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Joey Barton hit with 12-match FA ban

Joey Barton was sent off on the final day of the season © PA Photos

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Queens Park Rangers captain Joey Barton has been handed a 12-game ban and fined £75,000 by the Football Association after being charged with two counts of violent conduct following his dismissal against Manchester City on May 13.

Barton accepted the first charge against him for kicking Sergio Aguero to the ground after being sent off for elbowing Carlos Tevez. But he requested a personal hearing to challenge a charge in relation to a headbutt aimed in the direction of Vincent Kompany.

The independent regulatory commission found him guilty of the second charge and handed down an eight-game ban. He had already received an automatic four-game ban for the red card in the game, as he had previously been sent off in the same season.

The chairman of the commission stated after the hearing: "There are rules of conduct that should be adhered to, and such behaviour tarnishes the image of football in this country, particularly as this match was the pinnacle of the domestic season and watched by millions around the globe."

A 12-game ban means he will be suspended from all football until mid-November. The previous ban of such magnitude was an 11-game suspension for Sheffield Wednesday's Paolo di Canio for pushing over referee Paul Alcock in a match against Arsenal in September 1998.

The FA released a statement which read: "Barton was charged by the FA with two counts of violent conduct in relation to the Queens Park Rangers game against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday May 13, 2012.

"Following Barton's dismissal in the 54th minute of the match, there followed two incidents involving Manchester City's Sergio Aguero and Vincent Kompany. As Barton had already been dismissed, both of these incidents fell outside the jurisdiction of the referee.

"Barton accepted the charge of violent conduct against Aguero but denied the second breach of violent conduct against Kompany. The independent regulatory commission, however, found this second charge proved.

"Barton is already serving a four-match suspension for his dismissal in the match, which consists of three matches for violent conduct plus one match as this was the player's second dismissal of the season. The two further breaches for violent conduct ordered he be suspended for eight matches to run consecutively to the four matches, taking the total suspension to 12 matches."

QPR will be making no comment at this stage.

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