Joey Barton's statement.

[Shipstabber]

Is it just me or did it seem as though Joey Barton's appeal to his brother, with statements like, "my side of the Barton family" and "although we weren't brought up together",  was far more about distancing himself from the whole affair than actually helping the Walker family achieve justice.

Isn't it in poor tast to be thinking of himself or his career first at a time like this?

[libertie]

Maybe...........have to say though, that if I found myself related to some cretin that could do something like this, I too would be trying my best to distance myself from them!!

[Loosehead]

Yes he was distancing himself and who could blame him!

[georgit79]

I noticed this too- hey, he's put himself out there in the limelight by making the statement and actually letting it be known that this lowlife is related to him. I have a lot more respect for him now than I did before.

[jno]

I guess if he said something like 'I love you and think you should see the police' his brother would know he was lying, and the public might suspect it too. In situations like this honesty is best. Personally I can't see why being related to a footballer should have anything to do with a murder inquiry - just a tabloid 'news angle', probably - but since Barton was dragged into it he's handled it straightforwardly.

[Shipstabber]

I suppose you are right. Especially as he already has the whiff of a thug about him.

[Andy008]

He is hardly thinking of himself - Barton is not the brightest bloke, even for a footballer, and obviously didn't write the speech himself.

He would hardly have enjoyed the experience, and will likely get a very rough reception and Anfield and Goodison Park next time round. 

[manilow]

No, in his statement he said they had not been brought up together, and I would certainly distance myself from a relative, however close, who had allegedly done such a bad deed.  Remember the brother Michael allegedly was involved - the footballer wasn't so no use taking against him.

[Peter Pedant]

He said that they had been brought up separately. So I thought it was natural to say his side of the family if he ws referring to his own foster parents and family and not his brothers foster parents and family who would be different.

I had a lot of sympathy for someone who has worked hard to get a career making an appeal for his brother to come and explain himself.

 

After all the incident in question did concern axing someone to death.

[ianess]

I have to agree with Peter Pedant.   Lots of kids these days come from broken or disfunctional families and cases abound of brothers and sisters being brought up separately.  Was this possibly not just a case of the news media trying to make a connection where none exists?  Joey Barton looked extremely uncomfortable and who could blame him, being somehow involved in a horrific situation he in all probability knew nothing about.

[luckyboy]

Barton jr is innocent until proven otherwise lets not forget that fact...