Former Bristol Rovers manager, Joey Barton is facing backlash for his insensitive comments regarding the murder of Anthony Walker.
Anthony Walker was killed in 2005 by Joey Barton’s brother, Michael Barton and cousin Paul Taylor at McGoldrick park, Liverpool.
Anthony Walker was an 18-year-old Black man walking home with his girlfriend Louise Thompson and cousin Marcus Binns, when they were confronted by the killers.
Recently, clips from an upcoming Anything Goes podcast from James English went viral as Joey Barton trivialized his brother’s actions and solely blamed his cousin, Paul Taylor.
What made people angrier is Barton’s choice of words.
He described the murder as a “scrap”. ‘Scrap’ is a British slang for argument or a fight. In normal terms it refers to waste. The choice of the words has enraged the public in downplaying the seriousness of the murder, one that was racially motivated.
The culprits attacked Walker verbally calling him the “N-word” before swinging an ice axe into his head.
Joey Barton’s description makes it sound like a fight gone wrong scenario, whereas in reality it was a hate crime that led up to murder. At the time, both Michael and Taylor fled for Amsterdam in an attempt to avoid the police.
Barton tries to paint his brother as the victim who lost 17 years in prison.
Anthony Walker’s family have refuted these claims as ‘factually incorrect ‘as it was Anthony who lost his life forever that day. Michael and Taylor got to live it even in jail.
Walker’s family has since 2005 tried to combat incidents like this from ever happening again by forming the Anthony Walker Foundation. They couldn’t believe how Barton, a man with fame and influence, downplays such a serious crime.
It is not just Barton who is facing backlash, podcast host James English also got criticized for allowing such mischaracterization of people and events in their platform. This could potentially damage and create false narratives with the internet already being a cesspool of misinformation.
It’s one thing to take bent the facts, but it’s completely different take away the credibility of racial crimes. With racial tensions at an all-time high, with the refugee crisis, migrant influx and Israel-Palestine conflict, it’s important to show respect and compassion.