... the notorious rampage at Manchester City that left his career in English football under severe threat.
In a forthright interview, Barton has given his version of the chain of events that left him with a 12-match suspension following his moment of madness at the Etihad Stadium on the final day of the 2011/12 season.
Referee Mike Dean handed the midfielder a straight red card after an off the ball altercation with Carlos Tevez and what followed was one of the most shocking incidents in recent Premier League history.
Incensed by the decision, Barton lost his cool, kicking Sergio Aguero, aiming a headbutt at Vincent Kompany before being escorted off the pitch by City substitute Micah Richards.
Barton, but for a few tweets, has kept his counsel over the incident that many thought would spell the end of his time in English football.
But the controversial midfielder has broken his silence about the incident, telling The Inside ’R’ – QPR’s official digital magazine: 'I remember going in front of the FA, who were always waiting to throw the book at me because I’d never been someone who toed the line.
'I put across in my mitigation that the referee, Mike Dean, had told me after the game that if he had seen Tevez do what he did, he would have sent him off because he had punched me in the side of the head. 'But he never saw it, and the linesman just saw my reaction.
'I accepted that, but what I was trying to argue was, "Look, if Tevez doesn’t punch me in the face because I’m blocking him off, then everything else doesn’t happen".
'He set off the chain of events. Take him out of it and I would have gone through the game with no incident.
'Obviously because I’ve reacted to it, I was going to be punished. I knew I was going to be banned.
'They expected me to appeal but when I came out, as is my way, I said "I’m not appealing. I refuse to go back in front of them. They can ban me".
'There were times during the ban when I thought, "I wish I had appealed here, and toed the line".
'Isn’t it easier to toe the line? Subsequently I have learnt that, at times, it is.'
Such was the enormity of Barton's rage at the Etihad Stadium that day, Barton faced calls to be sacked by QPR.
Mark Hughes, who was manager at the time, came down hard on the 31-year-old.
He was stripped of the captaincy, told to train away from the first-team and had his shirt number taken away from him before being shipped out on loan to Marseille.
Now under the stewardship of Harry Redknapp, Barton is back at Loftus Road - helping the club achieve an instant return to the Barclays Premier League following last season's relegation.
Nevertheless, Barton admits the affair has left a bitter taste in his mouth.
'I was quite angry and quite disappointed,' Barton told Inside 'R'.
'There were people within the club – and they know who they are – who embraced me after the sending off, who said, "We’ve stayed up, that’s all that matters. You were still a part of it, you played a massive part".
'And then, when the media drum started beating and the media started demanding that I be held accountable for my actions, they changed tack.
'I felt they were using it as a way to get me off the wage bill, and to get people they wanted in at the football club: "He’s a commodity who’s done his job, let’s get him out."
'I text the owners after the ban from the FA and said, "Look, I realise what I have put the club through and I realise the magnitude of it. If you want me to resign, I will do.
'I still had three years to run on my contract, but I had got to the stage where I was wondering if I wanted to keep putting myself through all this.
'I had a tough season in terms of getting stick from the fans and I had got to the point where I wasn’t really thinking about anything else.
'I wanted out of the club and I wanted out of the atmosphere I was in. It wasn’t for me. I had been loved everywhere I had been, and this was the first time I wasn’t.
'The owners will testify to this. I text them straight after the ban, as I was coming out of Wembley. I was deeply unhappy at the football club in lots of ways.
'But the reaction of the owners is the reason I am still here today.'
Saturday December 21Premier League12:45 Liverpool v Cardiff City 15:00 Crystal Palace v Newcastle United 15:00 Fulham v Manchester City 15:00 Man Utd v West Ham United 15:00 Stoke City v Aston Villa 15:00 Sunderland v Norwich City 15:00 West Brom v Hull City
Sunday December 22Premier League13:30 Southampton v Tottenham 16:00 Swansea City v Everton
IDEAL FOR CHRISTMAS MAGPIES IN EUROPE - HARVEY TO PARDEW The new version of "Magpies In Europe" is available NOW. The official new title is "Magpies In Europe - Harvey To Pardew" and is an up-dated version of "From Antwerp To Zurich" - which includes the 14 Europa League fixtures we played last season. The 280-page book features match reports from the 134 European matches Newcastle United have played, starting with the memorable 4-0 win over Feyenoord in 1968 on our European debut. Included are stats and the figures you would expect, but also each away fixture has the remarkable experiences of individuals who travelled to watch the matches. Introduction by "Big Bad" John McNamee, part of the Fairs Cup winning team of 1969. It is a fascinating history that every Newcastle United fan will enjoy. And with a limited print-run, make sure you order a copy. Mail order: Send a cheque for £10.45 made payable to K.Fletcher to: K Fletcher, 5 Dunelm, Sacriston, Durham DH7 6NU Include your own address. ON SALE NOW AT: M&M City News; 140 Northumberland St, Newcastle NE1 7DQ. The Flower Shop, Spennymoor, Co Durham. RRP: £10.95 if you want to order, contact us:- Kevnumad@fsmail.net -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NEWCASTLE UNITED 2013/14 PREMIER LEAGUE NEWCASTLE 1 SOUTHAMPTON 1 (Gouffran)Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Coloccini, Santon (78' Haidara), Sissoko, Anita, Tiote, Gouffran (73' Ben Arfa), Shola Ameobi (61' Cisse), Remy Subs: Yanga-Mbiwa, Elliot, Obertan, Sammy Ameobi MAN UTD 0 NEWCASTLE 1 (Cabaye)Krul, Debuchy (83' Yanga-Mbiwa), Williamson, Coloccini, Santon, Cabaye (78' Shola Ameobi), Tiote, Anita, Sissoko, Remy, Gouffran (57' Ben Arfa).Subs: Cisse, Gutierrez, Elliot, Obertan SWANSEA 3 NEWCASTLE 0Krul, Debuchy, Williamson (77' Yanga-Mbiwa), Coloccini, Santon (56' Haidara), Sissoko, Tiote, Cabaye, Gouffran, Shola Ameobi (67' Obertan), Remy Subs: Anita, Elliot, Sammy Ameobi, Dummett NEWCASTLE 2 WBA 1 (Gouffran, Sissoko)Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Coloccini, Santon, Sissoko (90+5' Cisse), Tiote, Cabaye, Gouffran, Shola Ameobi, Remy (84' Anita)Subs: Ben Arfa, Yanga-Mbiwa, Elliot, Obertan, Sammy Ameobi NEWCASTLE 2 NORWICH CITY 1 (Remy, Gouffran)Krul, Yanga-Mbiwa, Williamson, Coloccini, Santon, Sissoko, Tiote, Cabaye (68' Anita), Gouffran (83' Ben Arfa), Shola Ameobi (74' Cisse), Remy.Subs: Haidara, Elliot, Obertan, Sammy Ameobi TOTTENHAM 0 NEWCASTLE UTD 1 (Remy)Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Yanga-Mbiwa, Santon, Sissoko, Cabaye, Tiote, Gouffran (85' Obertan), Remy (75' Cisse), Shola Ameobi (60' Anita).Subs: Coloccini, Ben Arfa, Elliot, Sammy Ameobi NEWCASTLE UTD 2 CHELSEA 0 (Gouffran, Remy)Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Yanga-Mbiwa, Santon, Sissoko, Cabaye, Tiote (53' Anita), Gouffran (85' Obertan), Shola Ameobi (62' Cisse).Subs: Ben Arfa, Elliot, Sammy Ameobi, Tavernier. SUNDERLAND 2 NEWCASTLE 1 (Debuchy)Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Dummett, Santon, Sissoko (45' Cisse), Tiote, Cabaye, Gouffran (86' Sammy Ameobi), Ben Arfa, Remy (70' Shola Ameobi).Subs: Anita, Haidara, Elliot, Obertan. NEWCASTLE UTD 2 LIVERPOOL 2 (Cabaye, Dummett)Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Yanga-Mbiwa, Santon, Cabaye (78' Sammy Ameobi), Tiote, Gouffran, Sissoko (45' Dummett), Remy, Ben Arfa (78' Anita).Subs: Cisse, Elliot, Obertan, Dummett. CARDIFF CITY 1 NEWCASTLE 2 (Remy 2)Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Coloccini, Santon, Tiote, Cabaye (86' Ben Arfa), Gouffran, Sissoko, Remy (71' Gutierrez), Cisse Subs: Anita, Yanga-Mbiwa, Elliot, Sammy Ameobi, Dummett EVERTON 3 NEWCASTLE 2 (Cabaye, Remy)Krul, Debuchy, Yanga-Mbiwa (46' Williamson), Coloccini, Santon, Tiote, Anita (69' Cisse), Ben Arfa (46' Cabaye), Sissoko, Gouffran, Remy Subs: Elliot, Obertan, Sammy Ameobi, Dummett NEWCASTLE 2 HULL CITY 3 (Remy 2)Krul, Debuchy (86' Tiote), Yanga-Mbiwa, Coloccini, Santon, Cabaye (62' Gouffran), Anita, Sissoko, Ben Arfa, Cisse (73' Marveaux), Remy Subs: Williamson, Elliot, Sammy Ameobi, Dummett ASTON VILLA 1 NEWCASTLE 2 (Ben Arfra, Gouffran)Krul, Debuchy, Coloccini, Yanga-Mbiwa, Santon, Anita (74' Tiote), Cabaye (88' Sammy Ameobi), Ben Arfa, Sissoko, Remy (63' Gouffran), Cisse Subs: Elliot, Marveaux, S Taylor, Dummett NEWCASTLE 1 FULHAM 0 (Ben Arfa)Krul, Debuchy, Yanga-Mbiwa, Coloccini, Santon, Ben Arfa, Sissoko, Anita 65' (Cabaye), Marveaux 74' (Remy), Shola Ameobi 65' (Gouffran), Cisse Subs: Gosling, Elliot, Sammy Ameobi, Dummett NEWCASTLE 0 WEST HAM 0Krul, Debuchy, Yanga-Mbiwa, Coloccini, Santon, Ben Arfa, Sissoko, Anita, Marveaux 66' (Sammy Ameobi), Shola Ameobi, Cisse 72'Subs: Gosling, Bigirimana, Elliot, Vuckic, Dummett MAN CITY 4 NEWCASTLE 0Krul, Debuchy, Coloccini, S Taylor, Yanga-Mbiwa, Sissoko, Tiote, Gouffran 45+4' (Dummett), Ben Arfa 65' (Sammy Ameobi), Gutierrez 44' (Anita), Cisse Subs: Elliot, Marveaux, Shola Ameobi, Obertan LEAGUE CUP NEWCASTLE 0 MAN CITY 2 (AET)Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Yanga-Mbiwa, Haidara (45 Dummett, 80 Ben Arfa), Anita, Tiote, Gouffran, Sissoko, Shola Ameobi (66 Cabaye), CisseSubs: Remy, Elliot, Obertan, Sammy Ameobi NEWCASTLE 2 LEEDS UTD 0 (Cisse, Gouffran)Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Coloccini, Dummett, Gouffran (90' Vuckic), Anita (80' Gosling), Tiote, Marveaux, Sammy Ameobi, Cisse (71' Obertan).Subs: Ben Arfa, Yanga-Mbiwa, Bigirimana, Alnwick MORECAMBE 0 NEWCASTLE 2 (Shola Ameobi, Sammy Ameobi)Elliot, Debuchy, Yanga-Mbiwa, Good, Dummett, Bigirimana, Gosling, Marveaux 88' (Sissoko), Vuckic 46' (Shola Ameobi), Sammy Ameobi, Gouffran 71' (Ben Arfa)Subs: Santon, Anita, Alnwick, Streete Newcastle United Fixtures Saturday December 2115:00 Premier LeagueCrystal Palace v Newcastle United Thursday December 2615:00 Premier LeagueNewcastle United v Stoke City Sunday December 2913:30 Premier LeagueNewcastle United v Arsenal Wednesday January 1 201415:00 Premier LeagueWest Brom v Newcastle UnitedSource: Newcastle United Mad
Source: FOOTYMAD
