Barton

A bitch slap to someone acting like a bitch. That's the way I see it. There's a fine line when violence is involved, especially when emotions are high. It's not like he decked her and dragged her up and down the high street. Defending himself from having his hair pulled - even a push *could* have resulted in much worse physical injury, which at the same time I'm sure we could all agree it's ok to push a woman off of us if she is attacking us. On the balance of things, a slap, over a push, over a punch... Is probably the closest to that blurry line or acceptable. For the record, I've been in a physically abusive relationship with a woman. A lot of reflection goes on in my head that I wished I had sometimes at least tried to push her off of me but I didn't stand up for myself and have had to take multiple days off of work on multiple occasions whilst a black eye or cuts on my face have healed. Not many of us have actually been attacked by a woman. So it's easy for people to say "never hit a woman", and yes, that is my principles, and that has been my action (or lack of reaction) in such a circumstance. It's difficult to articulate such a complex issue, but ultimately, yes - I think a woman attacking a man can expect a slap. But I would feel different if it was a punch or full on attack.

As for the referee moment. I say what's on my mind and call things how they are. In a competitive game with high passions and a load of testosterone floating around, some people might get called names. Suck it up buttercup or maybe that referee would be better off judging village flower competitions.

I do agree that Barton should reign it in a bit, because as someone mentioned back in this thread, it seems every few months we have another Joey Moment™ to divide the fans and cause a tiny little wave of uproar.

However... That really goes against my own principles of free speech and allowing people to be, say and do whatever the hell they like outside of work. Yes, I know, he's associated with us. But it's not as if he's parading around Berlin waving a swastika and geeing up the populous to have a crack at a fourth Reich is it? He posted a video of people who some people dislike. And yes, I know, Andrew Tate blah blah blah. Even I am self censoring here because I've heard and listened to A LOT of this guy, purely out of wondering what the hell the hubbub was about. I haven't heard anything that's particularly worrying. Even the things you think you've heard, "he's sexist because he said X, he's a chauvinistic pig becuyhe said Y". Well, I went and watched the whole episodes & podcasts of each particular mention he's had in the mainstream media, and seeing it first hand how his words have been taken wholly out of context and twisted against him to portray him as the person you think he is, is particularly worrying. This has only fueled my own mistrust of journalists and the media, which makes me laugh even more when people deride Tucker.

Finally, re why have FGR gone up levels etc.. I'd say it's down to Bristol being the second most expensive city in the country, which footballers aren't going to want to triple their rent or mortgage payments moving here, coupled with having a falling down stadium (as much as I love the mem for all its faults and character), and from an outside perspective, a yo-yoing club who don't seem to ever spend any money on any players, probably doesn't seem like such an attractive place to be.