joey Barton discovered on Thursday that he will not face further action after being arrested for affray last month.
Barton was involved in a fight with two men outside a Liverpool nightclub in the early hours of June 4.
The 29-year-old was reportedly on a night out with his girlfriend when the incident took place.
After being arrested, the Liverpool-born midfielder tweeted: "I got sucker punched in the back of the head. Not injured as reported just a small bruise on rear of head/ear."
A picture of the incident, apparently showing a shirtless Barton being held back by police and a woman, was also circulated on Twitter.
However, a police spokesperson said: "Merseyside Police can confirm that four men arrested in connection with an altercation in Eberle Street, Liverpool city centre on June 4 will face no further police action.
"The four - two 21-year-olds from Liverpool, a 29-year-old from Widnes, Cheshire, and a 20-year-old from Liverpool - had been arrested on suspicion of affray, and subsequently released on police bail.
"All four have now been notified by the police that, following advice from the Crown Prosecution Service, they will not face any further action."
In 2008, Barton was given a six-month jail term after admitting assault and affray during an incident which also took place in Liverpool.
In May, he was given a 12-match ban by the Football Association and fined £75 000 for violent conduct during QPR's defeat at Manchester City on the final day of the Premier League season.
As a result, he was stripped of the club captaincy and faces an uncertain future at QPR, amid reports that coach Mark Hughes is willing to loan him out to a Championship team.