Joey Barton charged over alleged posts about BBC star

Former Bristol Rovers boss Joey Barton has been charged with a malicious communications offence against broadcaster Jeremy Vine.

The 41-year-old, who managerd the club between 2021 and 2023, previously faced one count of the same offence in relation to posts directed towards football pundit and ex-England women's international Eni Aluko on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

He is scheduled to stand trial at Liverpool Crown Court next year in relation to this charge. His case was listed before the same court this morning, Tuesday, where it was heard that he has now been charged with further malicious communications offences against Mr Vine and Lucy Ward.

Barton was not present during today's short 15-minute hearing, reports the Liverpool Echo. Simon Csoka KC, defending, confirmed that his client had recently been re-arrested in relation to the two further alleged victims before being charged by the Crown Prosecution Service.

A date has not yet been set for an appearance before the magistrates' court in relation to the two fresh charges. Cheshire Police have been approached for comment.

Barton, who had given an address in Widnes to the court, previously pleaded not guilty to the count relating to Ms Aluko when appearing before the crown court in August. He was released on bail by the Honorary Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC ahead of a provisional three-day trial in the week commencing May 19 2025 under the condition that he is "prohibited from making any mention of Eni Aluko on social media, directly or indirectly or by inference".

The ECHO previously reported that Barton had been charged in relation to tweets posted in January this year, when Ms Aluko and Ms Ward were appearing as pundits on ITV's coverage of an FA Cup match between Crystal Palace and Everton on 4 January, allegedly comparing them to the serial killers Fred and Rose West. A follow-up post was meanwhile said to have likened the former to dictators Joseph Stalin and Pol Pot.

Barton made more than 400 professional appearances for clubs including Manchester City, Newcastle United and Queens Park Rangers, winning one England cap, and latterly managed Fleetwood Town and Bristol Rovers. Ms Aluko won 102 England caps and played professionally in England, America and Italy before becoming a television pundit while Ms Ward also enjoyed a 13-year career for clubs including Leeds United ahead of her own career as a broadcaster.

Mr Vine is best known as being the host of his own BBC Radio 2 lunchtime programme and also presents his own current affairs show on Channel 5. He and Barton also became embroiled in a social media spat following the latter's alleged comments concerning the other two complainants, during which the former midfielder was said to have made further defamatory remarks by labelling him a "big bike nonce".=