Barton banned for six matches
Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton was banned on Friday for six matches - with another six suspended - and fined 25,000 pounds for assaulting teammate Ousmane Dabo.
Barton, 26, had previously admitted the charge of violent conduct and was given his punishment at a Football Association hearing in London.
In July, Barton received a four-month suspended prison sentence for the assault, which occurred in May 2007, when he and Dabo were at Manchester City.
It left the French midfielder with cuts and bruises to his face and eyes as well as a suspected detached retina.
Since the attack on Dabo, who now plays for Serie A side Lazio in Italy, Barton has been jailed for a drink-fuelled attack on a teenager in his native Liverpool.
He was released from prison in July after serving 74 days of his sentence for that attack.
Kevin Keegan, who resigned as Newcastle manager on Thursday, is thought to have sent his support for the player to Friday's hearing by fax but did not appear in person.
The four-man FA panel, which included former England manager Graham Taylor, heard Barton's plea for leniency before handing down the ban which will see him out of action until October 25 at the earliest.
Barton has two weeks to appeal the verdict.
A statement on the FA's website read: "The Commission members considered principally the serious attack by Mr Barton that clearly cannot be accepted."
Comments