Joey Barton cleared of assault charge over tunnel incident after match

The former Premier League midfielder denied shoving Barnsley manager Daniel Stendel after a match when he was Fleetwood boss in 2019.

The jury took under two hours to find Barton not guilty (Danny Lawson/PA) (PA Wire)

Former Premier League midfielder Joey Barton has been cleared of pushing over a rival manager at the end of a match, leaving him bloodied and with a broken tooth.

When the Bristol Rovers manager gave evidence last week, Barton, 39, denied it was him who shoved then-Barnsley manager Daniel Stendel in the tunnel after a League One match between his Fleetwood team and the South Yorkshire side at Oakwell on April 13 2019.

Mr Stendel told a jury at Sheffield Crown Court how he was walking down the tunnel in the corner of the ground after his side’s 4-2 victory when he was knocked over by a push from behind, causing him to hit his face on the metal structure.

Video footage shown repeatedly during the trial showed Mr Stendel entering the tunnel followed by Barton, jogging, a moment later.

The jury took under two hours to find Barton not guilty of one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm following a week-long trial.