Mel Huckridge, author of Grounds for Divorce, puts fingers to keys for LoftforWords for the first time and delivers his assessment of QPR’s first season at the mercy of one Joey Barton.

“Gobby Scouse git.”

No, not Derek Hatton, but Joey Barton, according to the bloke behind me at Loftus Road a couple of months ago. That's what most thought before we signed him, and many still do now.

His past exploits - several assaults, including stubbing a cigar out in a players eye - cannot really be defended. But often they have been punctuated with glimpses of honesty. Certainly his comment after the 2006 World Cup, about the England players bringing out autobiographies after performing badly is accurate and reflected the opinion of the majority of supporters.

He should have won the Terry Scott award for over acting in the first match of this season when, whilst still playing for Newcastle, he hit the deck theatrically resulting in Arsenal’s Gervinho being dismissed.

These past exploits, in my eyes, are not worth in depth analysis simply because he was not paid to wear the most famous blue and white hoops on the planet at the time. From the end of August 2011 this all changed, a line should have been drawn under his previous misdemeanours at that point because he was ours. Rangers had arrived in the Premier League, eyebrows were being raised, but it showed we meant business.

As for his actual talent, most, even the well informed among us, were unsure about his footballing abilities. He’d managed 15 minutes in an England shirt, which is about the same as the similarly initialled Jay Bothroyd, and years earlier, John Hollins. We knew one thing for sure, he was a name, and with it came expectation.

He was treated regally by Neil Warnock and given the captains armband but this was the first of many poor and disloyal decisions made by Mr Untouchable (discarding Adel Taarabt's ability, swapping Gorkss for Gabbidon, loaning Clint Hill to Forest) that would later bite him in the behind.

Initially though, things were rosy. The debut of Barton and a few other new experienced international players against Newcastle at Loftus Road bode well and lead into, five days later, our performance of the season at Molineux, where Wolves were, as I said over the phone at the time to my brother, 'taken to the fucking cleaners'. That glorious day he scored our opener, albeit with a mishit, and was subjected to some terrible challenges by Karl Henry. In the face of provocation he remained relatively calm, except for the three finger goal salute to disheartened Wolves followers. In tandem with Ali Faurlin (whom Barton rates highly) we battled for some great results over the next two months. We had arrived.

For me, the honeymoon period concluded when West Brom equalised at Loftus Rd in early December. Faurlin was given a dressing down by the manager, in both private and public, reminiscent of Houllier's ridiculous criticism of David Ginola after France failed to qualify for USA '94 losing a lead in injury time to Bulgaria. Warnock lost the dressing room from then on, and the antics of him and his coaching staff were soon to be scrutinised once the defeats started to mount. His constant referral to new January signings wore thin; you should always make the best of what you have.

The pivotal moment in Warnock's QPR career came against Norwich at Loftus Road over Christmas. One incident summed up our whole season when Barton, already having put us one up, was incorrectly sent off. He had been kicked from pillar to post and as a result squared up to Bradley Johnson who, in Mediterranean style, feigned head contact. There are so many levels in which the decision was wrong, not least because the referee and linesman were both initially happy to play on with QPR in possession suggesting they’d seen no offence by a QPR player, and it seems to me he was sent off because of his reputation.

The FA, kings of double standards, refused the appeal.

If the officials had done their jobs correctly we probably would have won the game, Warnock may have kept his job, and our pal Joey would not have been made the scapegoat which he then became.

For me it was a case of thanks Neil, but it time to go. I say well done to Tony Fernandes and his team for having the guts to do so. Many saw it as Barton’s fault though. His constant tweeting - funny and welcomed in the good times - was now somehow deemed to be undermining the club and the manager even though much of what he said was right.

The size of Barton's pay packet was suddenly now important. Somehow everyone seems to think they know his salary and the £80,000 a week figure continues to be reported as fact. I have it good authority, that whilst most would be happy to earn a year what he does in a week, it is nowhere near that usually quoted figure. Welcome to the Premier League.

People wonder why he doesn’t shut up; constantly talking about the Smiths, Friedrich Nietzsche or visiting London art galleries even when things haven’t gone well on the pitch. People say he's obviously just trying to get a future media career as a pseudo intellectual. Or is he making a creditable attempt to leave his chequered past behind him and move on? I speak from personal experience when I say the novelty of becoming a first time father changes all of us. Mind you given his past, perhaps Cassius wasn't the wisest choice of forenames for his first son.

Through the revolving door arrived Mark Hughes – a great player and seemingly decent manager. By now we were in a relegation battle, but the wins didn’t arrive and the red cards continued. The new boys didn’t seem to gel - great on paper, shit on grass.

Then, in March, Liverpool at home. Gerrard and Suarez give a master class in what Premiership footballers should play like and two down Rangers already look doomed. Barton is having a shocker and the crowd, as in past years with Zesh Rehman (correctly) and Mike Sheron (less so), vent their frustrations on our skipper and boo even his few decent touches. He is substituted to loud cheering. Somehow Dunkirk becomes El Alamein and we win. All because our Joey was replaced and a bit of dodgy defending.

Rightly dropped for the next game, he acknowledged that he was awful, which takes a big man to admit. He must have smiled inside when the whole eleven at Sunderland were as bad as he was the match before.

Then, with eight fixtures left, and the experts convinced we will be back from whence we came, the fighting spirit became evident. The man at the forefront of this was Joey Barton. Constantly cajoling, probing and pushing he put in several near man of the match performances which won some fans over, if not all. There was no doubting the team spirit when Cisse knocked in against Stoke to make us favourites to survive - just watch the players reaction, they want it as much as we do.

This brings us to Eastlands and the impossible match with the Champions elect. Unbelievable is a well used phrase, but for once the events seemed as such, including the Barton talking point with half an hour to go.

Watching the re runs, it is clear that Carlos Tevez makes contact with Joey, provoking him into reacting in the way he did, and then makes a meal of the subsequent contact. Joey you've been mugged off again. The statistics say he has been fouled 60 times this season, second only to Newcastle’s Jonas Gutierrez with 86, and Rangers are the most sinned against club.

I'd love to think that the superb Clint Hill, born at the same hospital as Barton, egged him on to even it up, although the sense of injustice will not be considered when the appeal is heard tomorrow. If it did happen, as Barton claims, then I like it. They've cheated us again, cheat back.

Obviously this is not acceptable to the 'Football family' and its world, but it was the last game of season with careers and, more importantly, vast amounts of money on the line. Sod role models, this is passion and that is the one feature that I admire in Barton. So what if he lays into Shearer and Lineker, is this a treasonable offence? Don’t we all say similar things about those two? Remember when you used to play yourself, if you ever did - Corinthian spirit wins only friends not trophies.

The club may try and constructively dismiss him, using his salary to fund someone less volatile. Personally I hope they won't.

He has baggage from before, but has never shirked responsibility, and there is a lot more to him than a no trick pony like Jamie Mackie. With Al Faurlin returning, Samba Diakite staying, Barton, Armand Traore and Adel Taarabt available that starts to look like a midfield of useful options.

I, for one, like the ‘gobby Scouse git’ and have enjoyed the ride.

I'd buy him a pint if he wasn't now teetotal.

Mel Huckridge wrote Grounds for Divorce, a tale of travels around the world to obscure football matches and plenty of QPR games as well. Copies can be ordered from Mel at melh64@hotmail.co.uk or bought from him outside the Upper Loft/South Africa Road exit on matchdays.

Tweet @loftforwords

Pictures – Action Images

Photo: Action Images

hoops58 added 21:09 - May 22 Good comments Mel, agree with you would be a mistake to get rid of him in a rush. Maybe Clive could start a LFW poll on should he stay, or should he go.
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smegma added 21:41 - May 22 Some good points but he ONLY apologised for his Liverpool performance about 4 weeks after. He was adamant he'd done nothing wrong and had the temerity to go onlione and dig out some fan who had written hearfelt plea and then used the 'class is permanent' line. He played 32 times I believe nad played well in about 10. Not good enough and thats before you put his 'baggage' into the equation.

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Orthodox_Hoop added 22:03 - May 22 Nice one Mel, a refreshing read now the dust has settled after THAT game. Agree with pretty much everything you say but unfortunately I think Joey's days are numbered at Loftus Road.
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francisbowles added 22:14 - May 22 I agree, a lot of truth in what you write and if I remember correctly he apologised for the Liverpool performance quite soon after the day. I salute you, you are a brave man to come out in favour of Barton in print! The FA will decide how much of next season he will miss. The club need to consider a last opportunity to sort his dark side out. Put him on a final written warning and use the time of his ban to persuade him to change his ways. Make him write an apology to the club to encompass the supporters, the management and his teammates. Make him go through the club's press officer before he puts anything in the media. Persuade him to be more contrite and sincere. Having done all this show him that the club is behind him by writing an open letter to the FA and other organisations stating that although he is a sinner, it is the actions of others, and the lack of action and protection by the officials and the FA, that lead to his problems starting. He must surely know that if he fails with us he will never get another chance at this level.

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komradkirk added 22:35 - May 22 A lot of the points i have been trying to make to mates since the City game,with varying degrees of success. he is going to still be a ranger next season so will be fully behind him when he returns to active service.
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Bear_Grills added 22:41 - May 22 I was with you up to the point you dissed Mackie as a "no trick pony". Apart from being inaccurate in respect of his ability, Mackie did a whole lot more to keep us up than JB. That said, I'd be happy enough to see him stay if Hughes can drum some sense into him
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100percent added 23:14 - May 22 Some very good points, well made Mel. On the whole I agree - I think the media circus would pitch itself firmly in shepherds bush if we do decide to attempt to sack him - it will be messy and will benefit neither party. The fact is though that barton will almost certainly be stripped of his captaincy - solely on the basis he will be absent for at least four and anything up to ten games. During that absence there will be players creating a new midfield for us - hopefully Faurlin and Diakite - inevitably, it is going to be very difficult for barton to walk straight back into the side..... I hope he stays and becomes a squad player - we need players with passion and guts at Rangers - and he has both in spades.... let's hope Hughes can harness him in a positive manner......

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Fearless added 23:29 - May 22 Mel We'd normally debate this in a pub, but as its the close season..... I agree with some of what you say - 2 things I disagree on: A line should be drawn under his past exploits - do we feel the same if Marlon King were to sign? I think not! Mackie a no trick pony - again I'm not sure. More talented players. absolutely. Less frustrating players? Undoubtedly But, think of the goal at derby away (sorry Clive) that gave the team belief, think of the goals against Liverpool and at man city - plus the others in between. This guy has epitomised the recent rangers spirit in the way many players have done before - early Rowlands, Ainsworth (you can name plenty more than I can) I think he deserves more credit than some of our fans give him and the club obviously feel the same - many non-R's fans I know would love him at their club Anyway, see you soon, Ian

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NorthfieldsR added 00:27 - May 23 Clive... Mel should be the first summer signing...a great analysis yet one I mostly disagree with. Which should be the point of opening such debates! The persuasive power of the points made I suspect sways one or two of the comments back above. I feel really positive that the money now backing us is genuine, shrewd and well targeted. The fact is JB does not fit comfortably with this. Strangely if we'd gone down he may have been just the man to help haul us up back up. But we've stayed up and hopefully he'll be on the road and away. He was a panic purchase in the late and regrettable rush to buy Prem players. He deserves to lose his place at Loftus Road far more than NW, despite the very valid points Mel makes about NW's own contributions to his demise. I only hope the accountant in TF doesn't rule his heart in keeping JB at the club.

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QPR_Nippon added 00:34 - May 23 Been a bit sick of all the sanctimonious hand-ringing in the media and on here (see Chris King's article last week) so this was a welcome corrective. Nice one Mel. I'll buy your book now;) No, seriously I will. I think the worst thing Joey did was the kick at Aguero. Wasn't so much the force of it, which wasn't much let's be honest, but the vicious look on his face that just confirmed for those who want to believe it that he's an irredeemably nasty piece of work. The Kompany thing was nothing from what I remember - if he'd really wanted to head butt him I'm sure he would have. I agree he was an idiot but feel he has enough redeeming qualities as a person and as a footballer to persevere with.

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isawqpratwcity added 01:57 - May 23 Thanks, Mel, I really appreciated that after all the forum posts about the 'thug who should never be in hoops, past present or future'. My only disagreement is the Mackie comment. What Mackie lacks in fine skills, he doubly compensates for in guts and graft. As you pointed out, first rule of dealing with Barton is that you must ignore everything before he came here. If we'd signed Marlon King we'd have to do the same, but we didn't sign Marlon King. The comparison is specious. Second rule, again raised by you, is that Barton is basically a sh*t magnet. Players try him on all the time, knowing that he has a temper and worse that he has a media-reinforced, rusted-on reputation as a hot-head that will see him given the complete disadvantage of any doubt by any ref, linesman or fourth official (and a fair few R's supporters). Third rule, and this is my own, is that you completely ignore all of his tweeting, including all media reports and forum posts commenting on same. He can tweet whatever he likes and as far as I am concerned if the law and the FA don't see fit to pull him up on it then I don't care because I'M NOT LISTENING! If Joey wants to dazzle me with his intelligent take on situations, he can do it on the pitch. To wind this up: there are two facts in play here. Either TF and MH think Joey can demonstrate creditworthy performances (including no enforced early showers), or they don't (I do, but I wouldn't necessarily bet the house on it); the other fact (dependant on the negative resolution of the first point) is whether or not there is a clause that allows them to sack him, because if there isn't, getting rid of Mr B becomes a very expensive exercise, one that would make you want to try to work with him a bit more instead. He isn't stupid; Hughes just needs to talk to the bloke.

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timcocking added 02:40 - May 23 Dear God, more people actually trying to defend the worlds biggest tw@t. Unbelievable.
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ozexile added 03:55 - May 23 Good article. Well written. I ask myself would the same people saying keep him say the same if Bolton had beaten Stoke?
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qprmick added 04:16 - May 23 The first sending off was wrong, the second one was just rank stupidity. The shit dead balls and trying to steal an inch or two at corners were not worthy of QPR. He always tries to get up the nose of the officials and he loses in the long run. Sendings off, every team has those but the carry on afterwards. He could have got us relegated and for that he must go. Pity because there could be a good journeyman profession in there somewhere.

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isawqpratwcity added 04:49 - May 23 "...would the same people saying keep him say the same if Bolton had beaten Stoke? " Maybe, maybe not. You'd have to take qprmick's comment into account, too... "He could have got us relegated and for that he must go." ...that it would have then been Barton's fault that we lost the game. I don't think that follows; his sending off was a deduction from the team, but I don't think we played worse after he went than before, and besides, prior to the game few expected us to even draw. Our fate was always most likely to be decided at Stoke, and who knows, maybe us being ahead after going down to ten men disheartened Bolton even more? If we had been relegated, Barton would not have been the prime cause and it would be unfair to punish him on the basis that we had, that he would have been. Anyway, to me the big question is 'can we get it through to him that he has to play well and not act stupidly?' I say yes.

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isawqpratwcity added 04:52 - May 23 "If we had been relegated, Barton would not have been the prime cause and it would be unfair to punish him on the basis that IF we had, that he would have been (the prime cause)." Sorry, had to edit that.
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Kaos_Agent added 05:47 - May 23 Way way too much downside liability in Our Joey, in exchange for occasionally good defensive play, spotty ball possession skills and second rate scoring punch. In addition to the cold fact that he'll continue to be targeted by opposition players and he'll continue to respond badly and be booked or sent off. Great for a TV reality show. Bad for R's.
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Toast_R added 08:17 - May 23 Other then the City game, which was a massive mistake where his emotions got the better of him after some blatant cheating by Mr Ugly, what has he actually done wrong to deserve the club giving him the Spanish Archer? 1 Other Red card..... Cisse has 2 and missed more vital games which cost us more vital points then Barton's. There's plenty of other players who have done worse for far less reason and it's been swept under the carpet, Remember Tommy Doherty's Strangulation attempt against the world famous Ibiza XI, or Impey's right hook? As for his Tweeting exploits, you'd rather the obligatory, "Yeah, you know what I mean, at the end of the day, we're all in this together, you get me?" At least there's some thought put into his comment's....but if it really bothers you that much, don't pay them any attention. Simples...

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DesertBoot added 08:19 - May 23 Say he gets a ten game ban. We have our midfield pairing in place and then around November time Barton is available again. Will he start tweeting and disrupting the dressing room because he isn't playing? I think that's a distinct possibility. Our own internal investigation could be worse for him. From a marketing point of view he is not good for our image, I also suspect Hughes feels he can buy much better in the transfer window. Barton's big hope is Mel Stein.

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real_loftus added 08:37 - May 23 Good article Mel. Would be good to see you writing on here more often. With regards to the content, afraid I disagree with most of it. Barton's only with us because of his own, and our, desperation during the August transfer window. After a couple of decent performances early on (no doubt linked to having Faurlin alongside him), he was shocking during the winter months. Yes, he covered big distances, but usually chasing his own mis-placed passes. What topped it off for me was his "ah well, no-one died" comment following one of our capitulations in the New Year (cant remember which game). It underlined the mercenary in him and his lack of passion for our club. I do agree that he'd looked to have turned things around following the Liverpool game, but then a leopard never changes his spots, and the scenes at the Etihad were a disgrace. My eldest is 6 this summer and starting to take an interest in the game. He plays on a Saturday morning wearing the red/white 3rd kit that Barton wore against City. I dont want him watching the club captain of our team elbowing, punching, butting and kicking anyone, especially not with that vile, evil look he had when he kicked Aguero. Sorry mate, he was a rash buy (that cost Warnock his job) and he should never be captain and possibly never play for us again. If he does get a 10-12 game ban, what use to us is he anyway? Out for a 1/4 of the season before you know it.

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Monahoop added 08:47 - May 23 What's the point of defending him. The greasers got to go. End of.
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stevec added 10:29 - May 23 Think real loftus summed it up pretty well. Also suspect he poisons dressing rooms wherever he goes and that is the main issue. Pardew excelled himself, managing to ease Barton out without the customary 'backlash' you seem to get from JB. The way he turned on Warnock epitomised the character of the guy. Basically a divide and rule type and, in a team game, something you can do without.

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R_in_Sweden added 11:01 - May 23 Nice to read articlkes from both sides of the fence on the same site, Mel. Thanks. The Barton issue is confusing or brand Barton as it is more appropiately known. Admittedly I've posted a little praise but more often criticism of Joey during the season, but when you weigh up the positives: fighting spirit, motivating the team, fulfilling defensive duties etc. Against the negatives: publicly slating the man who gave him a lifeline (Warnock) and former club captain (Taarabt), the amount of misplaced passes, corners and free kicks, ratio of good performances, red cards (yes we know about Cissé). It just seems like the content doesn't match the expectation. One thing that would be great is if Barton got to read both articles (for and against) and all of the posts. It may do some good, much better than reading about himself in the papers. Is there any way that he can be directed to this site Mel, Clive? Maybe write a response? That would make for interesting reading and would guarantee a large amount of comments!

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00calben added 11:01 - May 23 Clive - please dont let Mel write for you again. Couldnt disagree more with the majority of this article.
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Northernr added 11:05 - May 23 00calben - is it not about having a wide range of opinions? Would be very dull if we only had content on here that everybody agreed with.
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