God loves a trier?

After having been sent off in Sunday’s dramatic title decider against Manchester City which saw City snatch two late goals to win their first title for 44 years, controversial QPR skipper Joey Barton managed to bring God into things.

QPR's Joey Barton is sent off after clashing with Manchester City's Carlos Tevez. (c) Mike Egerton/EMPICS Sport

Despite being dismissed for elbowing City forward Carlos Tevez after Tevez had thrown a punch at him, and then kicking Sergio Aguero in the back of the knee, bad boy Barton still attempted to deliver a Glasgow kiss to Vincent Kompany as he made his way off the field.

He apologized for getting sent off on his Twitter account. “The head was never gone at any stage, once I’d been sent off, one of our players suggested that I should try to take one of theirs with me. It never worked but God loves a trier’’.

Controversy has followed the 29 year-old ex- Manchester City and Newcastle United Midfielder throughout his career, including a 60,000 pound fine for stubbing a cigarette in the eye of a youth team player, during Man City’s Christmas party in 2004, (after Barton had caught him trying to burn his shirt); and a 6 month prison sentence in 2008 for assaulting a man and a teenager in Liverpool City centre whilst he was on bail for two other charges.

His cousin and brother were handed suspended sentences for their involvement in the assault. He served 77 days of his sentence.

Let’s hope that Barton who has been described by the BBC as: “a philosophical sportsman to rival Eric Cantona in his heyday” because of his tweets about figures such as Nietsche and Orwell to Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Morrissey, will understand that God loves it when people try more peaceful and productive things!