Joey Barton has hit back at claims he is ‘bullying’ 17-year-old Partick Thistle goalkeeper Ava Easdon following the youngster’s performance between the sticks in the Sky Sports Cup final at the weekend.
After Rangers’ first goal in the showpiece event – their 4-1 victory was shown on Sky Sports – Easdon was criticised on social media and the former Man City and QPR midfielder joined in.
He shared a clip of the goal and said: ‘I mean let’s just talk about the goalie! How is this nonsense on the box?’
However Barton his since responded to those claims and called for Sky Sports to take Women’s football off air, insinuating that women’s football would never be ‘as big as’ the men’s game as a result of ‘biological evolution’.
Partick Thistle goalkeeper Ava Easdon was the focus of Joey Barton’s ire after the 17-year-old turned out for her side in the Sky Sports Cup Final
The former Bristol Rovers boss criticised a high-profile error in a post on social media
He wrote: ‘Come on Nicola. One tweet about a clip. She’s had more publicity about this than she or her dad deserves based on their actual ability. It shouldn’t be on a paid subscription channel because it’s sub-standard quality to most football.
‘Ran the “Bullying” headlines and father a “kickboxing champion”.
‘Will youse all behave and put those victim, girl power cards away. They don’t work on people with a brain.
‘Lesbo-Ball will never be as big as Men’s football, no matter how much you virtue signal. Ya too slow and ya not going to change that. It’s called biological evolution.
‘Have a great day. Don’t be a victim.’
He re-posted the tweet that he claims originally drew ‘bullying’ labels, which saw him question why the game was on television, later adding that Eason was ‘cosplaying’.
‘If she’s on the tele, cosplaying, people will comment,’ the post read. ‘Don’t like it? Get better or get off.’
One X user then responded to that post, suggesting a charity boxing match between Barton and Easdon’s father, which Easdon ‘liked’.
Barton had responded to Nicola Docherty’s praise for Easdon, who is ‘inspiring the next generation’
During the SWPL cup final, he took aim at Partick Thistle Women’s goalkeeper Easdon, 17
Lex is a seven-time world kickboxing champion and said Barton was ‘playing up to his fan boys’
Lex Easdon liked a post suggesting a ‘charity boxing match’ between himself and Barton
‘Instead of all this bulls*** on here, how’s about a charity boxing match with @lex_easdon,’ they wrote.
‘I’m sure both of you have charities close to your hear that would benefit greatly. How’s about it Joey?’
Easdon has been enjoying a fine season for Partick Thistle after arriving on loan from Glasgow City in the summer.
The 17-year-old, who has won caps for Scotland at youth level, helped to hold Rangers to a 0-0 draw in a league game last month with several fine saves as Partick became the first team this season to keep a clean sheet against the league leaders.
Meanwhile, she was also named as Partick’s player of the month for February.
Following Barton’s first criticisms of her performance in the Sky Sports Cup final, her father was quick to defend her on social media, criticising Barton for ‘belittling’ his daughter, who is still in school.
‘In 2024 and ‘grown’ men still feel the need to belittle and bully a 17-year-old school kid, who doesn’t get paid to play,’ he wrote.
‘Unlike some men who make the same mistake week after week for hundreds of thousands of pounds.
‘She has moved up from youth level straight into SWPL1, just starting out her journey. She’s made a mistake in her positioning 13 minutes into a cup final.
‘@Joey7Barton my daughter is young enough to be your daughter and you playing up to all your young fan boys won’t go down well with your daughters when they’re old enough to see all the s**** you spout on social media. Top class role model there, mate.’
Easdon has been one of the standout players for Partick this season despite being just 17
Ava’s father, Lex, hit back at the former Man City star and said he ‘spouts s***e on social media’
However, Barton’s post was only his latest in a long line of attacks on women’s football and modern day culture.
It is also not the first time he has criticised women goalkeepers, with the 41-year-old targeting England and Manchester United star Mary Earps with a series of tweets over recent times.
One of his many comments about Earps and the women’s game which sparked outrage was him insisting he would score ‘1,000 out of 1,000 penalties’ against the Lionesses goalkeeper.
Barton has been intensely criticised over the past few months for a series of sexist jibes against women, who he also claimed ‘aren’t qualified’ to talk about men’s football.
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