Wow! We can't quite believe what we've just seen.
Jeff Stelling broke the news on Sky Sports earlier that Joey Barton had been allegedly involved in an unsavoury incident in the Oakwell tunnel in the aftermath of his Fleetwood Town side going down 4-2 to Barnsley in this afternoon's League One clash.
He even told us police were allegedly investigating an assault on Barnsley's German manager Daniel Stendel. But we can't say we really believed it until seeing this footage.
Joey Barton stopped by old bill from leaving Oakwell pic.twitter.com/Kowh0OQeqp
— Jack (@JACKEDD1E) April 13, 2019
The former Manchester City and Newcastle United midfielder seems to emerge from a door into what looks to be a car park before jumping into the passenger seat of a dark coloured BMW saloon.
However, images would suggest the oft times temperamental Barton didn't get too far.
Police were on hand to deny the 36-year-old Liverpudlian leaving the scene, stepping in front of the vehicle before gesturing for the former England international to stay put.
It's the latest in a string of controversial incidents that have followed Barton throughout his career.
He was infamously sentenced to six months in jail after pleading guilty to a charge of assault after a late-night incident in his home city of Liverpool in December 2007.
He would serve 74 days of his sentence before being released.
In his younger days at Manchester City, he was involved in a litany of incidents, including stubbing out a cigar in a youth team player's eye at a Christmas party in 2004, assaulting a 15-year-old Everton fan during City's pre-season tour of Thailand in 2005 and being arrested for an alleged assault of then-teammate Ousmane Dabo after a row erupted during training in April 2007 - an incident that effectively ended Barton's association with the Lancashire club.
Having played for QPR, Marseille, Burnley and Rangers in the intervening years, Barton was handed an 18-month suspension by the FA in April 2017 after admitting a charge in relation to betting infringements. He subsequently announced his retirement from playing.
Barton was appointed manager at the Fishermen in on the expiration of his ban at the start of the current Football League season, with the north-west club currently sitting eleventh in the league.
