Eni Aluko says Joey Barton court case led to a reduction in TV opportunities

Football pundit Eni Aluko believes the court case which saw former footballer Joey Barton convicted of sending grossly offensive social media posts has affected her TV career.

Barton was convicted on Friday of sending grossly offensive social media posts about broadcaster Jeremy Vine and TV football pundits Aluko and Lucy Ward.

A jury at Liverpool Crown Court found Barton, 43, had “crossed the line between free speech and a crime” with six posts he made on X.

He was cleared of six other counts that he sent a grossly offensive electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety between January and March 2024.

In a statement after the hearing, Aluko said: “Social media is a cesspit where too many people feel they can say things to others they wouldn’t dream of saying in real life under the guise of freedom of speech.

“This is a reminder that actions online do not come without consequences.

“The messages directed at me, Lucy Ward and Jeremy Vine by Joey Barton were deeply distressing and had a real damaging impact on my life and career. I am glad that justice has been served.”

In an interview with The i Paper, 38-year-old Aluko said she would focus on TV opportunities overseas after seeing work in the UK dry up following Barton’s tirade.

“I would have liked to have seen a lot more courage on the broadcasters’ part to say ‘this is not something we’re going to accept’,” Aluko told the newspaper.

“And how that pans out in practice is, you continue to stand by that talent. You put them on screen, you communicate about how to deal with online trolls and people in the comments section – but it was just avoided.

“Nobody had ever had that conversation with me, and in the end it ended up being that I just wasn’t on screen. And that’s very, very disappointing.”

She continued: “When you look at the 12-month period, or 18-month period during this litigation, I have done the least TV I’ve ever done.

“My appetite to work in a space where you don’t feel protected and supported is gone.

“I think there’s lots of opportunities beyond the UK. I’ve always been a broadcaster internationally. I’ve always enjoyed that work and those are the spaces that I’m going to pursue.”

Ward posted a picture on Instagram which had the words “Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences”, along with the caption: “It’s been an extremely difficult and sometimes harrowing last two years.”

Following a televised FA Cup tie in January 2024 between Crystal Palace and Everton, Barton likened Ward and Aluko in a post on X to the “Fred and Rose West of football commentary”.

He went on to superimpose the faces of the two women on to a photograph of the serial murderers, with jurors ruling the superimposed image was grossly offensive.

He was also convicted of a post in relation to Aluko in which he wrote “Only there to tick boxes. DEI is a load of shit. Affirmative action. All off the back of the BLM/George Floyd nonsense.”

The ex-Manchester City, Newcastle United and Marseille player – now a social commentator with 2.7 million followers on X – is said to have suggested Vine had a sexual interest in children after the TV and radio presenter sent a message querying whether Barton had a “brain injury”.

Barton repeatedly referred to Vine as “bike nonce” and asked him: “Have you been on Epstein Island? Are you going to be on these flight logs? Might as well own up now because I’d phone the police if I saw you near a primary school on ya bike.”

He was convicted over the Epstein post and a tweet in which he said: “Oh @the JeremyVine Did you Rolf-aroo and Schofield go out on a tandem bike ride? You big bike nonce ya.”

Barton was also found guilty of other tweets in relation to Vine and was bailed ahead of sentencing on December 8.

The Honorary Recorder of Liverpool, Andrew Menary KC, noted the defendant was wearing a Union flag patterned scarf as the verdicts were returned.

He told the court: “He has chosen to adorn himself with a particular flag which I suppose is a stunt to make a point. He will not be permitted to do that on the sentencing date.”

Giving evidence, Barton, who also managed Fleetwood Town and Bristol Rovers, said he believed he is the victim of a “political prosecution” and denied his aim was “to get clicks and promote himself”.

He said his posts about Ward and Aluko were “dark and stupid humour” and he was “trying to make a serious point in a provocative way”.

In his closing speech to the jury of seven men and five women, prosecutor Peter Wright KC said Barton had crossed the line “by some considerable margin” beyond what is tolerable in society.

He said: “Mr Barton is not the victim here.

“He is not the free speech crusader that he would like to paint himself to be.

“He is not some martyr to be sacrificed on the altar of political correctness.

“He is just simply an undiluted, unapologetic bully.”