Inside the Farce: Joey Barton Blows the Lid Off Bristol Rovers Ownership

Joey Barton has finally spoken—and he’s not holding back.

In a brutally honest podcast appearance, Barton laid bare the chaos, dysfunction, and staggering incompetence that consumed Bristol Rovers behind the scenes after Wael Al-Qadi handed control of the club to the Al Saeed family.

Wael: The Good Guy in the Wrong Movie

Barton opens with nothing but praise for Wael. A passionate owner. A genuine supporter. A man who gave him full backing. But Wael, Barton says, was sold a fantasy—told the Al Saeeds were “stand-up guys.” Instead, he handed over control to individuals completely out of their depth. Within months, communication broke down. Trust vanished. Wael walked away because he simply couldn’t work with them.

Abdul, Aziz & The Amateur Hour

The main villains in Barton’s account? Abdullatif and Aziz Al Saeed. He brands Abdul a “pathological liar” and a “nepo baby,” completely unqualified for his role. Aziz? A “buffoon.” The third partner? Simply “the best of a bad bunch.”

They didn’t just lack experience—they lacked any footballing sense. No communication with staff, no clear leadership, and no clue what they were doing. It was football club ownership as performance art—and not in a good way.

Sabotage from Within

It wasn’t just the new owners causing issues. Barton torched former DoF Tom Widdrington, calling him a “dishonest piece of sh*t.” CEO Martyn Starnes? “Lazy” with 600 unread emails and unpaid invoices stacked high. Barton says these two were actively undermining operations—and yet, Wael initially refused to remove them.

The turning point? A mistakenly sent email and a “listening device” in the dressing room—revealed to be a young player allegedly reporting back to Widdrington.

The Gorringe Purge

Barton reserves praise for former CEO Tom Gorringe, calling him “brilliant” and crediting him with pushing forward stadium plans despite bureaucratic hurdles. But even he was ousted—forced out by Abdul in what Barton describes as a duplicitous and divisive move. When Gorringe raised concerns, Abdul reacted by banning Eddy Jennings from contacting his own father, Hussein Al Saeed.

The Clarke-Harris Transfer Farce

Nothing screams dysfunction like the collapse of the Jonson Clarke-Harris deal.

There was £900k ready for a striker. Abdul wanted JCH for £500k. Barton initially held off, unconvinced the player still had the legs. But when he finally agreed? Abdul ghosted. Wael even offered to fund the deal personally—but Abdul still blocked it.

To top it off, Rovers sold Ryan Loft to Port Vale the same day.

Matt Taylor’s Authority Torn Apart

Matt Taylor's appointment could’ve been a reset—but it became a farce. After taking compassionate leave, Taylor returned to manage the side at Orient. Only… he wasn’t allowed to.

Barton says Taylor turned up after returning from compassionate leave ready to give the team talk—but was stopped at the dressing room door. Assistant David Horseman had already briefed the players, under direct instruction from Abdul. MT was sent to the stands and publicly humiliated.

From that point on, Barton says, “his bollocks were chopped off, bit by bit.” Team selections, tactics, strategy—it was all being dictated from above.

Exodus and Collapse

Lee Cattermole walked after one week. Clint Hill, Eddy Jennings, Andy Mangan—all gone. Even George Friend, “a lovely bloke,” was used as a front for decisions he didn’t make.

What was left? A bloated £6m budget (compared to Barton’s £4m), no coherent strategy, no saleable assets, and a recruitment chief (Calderon) who “clearly hasn’t got a clue.”

Kevin Bond—once claiming he was the brains behind promotion—got binned for undermining Barton, only to sneak back in by recommending Calderon.

The Flat Full of Graft

At one point, Barton and his team were living six-deep in a two-bedroom flat—two of them on inflatable beds. Grinding it out, shoulder to shoulder, doing it for the badge. The same people who built a team, built a culture… now gone.

Barton’s Final Word

Barton still believes. “As good as any manager in League One or League Two,” he says. “Unfinished business.”

Of course this is Joey Bartons take on what happened but Matt Taylor has also had his say on not feeling in control at whilst at Bristol Rovers.