Joey Barton could lose prison privileges after reported discovery inside his cell | OneFootball

Barton is currently on remand, and it is being claimed that he is facing a fresh issue whilst inside

Former EFL player and manager Joey Barton is facing a fresh issue whilst he is being held on remand at HMP Liverpool, according to reports.

The former midfielder racked up over 400 appearances as a player for a number of clubs over the course of his career on-field, with 90 of those coming in the Championship for Newcastle United, Burnley and QPR, but legal troubles have followed him around for much of his adult life.

And whilst he awaits trial over a charge of grievous bodily harm with intent, fresh claims have emerged from prison that could land him in hot water.

Joey Barton in fresh trouble on remand as prison bosses quiz him

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The Sun are reporting that Barton has been quizzed by the powers-that-be at HMP Liverpool over claims that he is helping to hoard contraband inside his cell for other prison mates.

Barton was allegedly caught with smuggled phones and tobacco inside his cell, and if found guilty he could be stripped of the privileges he has in jail.

There are accusations though that the 44-year-old former Bristol Rovers manager is denying, with further claims that he could be acting in the interests of gangsters that he is sharing the prison with.

Anti-corruption officers are said to have stormed Barton's cell to search it after a tip-off, and if punished for the findings, Barton could lose access to 'watching TV, plus some access to gyms and workshops and time out of his cell', according to The Sun's report.

Why is Joey Barton on remand in HMP Liverpool?

It's been nearly seven months since Barton has been seen in public, having been arrested for an alleged attack near a golf club in Liverpool on March 8 - it was alleged that he and co-accused Gary O'Grady attacked former non-league manager Kevin Lynch.

It was claimed that due to the attack, Lynch could lose sight in one of his eyes, and after Barton was charged, he was refused bail by the police and was subsequently held on remand a month later after denying the charges.

Barton's trial was set to begin on September 1, but this has been pushed back to March 2027, meaning he will have been in prison for a full year before the case is heard, with a pre-trial date scheduled for this December.

What other offences Joey Barton has been in trouble with the police for?

Despite being a former Premier League midfielder for the likes of Newcastle United, Man City and QPR, Barton has failed to stay out of trouble over the years.

In 2007, he assaulted City team-mate Ousmane Dabo at their training ground, leaving the midfielder unconscious and with head and eye injuries - something Barton later pleaded guilty to and was handed a four-month suspended prison sentence.

He was then jailed for six months in 2008 over an assault in Liverpool City Centre in December 2007, having pleaded guilty, and in 2025, he was also found guilty of assaulting his wife four years prior, and was given a 12-week suspended prison sentence for that particular offence.

There has also been charges that have not ended up with Barton being found guilty though, like in 2021 when after a two-and-a-half year wait, he was cleared of a charge of assaulting then-Barnsley boss Daniel Stendel in the Oakwell tunnel area in 2019 when he was Fleetwood Town manager at the time.

For all of his ability on the football pitch during his playing days, Barton has struggled to keep himself out of trouble, and he will likely not be back involved with the sport even if he manages to escape a conviction for his latest charge.