Former Newcastle United midfielder Joey Barton cleared of assault following League One match between Barnsley and Fleetwood Town

The former Newcastle United midfielder, 39, was alleged to have pushed over rival manager Daniel Stendel, leaving him bloodied and with a broken tooth.

When the Bristol Rovers manager gave evidence last week, he denied it was him who shoved then Barnsley manager Stendel after a League One match between his Fleetwood Town team and the South Yorkshire side on April 13 2019.

Stendel told a jury 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.

Video footage shown repeatedly during the trial showed 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.

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