Toon’s player of the season won’t be offered a new contract

Posted on May 25th, 2011 | 59 Comments |

Barton's contract will not be renewed.
Player of the season
Joey Barton will not be offered a new contract at Newcastle United.

It seems that the club will not be renewing the contract of Joey Barton, who was voted Player of the Season by this site (and others).

Barton’s agent Willie McKay said:

I had a meeting with Newcastle managing director Derek Llambias and club secretary Lee Charnley and they have indicated Joey will not be offered a new contract.

Joey will continue to be a Newcastle player next season and then he will leave on a free transfer at the end of his contract.

Joey would have loved to have extended his stay at Newcastle, but unfortunately it is not to be.

The last we heard was that Barton wanted a four year contract and the club were only going to offer him a two year contract. Whether or not that’s anything more than rumour is uncertain, but it would be one thing that explains why Barton and Newcastle are parting company.

Barton has been in fantastic form this season and also seemed to be a much improved character off the pitch after a somewhat turbulent time which involved various brushes with the law and a spell at Her Majesty’s Pleasure. His play – out of his preferred position – on the right of midfield has been exemplary and the pinpoint crosses he was putting in have set up many a goal.

All indications from Alan Pardew were that he wanted to keep Barton but it seems that’s not the case now. Or at least not enough of a case to see the club make any compromises to Barton.

As expected Sol Campbell and Shefki Kuqi have also left the club. A spokesman said:

Newcastle United can confirm that Shefki Kuqi and Sol Campbell have left the club. The pair are on contracts which expire this summer, and both players are free to find new clubs.

Everyone at Newcastle thanks Shefki and Sol for their efforts while at St James’ Park and wishes them the very best for the future.

That, I guess, is that!

NUFCBlog Author: Hugh de Payen I'm a baby-boomer of the punk rock persuasion, currently exiled in Somerset for crimes committed in a previous life where locals keep trying to poison me with something called 'scrumpy'. Hates sprouts, coat-hangers, Cilla Black, ornaments, Steven Seagull movies and 50 Cent (he's not worth 10). Hugh de Payen has written 634 articles on this blog.

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59 Responses

  1. i dont know what kind of impression this will have on potential targets.

    & also Read this

    and they have indicated Joey will not be offered a new contract,”

    The word Indicated.

    it could be they may be saying they will not offer a new one from the one which was offered last.

    may be there is sum light

  2. A long shot, but I suppose this could be a negotiating tactic from Barton’s agent. Release something to the press, stir up a hornet’s nest and then get back around the table.

  3. a very similar one 2 steven taylor’s contract. what do you say hugh

  4. @ tommy

    what is that suppose 2 mean

    @ hugh
    do you know if he is the agent of charles Nzogbia or not

  5. I will repeat previous post.

    Its not M.Ashley and Co…

    … its that fukwit of a worm of a c**t of an agent…

    Willie McKay

    The guy is the DEVIL !!

  6. i say well done to barton and willy mackey for at last blowing the lid off it and at least giving us some info. This is in retaliation to liar AP a few days ago sataing that the offer had been made, was on the table and it was for joey and willie to sort out. Ap trying to paint ashley and dekka in a good light and implying they had done all they could blah blah.
    This will create a hell of a mess now and i think there is much going on behind the scenes that we dont know about but that the players do. Clearly Nolan etc knows the score with joey cos just at the same time AP was blow off ashley singing his praises Nolan was saying we need to keep joey. Same story with Jose, when all that was kicking off Jonas came out and said its vital that jose stays in order for him to be happy here. Everything is linked and i fear that ashely and his cokend limp d1ck side kicks are going to open a right old pandoras box now and are on the verge of loosing our entire backbone, spirt and guts of nufc. Barton,nolan,jonas,jose all going, then how long do you think colo will stay once his best mates have legged it.
    This is a ‘tip top/ message to send out to all would be nufc players….its saying ‘dont go there cos the owner is a pr1ck’.

  7. Well If he does not want to sign a contract then fine he can leave. It will open up an opportunity for someone else. Once you give in to his demands then you will set an example to everyone that pressure us and we will cave in.

  8. As much as Ashley and Co are a set of pirates, Willie McKay is even less trustworthy (if you can believe that’s possible). There’s a reason his name was prominent in all those football bung investigations. I believe it’s correct that he’s also Steven “U-Turn” Taylor’s agent.

    Nothing more than a tactic, albeit a very low and calculating one. Worst case scenario is we’ve got a year to sort it out.

  9. @Michael – where does it say he won’t sign one? Read it, it says he’s not being offered one. You can’t sign (or refuse to sign) something that’s not being given to you.

  10. We will see the picture clearly within 1-2 weeks. Time will tell but do you know who the hell we are ? We are Newcastle Utd. And anything is possible !

  11. “The last we heard was that Barton wanted a four year contract and the club were only going to offer him a two year contract.”

    Some gossip has suggested that he wanted three years, and some that he wanted four years.

  12. @ 11 (MooMoo)

    When an agent says ‘there’s no offer on the table’

    It means – not one McKay wants – i.e McKay is holding out for more money. A contract HAS been offered – of course it has. But McKay wants MORE. To lined HIS pocket. Although, you can 90% guarantee – Barton is prob happy with it. Its just the 20%-30% cut that McKay will get they he wants to increase.

    Remember there Agents fees plus signing on fees. Agents ‘wagings’.

  13. if any of our top players leave,i wonder if pratdew will keep toeing the party line?.

  14. its just all a bit deflating isnt it. when will we ever be free of hassle and drama… even just one window would be great. I dont see it as giving into Bartons demands either.. what demands are there? All he wants is four year deal, he is only 28 after all. He would be only 32 then and not exactly an old git like sol. Barton even offered to take a cut in pay. So pls tell me where the demands are other than length. As we know,contract length means naff all.. aka, carroll and new 6 year gig a month before we sell the lad. No, i think that NUFC were trying to be smart ar5es and get him on 2 year job to stop at 30, thinking they were being smart and then said thats fine as if he dont sifn we will sell. So Joey has said fair enough, i will see out my last year and then leave. I for one would have done the same as saying as nufc are looking at the financial side in only wanting our best player in his prime on 2 year gig… then so has joey looked at the money side. not for himself i think, but to get one over on cashely and dekka. now he will go on a free and can talk to clubs in january…t5hats just over 4 months after the season starts. good luck joey lad.

  15. @MooMoo yes a contract with the terms and conditions that Joey Barton wants has not been offered. That does not mean a compromised contract has not been offered. I like Joey but I do not think at all he is that good.

    Certainly his contributions this season have been very on and off mostly off and when they are on it is not that influential. He certainly does no offer something I think I will miss so much.

    He claims to be the best midfielder England has to offer but I question if he is the best midfielder Newcastle has to offer.

  16. is anyone really that suprised though?,it’s ashley and llambias we’re talking about.

  17. I tend to think it’s more that Joey will not be offered more than he’s been offered already i.e. 2 years more.

    The press will always go for the more sensationalist angle.

  18. I think reading in between the lines here (and I’m sure he’s said as much anyway), Barton wants to end his career at NUFC.

  19. Don’t really see what AP can do if the board aren’t prepared to go further like.

    Owt could still happen, this is Newcastle!
    :)

  20. 23…….prob right clint but lets be honest… what diff does it make if we give the bloke 2 years or 4? none at all. as per usual ashley makes a balls of everything.

  21. Mind you, Ashley has never been a fan of Barton as far as I can tell. I seem to remember he wasn’t keen on Keegan’s forthright support of Joey when he hit rock bottom.

  22. Aye Craig,
    but we know that this lot like to play hard ball & willie mackay likes a fight/shit storm, doesn’t he?
    :)

  23. 25…..he could grow some testicles and fight for his players instead of getting on his knees blowing dekka off.

  24. Hugh,
    i think you’re right mate,
    & he was one of fat sam’s signings.

  25. Craig,
    that’s a canny picture you paint mate.
    :)

    I don’t think it’s much different with any other manager at any other club though…The owner/chair (money men) get the final say on what they spend.
    I reckon if we went on any other teams sites, they’d all say the same.

  26. 28 …clint…. you right and willie is hard ball. i think thats needed for ashley as he is as hard nosed as they come. two egos going at it with wor joey in the middle!

  27. worky,
    ok mate, i’m not at hyem so can’t check it ’til later.
    & for some weird reason i don’t seem to be able to pick them up ‘on the hoof’, as it were.

  28. Personally, I have a hell of a lot more trust for Mike Ashley than I do for Willie McKay. At the moment, we only have McKay’s version of events, and we’ve already been told that Joey has been offered a contract, but he wants longer term. This isn’t the club saying we don’t want you after next season, it’s the agents doing exactly the same thing as that scumbag Paul Stretford did with Taylor and Rooney in the last 12 months. Best deal for the agent wins. These people are disgusting and should be kicked out of the game.

    For those of you who are determined to hate Ashley, do try to consider that he may not be entirely at fault here. Would you bend over for an agent?

  29. CLiNT FLiCK says:
    May 25, 2011 at 5:57 pm

    “worky,
    ok mate, i’m not at hyem so can’t check it ’til later.”

    It looks good as it is, Clint.

  30. Davies,

    It could quite easily be as you’ve said mate.
    That & the media’s determination to ‘report’ every little bit of minutiae available to them.
    They love an ‘unrest at Newcastle’ story to fly with, we should know that by now.

  31. The club have offered him a contract and it’s on the table for him to sign, they won’t be offering him a new one though so it’s take it or leave it.

  32. worky,
    sweet mate,
    i just tried to get into my email ‘on the hoof’ but no dice. It just doesn’t seem to like that for some reason.

  33. Don’t you just love the press though?
    :)

    ‘Toon don’t want Barton’, ‘Barton to leave Toon’ etc.

    Scum!

  34. CLiNT FLiCK says:
    May 25, 2011 at 6:20 pm

    “worky,
    sweet mate,”

    What shall I do then Clint? Release it into the wild or keep it in captivity until you’ve had another look?

  35. well, we should soon find out anyway as the club will reply to this story if of course its not true…..if i were joey i woudl take the two years and live to fight another day maybe. cos not matter how good he is … and he is class (cant believe some on here say he is crap!)i dont think any of the top five teams will come in for him so that leaves him joining a club with not alot more going for it than newcastle. Maybe arse would want him as they are desperate need of someone with steel instead of a bunch of puffy kids with no guts.

  36. Can only see a possible 2 players coming in to replace barton and 1’s reo=coker. Not the best footballer im the world but has a good engine and is very athletic. I wouldnt mind adding him to the team but I dont see him as a direct replacement for Barton. The only other option is Gazza, he’d sign for a few pints and a decent hairdresser

  37. craig chisholm says:
    May 25, 2011 at 6:33 pm

    “if i were joey i woudl take the two years and live to fight another day maybe. cos not matter how good he is …”

    Craig, If what Mackay is saying is true, both he and Mackay would probably get a bigger payout if his contract runs down and he is allowed to sign on a free for big wages.

  38. yes worky…i think its either 4 years or zip for ashley/dekka and barton/willie on this one.

  39. It’s unfortunate. Joey has been great for us this season. Losing him would not only be a blow on the pitch but it would fundamentally change the culture he helped fostere with Nolan, Carroll and Smith which (along with the 3 amigos) helped us get promoted and helped us have a decent run in the Prem this season.
    If he has to go, I think it would be best to sell him now and get something for him rather than let him just walk away at the end of next season. We have a full transfer window to secure a replacement (who I suppose would come in the form a out and out winger). His good form and behavior this season will make him less of a risk for a potential buyer. Keeping him for 1 more season could be risky. What if his form dips? What if he gets injured? What if he robs a Tesco. It’s better to wish him well and free up the room on the wage bill.

  40. Well regardless of what his agent says, if he is not going to be offered a contract then i would expect, like with steven taylor they will put him up for sale.

    I think mckays statement is total balls in the fact that joey has been offered a contract, i think it was a couple months ago that barton said they were not “a million miles apart” the truth is newcastle will not alter the contract that was offered a while back, whether its with length or wage we wont know.

    One thing is for sure, if in the coming weeks or months, mr parew or the club tell us what the problems are, if they are untrue to us, you can bet your b*****ks to a barndance joey will have his say.

  41. THE LATEST FROM WILLIE…….sounds like he is defo not signing and will run down his contract. Reading between the lines… sounds like its ashley who is the fly in the ointment. Willie lares it bare what Joey wanted etc adn confirms he DID offer to take a pay cut… damn shame, thats all i can say..RIP joey!!

    Willie McKay headed to Tyneside on Wednesday morning to re-open contract talks for the 28-year-old, but after a brief meeting with managing director Derek Llambias and club secretary Lee Charnley, left with no deal even on the table.

    The news, which means next season will be Barton’s last on Tyneside unless there is a radical shift in the club’s current stance, has come as a major shock to fans.

    It remains to be seen whether or not the Magpies will now attempt to cash in on their £5.8million signing this summer, or allow him to leave for free in a year’s time when his existing deal expires.

    McKay told BBC Radio Newcastle: “I have had a few calls from other clubs because of the news – everybody knows about the situation at the moment.

    “I have had a few managers on asking what the situation is with Joey, but only if a top club [came in], I think he would move on.

    “He has set his mind up to stay at Newcastle next season because he loves it up there, he’s settled and he’s playing very, very well.

    “Hopefully he can break into the England team at some stage.”

    Asked if there was any possibility of a resolution of the deadlock, McKay replied: “The only reason Joey will stay at Newcastle [beyond next season], I think, is if there are new owners, to be perfectly honest.

    “Obviously, they [Newcastle] are in a situation where they will be looking for somebody to come in for Joey and offer him a contract, but at the end of the day, it might not be the right club.

    “Joey is quite strong-minded and I think he will stay at Newcastle for next season.

    “At the end of the day, Joey likes it at Newcastle and he will probably just run his contract out.

    “Obviously, we need to look for something for Joey in January, and that’s where we are.”

    McKay confirmed that Barton was looking for a four-year deal, but was prepared to take a pay-cut, although the two parties were unable to reach agreement on that basis in January.

    He said: “He wanted a four-year contract which would see him right through his best years. He was happy to take a four-year deal and less money.”

    Barton, of course, has endured a chequered spell at St James’ Park which at one point saw him jailed.

    However, he has made the most of the chance his employers gave him on his release and was one of the club’s key players last season.

    McKay said: “I must say that, to be fair to Newcastle and the current Board, they stuck by Joey. I think he repaid them last season – I think he had a great season. But they stuck by him, there’s no doubt about that, Derek Llambias especially.”

  42. CLiNT FLiCK says:
    May 25, 2011 at 7:25 pm

    “worky,
    maybe put that one up tomorrow mate?”

    Oh FFS! I just put it up about two seconds before reading your comment!

    Sorry Clint.

  43. Barton and his agent to blame for this one. I though Barton was willing to end his career at the club and take a pay cut? We dont need him anyway, we have ben arfa who can play on the right.

  44. @54…he is /was willing to stay at club adn take pay cut man!! thats what its all about. the club would only offer him 2 years and he wanted four. He then offered the olive branch of pay cut for more time as he loves the area. They (ashley)said nob off joey.

  45. I personaly would offer joey 2 years with option of a 3rd. After all he has missed a large chunk of the 4yrs hes been here. We should go after Hitzlesberger, only problem is, is that hes injury prone also

  46. well as it stands we will go after no one as joey will stay for another year so at least we have him for this next season.

  47. What are they playing at. He’s our player of the year for godsake fans want him here offer him a god dam contract you’ve just released sol campbell who was on 40k a week and kuqi on 15k a week! Sign Barton up it isn’t hard you know!

  48. It ain’t that simple Alex,
    kow tow to one agent, kow tow to all.

    They didn’t with Saylor, doubt they will this time.