http://www.tribalfootball.com/article.php?id=37909Man City players want Barton bombed out after amazing bust-up
tribalfooball.com - May 01, 2007
Manchester City suspended Joey Barton after a training ground bust-up left teammate Ousmane Dabo needing hospital treatment.
The Daily Mail says Barton looks to have played his last game for Manchester City after putting teammate Dabo in hospital after a vicious training ground assault.
Barton's troubled career at City now looks likely to end with a club record fine of four weeks' wages - around £100,000 - and a £5.5million summer move to Everton. The 25-year-old was suspended until the end of the season for an attack that left senior colleagues saying he should be sacked.
A week after Barton incurred the wrath of manager Stuart Pearce for criticising some of his signings, the England international clashed with Frenchman Dabo in front of a group of supporters who had been invited to City's Carrington training ground.
After the two midfield players cut each other down with alternate late tackles, Barton taunted Dabo by telling him: "You're s**t."
Dabo retaliated by telling Barton: "You are not as good as you think you are," and the players began to trade blows.
The Frenchman is believed to have thrown the first punch but Barton responded with a flurry of blows - "five or six", according to one witness - that floored Dabo and left him in a pool of blood.
Dabo was recovering at home last night and one senior City player said: "I have never seen anything like it. There was blood everywhere. Barton should be sacked."
City denied that Dabo had lost some teeth but the 30-year-old needed a scan before being allowed home with cuts and bruises to his face.
Barton said last night: "There was a training ground incident which unfortunately got to escalate pretty quickly as things can do at the training ground. I regret the way it got out of control and I will try to deal with it as soon as possible."