Newport County make a surprise dig at Bristol Rovers manager Joey Barton after he uses a Holocaust term in his post-match interview.
James Rowberry made a successful start as Exiles boss with a 3-1 League Two victory over the Pirates at the Memorial Stadium.
The visitors took a 27th minute lead when Courtney Baker-Richardson slid in at the far post to finish a low cross from Jake Cain.
Dominic Telford doubled their lead in the 31st minute with a shot on the turn from close range after a poor clearance by Gas goalkeeper James Belshaw had been pounced on by Baker-Richardson.
Brett Pitman gave the hosts hope in first half stoppage time, turning inside the box to net with a brilliant volley which flashed into the roof of the net.
However, former Bristol Rovers loanee Telford sealed victory with his second goal of the game, after a cross by substitute Finn Azaz just past the hour mark.
The visitors could have been out of sight before Pitman’s goal, with Telford denied by Belshaw with an outstretched leg.
At the other end, Newport goalkeeper Joe Day handled an oncoming Luke Thomas shot well, smothering it to keep the scoreline as it was.
Pitman and Alfie Kilgour continued to push to give Bristol Rovers a way back in the game with second-half efforts, but Newport ended up being worthy winners.
Newport’s James Rowberry said: “I have to give a lot of credit to the staff and the players as a collective… it was a great experience, a great day.
“I can’t say I massively enjoyed it because I was in the moment with it, but I’ll enjoy it later because it was important to me to get off to a good start with the team.
“He (Telford) has been amazing and I’ve got to say and what a great lad. We’ve got a great group of individuals and all of them today were fantastic.”
Newport decided to make a surprise dig at Joey Barton and his side after he uses a Holocaust term in his interview.
The Welsh outfit couldn’t help but highlight their win over the weekend, it’s fair to say Newport are really giddy right now judging by their post on Sunday night…
Better luck next time, Joey. pic.twitter.com/EEjzdUZv7m
— Newport County AFC (@NewportCounty) October 24, 2021
Bristol Rovers have refused to comment on, apologise or further explain Joey Barton’s comments in which the manager refereed to a poor individual performance as like ‘a holocaust’.
When asked post-match, “is that defence capable of being more solid?”, Barton responded: “I said to the lads during the week, the team’s almost like musical chairs.
“Someone gets in and does well but then gets suspended or injured. Someone gets in for a game, does well but then has a holocaust, a nightmare, an absolute disaster.”
After initially being broadcast through club channels, the footage was widely shared and condemned on social media by supporters before it was taken down internally, edited and re-posted to remove the offending line.
Does Barton refer to a bad performance as a ‘Holocaust’ here? Am I losing my hearing? pic.twitter.com/u7i5qU9Pcm
— JH (@iamhighlystrung) October 23, 2021
However, when contacted on Sunday, and then given several hours to provide a response, Bristol Rovers refused to comment with Bristol Live understanding that several club figures have been left upset by Barton’s choice of words.
The Holocaust was the genocide of European Jews between 1941-1945 by Nazi Germany and their collaborators in which an estimated six million men, women and children – around two thirds of the continent’s Jewish population – were killed.
The alternative dictionary definition of a holocaust is a, “destruction or slaughter on a mass scale, especially caused by fire or nuclear war”.
In the 2011 Census, 777 people in Bristol identified Judaism as their religion, with three main synagogues in the city, but the wider Jewish community is far larger, when the student population is taken into account.
Since taking charge in February, Barton has already been under scrutiny for his choice of words. His claims that predecessors Paul Tisdale and Ben Garner were “negligent” led to a threat of legal action. In May, he stated there was a “cancer” dragging Bristol Rovers down in reference to an unnamed individual at the club.
He has previously publicly criticised medical staff at the club and last week, unprompted, highlighted his non-existent relationship with director and former head of recruitment Tommy Widdrington.
FAN REACTION:
@gas1883: Remember when the club banned a fan who raised thousands from speaking on the pitch but allowed this guy to represent us all in the media? Oh right that’s just now.
@Dan190984: Fucking hell 🤦🏼♂️
@gypsyroadhog: He’s a car crash on loop
@baldyrunner: Can’t he learn to not dig a hole then continue to jump in it..?
@MrRic_Hard: @Official_BRFC
1️⃣You sack DC for poor results & outspoken radio interview
2️⃣You sack PT for poor results & outspoken radio interview
3️⃣You Keep JB with poor results,2 impending assault court cases & now referring to our luck as like the holocaust!
WTF’s he gotta do to get sack
@KarenFaz: Why would you even be thinking of that word to describe a bad football performance during a post-match interview?! Bizarre.
@Dan190984: @Official_BRFC are we ok with this?*
*The answer is no.
@iamhighlystrung: I look forward to a club statement defending him just like the ‘victimless crime’ debacle. Wael needs to open his eyes to the mistake he made. I don’t care if he’s spent £10m or £100m on us, his man is dragging us through the mud.
@bristolianeagle: They’ve edited their YouTube video now, it ends abruptly. I’m guessing just before he goes on this rant…
@iamhighlystrung: I’m used to being let down by Rovers, being embarrassed by them, but this guy – and the spinelessness of his boss – is a series of new lows, one after the other
@MrRic_Hard: In what normal person is that the 1st thing that pops into your head & then proceeded allow it to flip out of your mouth,in a live interview too! What’s he gotta do to get sacked? He’s tried being inept as a manager. He’s tried getting arrested for assault. This surely does it no?
@dazzamac73: Why would he even have that word in his head? Thought he couldn’t get any lower!
@AdamONeillio: The guys an absolute tool
@parkesey1881: Oh ffs. The gift that keeps on giving.
@cameron_jm1997: Another reason to get sacked, how many more to the board need
@randomranger: Huge clanger.
@psharks111: Disgusting man
@1tomholbrook: Get out of our club joey, club should be embarrassed to be associated with you
@CabezaJake: Christ this bloke is a clown!
@benmawby: How does he get away with statements like that @EFL
@alexjlongman: What the hell
@BopperSafc1879: How does this prick still have a job? Family full of absolute lunatics
@jlewis2891: He’s such a twat. Obviously another one talkSPORT had on their list of pundits
@WillScrivin99: yeah get this bloke gone, this is disgusting
@jhendy_10: Barton once again proving that reality doesn’t match up with his own self-perceived intellect
@theWycombeWay: Of all the things that Barton has said and done over the years this is one of the worst. How he’s still in a job in football I do not know.
@olpafc_: Don’t think he’s ever done a normal post match interview
@fishplums: get this dickhead out of our club @waelalqadi
@ChrisLukeJones: How on earth does he still have a job. He’s doing a shit job on the pitch and off it, well
@dankthemanc: How barton is still in the game I’ll never know. He’s an abhorrent human being with zero morals
@NotJimWhite1: That’s abhorrent @Joey7Barton, you shouldn’t be anywhere near football
@jackhennessy19: Oh Joey 🤦🏼♂️how has still got a job i dont know and with comments like that, surely it wont be long till hes gone
@bradd_james: THat idiot has no BRAINS
Reaction to Newport’s tweet
@caitlinjjwebb: What the heck 😭
@BRFClewis: Find a new hobby lads but hope you enjoyed your cup final.
@Prestonjr1234: Give this admin a raise 😂😂😂
@McSauce1883: A bit of an odd admin
@Brfchar: Proper strange behaviour this
@cidersuspect: You’ve spelt elite wrong there pal
@harr_barter: Really really odd, glad you enjoyed your cup final now lads. Please stop tweeting about us now though, it’s a tad embarrassing x
@Jakey_SCFC: Bit like your mob to Bristol City. Except Newport are better than you, and Bristol City are loads better than you.
@darrell_ben: Proper strange behaviour from the admin this, you’ve had ya win, move on. We couldn’t care less about you.
@EdJacobs14: have they not got sheep to count?
@nathangould_: This is really really weird 😂😂
@ciderarmy03: Newport 🤝 biggest shithouses
@GasheadAshley: This tweet from @NewportCounty is massively unprofessional and pathetic. #shitclub
@CymruOllie: Give the admin a pay rise & a lifetime contract , get it done @NewportCounty
@brfcharryy2: milking it a bit
Better of sticking to sweeping! pic.twitter.com/NVhosMHiMm
— ᴄᴏʟ (@ColArmy86) October 24, 2021
You must be logged in to post a comment Login