It seems Joey Barton finally has a rival for the monopoly he has recently held on controversial stories surrounding Geordie midfielders after it emerged that a blazing row has erupted in the OHAFC squad, with aspiring wingman Kieran Burns lighting the touch paper on fiery club captain Andy William’s notoriously short fuse.
“verbal handbags…but with real feeling”
The North-East vs North-West feud, described by one dressing room insider as “verbal handbags…but with real feeling”, kicked off when months of baiting by Burns finally pushed his centre back foe ever the edge during their team’s recent disappointing loss at home to Old Centralians. According to observers, it is believed that the focus of his ire was what he sees as the lack of respect displayed to him by Burns with regards to both his senior position at the club and also his achievements to date as a player. It has also been suggested that Burns has been vocal in publicly making fun of Williams’ “ginger-ness”, comparing him to such celebrities as Rupert Grint, La Roux and Charles Kennedy, passing them off as “banter” comments which have secretly infuriated the skipper.
Upsetting players of influence at a time when he is looking to establish himself as a regular starter at the club is seen by many as a questionable strategy for Burns to employ. His cause was not helped by a drunken late night altercation at a Leeds night spot on the evening of the Aberford match, with witnesses reporting a one-sided brawl after which the badly beaten winger retired to a family member’s house where he unsuccessfully attempted to end the night with his dignity intact. It has since been rumoured that this was in fact a revenge attack by Williams, who called in several notorious gang members of Scouse background to teach Burns a lesson of respect. Outside the house he rents off a celebrity acquaintance, Burns, confused by recent events, briefly described the attack in his own words, “I was approached by a hooded individual who asked me if I had any chicken, I looked up to Keegan for the answer and then bang, he just nailed me like. He then loudly announced that he was 20years old, almost 21 and for that he deserved respect. It was all very strange like”.
An OHAFC spokesman last night released the following statement : “The club has endured a difficult week both on and off the pitch but we are confident that we have now turned a corner in every sense. We do not wish to comment on individual incidents or players but can say that morale across the squad as a whole remains high.”
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