Joey Barton loses plot in blast at ITV after comparing pundits to serial killers
Controversial ex-footballer Joey Barton has reacted with a foul-mouthed rant after ITV slammed him for comparing two of their female pundits to serial killers.
Former Premier League midfielder Barton described commentators Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko, both ex-players, as "the Fred and Rose West of football commentary," a remark which ITV described as "shameful" in a strongly-worded statement. The Wests murdered a total of 12 women and young girls over the course of 20 years before burying the bodies at their house of horrors in Gloucester.
Fred took his own life before facing his trial, while Rose was sentenced to 10 life terms and she remains in prison at the age of 70. Ward and Aluko were both providing analysis of Crystal Palace's drab 0-0 draw with Everton in the FA Cup third round at Selhurst Park on Thursday evening.
After ITV Football posted a short clip of Aluko's pre-match punditry on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, Barton posted on Friday morning: "How is she even talking about Men's football. She can't even kick a ball properly. Your coverage of the game EFC last night, took it to a new low. Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward, the Fred and Rose West of football commentary."
Later in the day, ITV responded with a firm statement, saying: "For Joey Barton, an ex-professional player with a significant social media presence, to target two of our pundits, Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward, with such vindictive remarks based on gender and to invoke the names of serial killers in doing so is clearly contemptible and shameful on his part. Football is for everyone."
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That sent Barton on yet another X-rated outburst, replying by saying: "Shut up you f****** idiots. Keep them off the tele. They're ruining the game for everyone of us. It's what happens when you force under qualified, under prepared, tokenistic people onto us.
"I will be calling them all serial killers from now on. Every clip you f****** put out. Told you, I don't care anymore. Had enough of your 'Woke' DEI bullshit."
ITV's statement prompted Manchester United legend Gary Neville to speaking out, as he wrote: "Well done ITV. It's gone too far this and mentioning serial killers is quite simply incredible. My daughters have watched Salford City with me for 10 years and like to comment on football, my mum was kicked out of the football team (boys in the 1960's) and stopped playing due to misogyny, my sister struggled for funding for her sport for years and my brother was mocked when he took over the England women's team.
Former footballer Lucy Ward represented England at youth level (Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images)
Eni Aluko played for the likes of Chelsea and Juventus (James Baylis - AMA/Getty Images)"I come from a family that has fought these issues for years and I’ve witnessed it first hand. All this does is just discourage and it's not the way forward. It’s bloody hard work for Women to succeed in sport and media as it is without this stuff."
Barton had also singled out Aluko's punditry in a separate post on Friday morning, having seen a clip of her taking shots in training. "Technically, that's awful," the 41-year-old, once capped by England at international level back in 2007, claimed. "She can't move without her legs rubbing together.
"You have to laugh. She's 18 yds out and can't reach the goal without a bounce! F***ing pathetic. Get them off the Men's Football. Off the tele. Only there to tick boxes. DEI is a load of s***. Affirmative action. All off the back of the BLM/George Floyd nonsense. Cancel me, I'd don't care anymore."
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