Joey Barton tries to patch it up with Alan Shearer

Oct 9 2009 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

JOEY Barton has attempted to make his peace with Alan Shearer as hopes continue to grow regarding the former Newcastle skipper’s bid to return to St James’s Park as manager.

Barton was fined two weeks wages and banned from the training ground last season after he and Shearer – who is still waiting for Barry Moat to complete his proposed takeover of the club – were pulled apart in the dressing room following a heated exchange of personal insults following a 3-0 defeat at Anfield.

The midfielder had been sent off in the match for a rash tackle on Xabi Alonso and responded to Shearer’s criticism by questioning his managerial ability.

That row appeared to have brought Barton’s United career to an end and there is no doubt he would have been sold this summer if Shearer had been given the job on a permanent basis.

However, The Journal understands the two men have since met in the owners’ enclosure at Redcar racetrack and, having shook hands, Barton hopes their problems are behind them despite his reluctance to actually apologise for the incident.

He said: “With grown men in competitive sport there is going to be a clash of personalities. Emotions were running high and Alan was disappointed; no-one was more disappointed than I was that I had taken myself out of the equation by getting sent off stupidly.

“Things went on in the dressing room and it’s well documented certain things were said. We’ve both seen each other since and we’ve both been very civil about it. I’m fine with it, I’ve got a lot of respect for Alan. I was never going to get in a war of words with him, I have too much respect for him. We had a disagreement but we are both grown men and you get on with it.