As the news sinks in that Joey Barton will be banned for the first 12 matches of next season, Jesse Whittock wonders if it was just him that noticed Carlos Tevez started the whole thing in the first place.

Before I start, let me make this very clear: this is not a defence of Joey Barton. I repeat, not a defence. His completely mentile actions at the Etihad cast a dark shadow over what was otherwise one of the brightest days in recent Rangers' history. And head-butting Vincent Kompany? Have you seen the size of him? Mental.

So, again, not a defence. Barton is a grade-A fruit-loop but this is about FA hypocrisy.

To the letter of the law, the FA could well have made a mistake giving our beloved captain a 12-game ban. It should have been 15. As he'd already got a red against Norwich (unjustified though it was), the initial red for striking Carlos Tevez equates to an automatic four-game ban. Fair enough. The second and third incidents were counted as separate offences of violent conduct, and Barton's lucky they weren't judged on an ascending scale i.e. 3+2 for the Aguero kick and 3+3 for the Kompany one.

The additional £75,000 fine was seemingly cooked up in that bizarre alternate universe that the FA disciplinary committee seems to inhabit, where they sit around drinking whisky and gleefully spinning the Wheel of Bullshit to see what they can conjure up next.

Barton was actually lucky if taken on that basis but the forensic analysis tells a different story. The fact that Tevez struck Barton and started the fracas – much like Bradley Johnson did at Loftus Road in December – has been completely ignored by the authorities and the press. This is despite the FA having power to act retrospectively, as the ref had missed that part of the incident from his match report.

Tevez is gurning chump at the best of times and, for a man who looks like he eats granite for breakfast, he went down quicker than Tulisa in that dodgy phone video. Barton's reputation preceded him and was clearly taken into account, which is illegal in both national and Football Association law.

Then there's this from the FA: "There are rules of conduct that should be adhered to, and such behavior tarnishes the image of football in this country, particularly as this match was the pinnacle of the domestic season and watched by millions around the globe." Quite why the magnitude of a football match has a on the length of a ban I don't know, but if we apply that logic Eric Cantona's eight-month ban for the Crystal Palace kung-fu kick in 1995 should have just been a quick hairdryer dressing down from Alex Ferguson and a one-match ban.

Perhaps this is why Bradford and Crawley players were allowed to beat seven shades of shit out of each other two months ago with little recourse. Bradford's top-ranked slugger and former R’s loanee Andrew Davies was suspended for just five matches, despite walloping pretty much everything in a football kit within five yards of him during that debacle. The principle seems to be that if you're going for assault on the pitch, make sure you're playing in a match the FA deems irrelevant and unworthy of interest.

Or you should be Wayne Rooney, whom the FA defended staunchly when he kicked a Montenegrin defender in the leg for no reason other than he was apparently bored by that entirely crap Euro qualifying game last year. Not only that but they actively campaigned for and won a one-match reprieve from UEFA, allowing the Shrektacular forward to play in the final European Championship group game against Ukraine. Classy.

So, perhaps the principle is actually lower league games or incidents that could negatively affect England's performance and by extension the FA's bragging rights the next time it heads to Geneva for a jolly with FIFA. If so, let's hope Joleon Lescott sends Franck Ribery seven feet in the air on 11 June. The FA says you can, Joleon, so shunt away with our blessing…

Meanwhile, the media witch-hunt is on. Patrick Barclay (who very clearly and bizarrely showed his prejudice against QPR by wishing us relegation in the Evening Standard because Fabrice Muamba had a heart attack), Mark Saggers from Talksport, the redtops, and numerous other news outlets are demanding we give Barton the heave-ho. Talksport even bizarrely suggested he take the footballers' equivalent to a gap year before coming back refreshed and to open arms in 2013/14. They should leave our management and board to work this out alone.

So much of the dialogue is all reactionary and ludicrous, mainly for two reasons.

Firstly, sacking someone as volatile as Joey Barton would mean a long, drawn-out legal battle with his expensive lawyers, and the last place QPR need to be after the last few years is back in court. The Ali Faurlin case was enough drama to last a lifetime, and I don't imagine a verdict in our favour would give the same feeling of vindication as we felt before the Leeds game last season.

Secondly, this is about context. Five years ago in 2006/7, we had players like Steve Lomas and Nick Ward shepherding (sabotaging) our midfield. Five years before that we were eighth in the Division 2 and had nearly merged with Wimbledon just 12 months before.

I don't know about you, but I don't want to see the likes of Nick Ward in the blue-and-white shirt or experience merger rumours ever again. Barton, for all his poor performances and gobshite tweeting, is a better caliber of player than we've been accustomed too for a long time, and while Talksport might even be right that he deserves to be sent somewhere far, far away where he can do no damage, I'm more interested in QPR keeping Premiership quality players and remaining a top-tier team. Call me cynical, but his driving performances in the final home games of the season after his Liverpool disaster cannot be downplayed. Unless we sign a better replacement, he should stay and play a role – though certainly not as captain, and not necessarily first team.

If nothing else, we've been through worse than Joey Barton's thuggery, and QPR's biggest nuisance isn't at home, anyway. It's that circus act down at Wembley and the shit-stirring hacks we need to rally against.

Jesse Whittock is a journalist based in West London. He also makes up the other half of the QPR' contingent on the news desk where Clive plies his trade. Follow him on Twitter @twhittock

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MelakaRanger added 01:39 - May 25 OK Tevez started it but thats life I am afraid. If we cannot get rid of Barton at no cost to the club then he should be made to sit out the seaosn in the reserves. Bartons ego thrives on publicity. The past few weeks will have boosted his ego no end. Starve him of publicity, the oxygen of his ego, let him play Nov- May in the reserves and see if he can prove he can change. He must not under any circumstances come out of this disgraceful episode 'laughing all the way to the bank' Actually maybe it would be best if LoftForWords deleted all future forum threads discussing Barton. Hes a distraction to most everything else at the club. Maybe the moderators would consider this?

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timcocking added 01:49 - May 25 Sounds like another defence of that complete tosser Joey Barton to me. Somebody please shoot Joey so i don't have to hear about him again. I'ts what id expect from Tevez and the comedy act that is the FA. In years gone by, somebody in the dressing room (probably Shaun Derry or Clint Hill) would have punched Joey after the game for letting everybody down again and that would be the situation effectively dealt with.

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mylot50years added 02:06 - May 25 Spot on Melaka And the club should keep a very close watch on him to ensure he does not try to disrupt in any way his new team mates First sign of any problems do him on breach of contract and call the taxi Wont take long
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isawqpratwcity added 04:23 - May 25 Thanks for a thoughtful and reasoned column, Jesse. As you can see, the Barton lynch mob disregarded you from your very first sentence. I will offer some defence of Barton. Guilty of elbow and kick, but not guilty of head-butt. Tevez's provocation and Lescott's push on Barton's head should have been considered by the FA (look at the melee frame by frame watching Lescott's hand: it's bloody obvious) and that they weren't is only an indictment of the Kangaroo Court that is the FA. Is Barton an asset to the club? Yes; both his form and captaincy have been erratic, but when he is good he is very good. Can he change? Maybe; his playing improved remarkably after being subbed, booed and benched. He heard that criticism. Can he avoid the provocations that lead to him being sent off? Well, he's got to. I'm sure that QPR can't sack him, if by 'sack' you mean terminate without paying out his contract. So it's the ten million pound question (or thereabouts, depending on what you think he's being paid), what will QPR do: pay out or attempt rehabilitation? If I were MH/TF, I would try at this point to extract some written agreement out of Barton to the effect that further transgressions may result in termination at greatly-reduced or even no compensation. The only thing the club has going for this pretty ordinary deal is that it offers Barton another lifeline in the Premier; if dismissed now, I reckon Barton would be hard-pressed to find a home in even League One. He's too old to be able to work his way back from there, and the only place he could get a job as a media pundit with his history is on one of those cage-fighting shows. Maybe he could do a Vinnie Jones? Nah, doesn't really have 'the look'. He is a bloke for whom reform is his only option. For everybody's sake, I hope he gets the chance, and takes it.

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SydneyRs added 05:18 - May 25 Tevez plays for Manchester City, a "sky 4" team, that's why he has been left alone. Lets reverse the situation for a minute. Barton punches Tevez who retaliates and gets sent off, losing hig rag in a simlar manner to Barton. Do you think the fact that Barton had punched him first would have been overlooked in the press and on TV? I think we all kow that we would have had multiple TV slow motion relapys of the punch by now. Barton would probably have waiting outside the Tevez hearing (2 match ban and $5,000 fine, reduced to suspended sentence on appeal) and due in next.

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Ranger78 added 06:49 - May 25 Really good piece and well balanced. Again, In no way do I want to defend JB, I dont really like the man and if he never played for QPR again then so be it. I just like things to be fair! I find the witch hunt against him shocking, in my opinion, there is no way that he should be turned into the anti christ! He definitely has a screw loose and a nasty streak that will probably never leave him but he is also a very good football player, this fact seems to get overlooked ?? I think its because of his pathetic Twitter comments. It appears that his tweets seem to be the whole reason why he his hated so much. I hate his tweets also but why does that mean that the FA punish him in a way that makes no sense..... The same FA who beg UEFA to reduce Rooneys ban for a violent assault and allow Terry to continue representing his country in the light of a pending racsim trial??? I could go on with plenty of other examples. Remember UEFA allowing Terry to lift their trophy after being sent off for a violent assault in the semi??? It also seems unfair not to mention the fact that he was provoked and his Red against Norwich was another dusgrace and part of the same witch hunt?? Whatever happens to Barton, he must surely stop his pathetic, cringe worthy tweeting but after looking at all of these issues and the fact that football also welcomes back players who have served Prison Sentances for sexual assault and killing people while drink driving, can it really be fair that he suffers this reaction?? Like I said at the start, I dont like the man and could take or leave him playing for QPR again.... I just like things to be fair and just.

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timcocking added 07:26 - May 25 He's a tasteless, selfish, mouthy, disrespectful, ungrateful, arrogant pratt, at best. Barton and/or Tevez
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timcocking added 07:29 - May 25 And i actually don't mind if he plays for us again and i think the ban was a bit harsh. He's still a tw@t who would not have cared one iota if he'd got us relegated.
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JB007007 added 07:36 - May 25 Good to read all these discussions and debate it all. I'm split on the length of the ban. Agree with SydneyR, as I said on a post earlier post this week, reverse the situation and or if something had gone on after with another Man City player off the ball, then probably no action would have been taken. Unfortunately JB's reputation proceeds him. Like Isawqpr says, Lescott does appear to push Barton's head somewhat. It was clear though that Barton had lost the plot at that stage, whatever he says and as I've said before Barton should have just collapsed when the little greedy ugly cheat punched him. Finally, I personally think JB is a bad influence in the dressing room and having watched him over 30 times this season, can only count on one hand where I really think he has excelled. I have to say, I thought he would be a good signing, but someone said before, he was a panic buy and my brother was right to a degree when he pointed out that some of our August signings were players that no one wanted.

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ShotKneesHoop added 07:37 - May 25 If he plays for us again, he will be a target for Tevez, Johnson and hundreds of others to wind up and get sent off. Because of his reputation that he glories in, he will get sent off again, and again, and again, because he will get no protection from the refs. Right or wrong, fair or unfair, we just can't afford to have him on the pitch again - he is a fairground attraction / distraction. Either show him the door or sit him on the bench or get him to sell AKUTRS, but don't let him play again.

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QPRski added 08:43 - May 25 Fully agree with the comments on FA hypocrisy and the fact that everyone disgregarded Tevez's involvement in the incident. However that said, Barton as a "football street wise" professional should never fall for the oldest trick in the book, especially so in such a season defining match. In theory, he should be the one provoking free kicks and cards from the oppositon. Now the dilemna is what to do with him? In the event that he may not be sacked (only hansomely paid off!) I would use him as an "ambasador". It sounds strange but he is well known (infamous?), articulate, philosophical and if used correctly he could make very postive impact both locally and in Asia as an example of "a bad boy trying to be good". However, the key is for him to genuinely show humbleness, reflection and a desire to correct himself. After the ban, he should be given "one chance" but should be stripped of his captaincy and played only when in form. Who knows, there could be a new Joey Barton trying to redeem himself on the football pitch. This could be a compromise solution that actually works. It just begs the question "does a leopard ever change its spots?

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SomersetHoops added 08:43 - May 25 The issue for me was that both times Barton was sent off it was well after a minor incident that sparked it off and his actions were always likely to get him sent off in important games for QPR. There was no consideration for the team the effect on the result or anything else except Joey Barton. He never was a player of the QPR ethos and he has no loyalty to his club or team just himself. Why he was ever brought to our club I don't know, his performances are not that good and there are plenty of players better than him on less than 70k a week. As far as I am concerned making that thug captain is an insult to the rest of the team and its fans. I don't want people to think he represents what QPR stands for - and they currently do. I want my team to be recognised for its football in this coming season not the antics and crazed utterings of Joey Barton. The time he is banned should be usefully used in doing everything possible to get rid of the cretinous thug by the cheapest and quickest way possible.

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N12Hoop added 08:55 - May 25 Good article and my opinions on Joey keep changing. Ultimately though there is a key issue which overides our wishes. Let's say he's on £60k a week, or £3m a year. If we have to pay him up in order to get rid of him, (because I don't for a moment think we'll get away with a gross misconduct dismisssal), it's going to cost TF/AB £9m or so. It would be unreasonable of us to expect them to take that hit unless we all want to contribute. I suspect that the QPR investigation is simply about getting legal advise about whether we would win an unfair dismissal case and if the answer is anything than a 100% yes they will keep him. If we end up keeping him ,then we should see if we can find a buyer once his ban is up. I can't see anyone in this country buying him, maybe someone abroad will take a punt, but If we can't find a buyer (which I suspect will be the case) then once he is free from suspension we need to send him on loan somewhere where he can demonstrate good behaviour for the period of the loan before getting another chance for the R's. Given that following this incident he may be on a final warning, any more transgressions may then give us an exit route. It's all well and good to call for his head, but commercial issues will have to overide the heart. Finally, why has no one from the FA been interviewed and asked the question why there was no retrospective charge for Tevez? As pointed out had it been the other way around you can be damn sure Barton would have been up on a charge, yet I have not seen anyone call for this to happen. That is patently unfair.

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benbu added 09:09 - May 25 I agree with the comments regarding the FA, especially the part about Rooney kicking the Montenegro player and the FA appealing!! So its alright when it affects England, but when it's a lower Premiership club the player must be sacked. Joey Barton hasnt had the greatest of season's but I agree that he is a very good player, the likes of which we havent had for years at QPR. Ive also commented on here before, I dont like the behaviour he showed at Man City, but if the club can give him another chance to put things right, he has to stay and play for Rangers. People keep calling him a 'thug' his reputation has obviously made a lot worse by the press whenever he does anything. Some footballers and other sportsmen do react badly to things and its very much in the spotlight. I want him to stay at the club (maybe not as captain) but I think with him, Faurlin and Diakite, that would be a very very good midfield. I cant also see QPR wasting £10m to get rid of a player, when he will serve more purpose on the pitch. Hughes will need to put him straight but the suggestions of putting him in the reserves .. really? What business sense does that make £70k a week. He needs to apologise to the club and fans and Man City and we all move on. Somerset Hoops you wrote 'He never was a player of the QPR ethos and he has no loyalty to his club or team just himself'... why have you said this? Where has he been unloyal to him team? Cisse was sent off twice, the first for a hand in the throat... I totally disagree! What is the QPR ethos?

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DanVanDyke added 09:44 - May 25 'In years gone by, somebody in the dressing room (probably Shaun Derry or Clint Hill) would have punched Joey after the game for letting everybody down again and that would be the situation effectively dealt with'. Except that he's such a horrible, divisive influence in the dressing room that they want on the hoy with him a couple of days after the Citeh match. Nice balanced piece Jesse, look forward to more. Mr barton is certainly getting us all 'Newsnight' this week while we wait for signings!

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robith added 09:49 - May 25 I think the thing is that Tevez has been discarded because speaking from my own own perspective main bone of contention isn't with the sending off but with what happened after. Should Tevez have been sent off - yes. But should Barton have reacted? No. He deserved that red. But then having been sent off losing the plot and dragging our club's name through the mud is one of the biggest games in our recent history, made all the more galling by how heroically the other players performed. I was in a neutral pub but everyone ended up cheering on Rangers because of how magnificently the lads played. And on a personal level, I've spent such large parts of the season defending him. He got dog's abuse from all around me, often the second the game had kicked off, and it annoyed me how he seemed to get the flack for the team's wider failings. He got dropped and he came back the player we thought we'd signed in August. And then he went and did this. On a personal level, I'm done with him. I don't want to see him play for us again.

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NW5Hoop added 10:00 - May 25 Barton's used to punching people off the ball himself - remember Morten Gamst Pedersen a couple of years back? Pedersen didn't turn that into a one-man world war, though.
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HastingsRanger added 10:03 - May 25 The hypocrisy of the FA knows no bounds, with Tevez's actions presumably not "watched by millions around the globe". These things should be picked up by the FA, between their drinks. As for Barton, the 12 match ban gives us a chance to build an effective midfield without him (we possibly already have this, with Faurlin's return). I agree with the commercial observations and Barton should initially be kept as a squad player, with a review of his contract. Crazy that conduct never seems to be part of a football player's contract. Long term, offload him. He is a liability on the pitch (winding up players, including his own team) and I don't believe he's a positive influence in the squad off the pitch either. As for the Cisse references, his first sending off was red mist, his second was a disgrace. No excuses. The difference is that he seems genuinely remorseful and without any doubt contributed to the team's survival. What is it about Barton, I'm sucked into posting yet another comment (as we all seem to be!)?

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dixiedean added 11:34 - May 25 despite being a self-confessed Barton loather, I think this is one of the more objective articles on the subject. The FA lost any credibility when they appealled Rooney's ban,which is the most blatant double standard you can imagine. Scandalous conduct by the FA, esp given their stance on Derry. However, at the risk of being labelled sanctimonious or a Daily Mail reader,that doesn't make Barton's actions any more justified, nor is he being victimised. Yes, Tevez may have prompted retrospective action, but if a player can't rise above a simple bit of provocation then he's got no chance. And before anyone says Barton's been victimised because of who he is, well that's obvious isn't it ? He has a charge sheet as long as your arm,so it's fairly obvious he'll be treated differently to someone with an unblemished record, and rightly so. If you turn up in court and plead not guilty, then show no remorse for what you've done (eg Barton), you're going to get a longer sentence than if you accept it and apologize( eg Cisse). That's how life is I'm afraid, so it's no good howling about how unjust it is just because Tezez whacked him first, or bumped into him or whatever he did or didn't do.When your record includes violence ( in JB's case multiple cases of it),you're not going to get the benefit of the doubt.And he doesn't have a REPUTATION for violence,he has a criminal record for it,which is a vey different issue.Actually I agree with Melaka- Barton is loving all this and the publicity is his oxygen,and we're all falling for it . The Barton Circus is taking us all over ! The only reason the club will keep him is if it's too expensive to get rid of him,otherwise ( with great irony in this context)we'd do a Man C with Tevez and let him rot, but we're not as rich as them sadly,so we may have to tolerate him around the place for a while longer.

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timcocking added 12:20 - May 25 "Except that he's such a horrible, divisive influence in the dressing room that they want on the hoy with him a couple of days after the Citeh match" Just because you slap somebody, it clearly doesn't have to mean you don't personally like him, Joey's probably a good laugh in person. It would perhaps teach him a little respect for others though, and let him know he crossed the line again. 12 match ban my arse. That's punishing QPR. He deserves a kicking.

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Charlie1 added 13:08 - May 25 Excellent objective article, thanks for writing it. Bang on the money SydneyR's. He's been judged on being JB not what happened. That's wrong. My issue and concern with JB is, can he or will he learn? Twice seen red for retialiation. Putting aside for one moment the ban, should Rangers entertain a player who simply does not learn? That's the biggest issue for me!
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NorthfieldsR added 17:12 - May 25 TO ALL THOSE WHO WANT AN END TO DISCUSSING THE DISTRACTION THAT IS BARTON...I SUPPORT YOU! ONWARD AND OUT THE CLUB ME HOPES....
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newgolddream added 21:02 - May 26 'Referee Mike Dean has revealed he would have sent off Carlos Tevez if he had been afforded a full view of the clash between the Manchester City striker and QPR midfielder Joey Barton on the final day of the Premier League season.' Bit late now Mike. U could cost have cost us our place in next season's EPL, you tosser!!!!!!
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derbyhoop added 21:37 - May 26 There's no doubt the FA can be accused of double standards for all the reasons stated in the article. But, frankly, I no longer care. It's what we do that counts. And I believe there are 3 options. 1. A slap on the wrist. Fine of 2 weeks wages, see out your ban and come back in November. 2. All of option 1 plus a formal warning. Effectively, a last chance. 3. Dismissal for gross misconduct. I think the club are looking at option 3. There was an opinion from a barrister quoted on here, which suggested that could be done. We wouldn't need to pay off any of his contract, but would be well advised to make a provision for an extended legal battle. If it isnt feasible, one of the first 2 options comes into play.

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