SFA charges Barton with betting 44 times on football matches

Rangers midfielder Joey Barton has been charged by the Scottish Football Association (SFA) for allegedly breaching betting rules.

The 34-year-old, who joined on a two-year deal in May, is alleged to have placed 44 bets on football matches between July 1 and September 15 this year.

The SFA, who have a strict no-betting policy on football games across the world, released a statement on Wednesday to confirm that a notice of complaint had been raised against Barton.

The former Marseille and Manchester City midfielder has until October 12 to respond to the charge, with a hearing date set for October 27.

Barton was initially under investigation from the SFA and Gambling Commission after allegedly betting on Celtic to suffer a heavy defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League group game at Camp Nou last month.

It was claimed that Barton bet on Brendan Rodgers’ side, who were beaten 7-0, to lose by at least three goals.

Last month, Barton was suspended by Rangers for three weeks following a training-ground incident involving manager Mark Warburton and team-mate Andy Halliday, though he is expected to resume full training on Monday.