Barton escapes police action
04 Oct 2006 - 14:09:13
Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton looks set to escape any punishment for his antics after Saturday's draw at Everton.
Merseyside Police have decided to take no action against Barton who dropped his shorts at the final whistle after being taunted by the home fans.
It also seems likely that the Football Association will not punish the controversial midfielder.
City manager Stuart Pearce had earlier called for leniency, saying: "When I got home I saw on television what happened, and I saw one of my players giving his shirt to a disabled fan.
"As he's walking off the pitch he's being sledged about things I'd prefer not to go into - but we know what we're talking about.
"He kept a smile on his face throughout the whole incident, and he's done something that at worst is a little bit childish. At best it's a bit of comedy that everyone should laugh off, but I still have to deal with it several days later.
"Let's get things into a little bit of perspective. Maybe some of the things that were said to that player are a more serious matter but we're not going to rake that up."
Merseyside Police received a number of complaints over Barton's actions, which came after Micah Richards had netted a last-gasp equaliser for the Citizens.
