Joey Barton today was found not guilty for pushing over a manager rival at the conclusion of a match. This left him with a bloodied tooth and left him bleeding.
Barton (39), denied that he shoved Daniel Stendel, then Barnsley manager, in the tunnel following a League One match on April 13th between Fleetwood Town and South Yorkshire.
Mr Stendel told a jury at Sheffield Crown Court how he was walking down the tunnel in the corner of Barnsley’s Oakwell Stadium 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.
At least twice during the trial, video footage showed Mr Stendel walking into the tunnel, followed by Barton jogging a second later.
Following a week-long trial, it took the jury less than 2 hours to decide that Barton was not guilty of the one charge of assault occasioning actual bodily hurt.

Joey Barton, 39, (seen outside court) denied it was him who shoved then Barnsley manager Daniel Stendel in the tunnel after a League One match

Christopher Stern, former Barnsley assistant boss, told jurors how he witnessed Mr Stendel’s then manager (pictured), with broken teeth and blood leaking out of his mouth and nose.

Mr Barton (right), speaking to Mr Stendel at Oakwell