Barton denies bust-up

09 August 2009 15:50
Joey Barton has rubbished reports that he fell out with team-mates ahead of the match with West Brom on Saturday. The Magpies midfielder, left out of the starting line-up at The Hawthorns, is rumoured to have been involved in a bust-up with Argentine winger Jonas Gutierrez. However, Barton's personal spokesman Paul Tyrrell insists there is no truth in the story. Barton came on a second-half substitute as Newcastle salvaged a 1-1 draw against the Baggies and Tyrell maintains he was happy to play a part. "There was no disagreement between Joey Barton and any other player prior to the West Brom game," said Tyrrell. "He totally accepted Chris Hughton's decision to put him on the bench for tactical reasons yesterday and gave a typically committed performance when he came on as a substitute. "Joey is firmly focused on getting Newcastle back to where it belongs - the Premier League."

Source: SKY_Sports