Barton shamed again - could this be the end for Allardyce?

The one-time England international was detained with a member of his family and a woman friend at 5.30am yesterday after two men were attacked in his home city.

The Newcastle midfielder, 25, is understood to have been held following a night out, just hours after missing his side's 1-0 defeat at Wigan on Boxing Day with an ankle injury.

Allardyce was unavailable for comment last night but the incident is the last thing the Newcastle boss needs as he strives to keep his job.

Barton, who along with his team-mates blocked Allardyce's plans to take the squad to a London training camp ahead of tomorrow's visit to Chelsea, was expected at training in the North-east yesterday morning.

There was considerable surprise at the club when it was discovered he had been socialising in Liverpool.

Barton is already on unconditional bail over the alleged assault on former Manchester City team-mate Ousmane Dabo which goes to a Crown Court trial in June.

He spent the day sobering up in a Liverpool city centre police cell before being interviewed by officers.

A spokesman for Merseyside Police said: "Two men and a woman have been arrested following an assault on two men in Liverpool city centre in the early hours.

"The incident happened just after 5.30am when two men suffered an assault on Church Street. Two men, aged 25 and 19, and a 27-year-old woman, were arrested on suspicion of assault and have been taken to a police station on Merseyside, where they will be questioned later."

Barton has struggled to cope with his move to Tyneside and this run-in will not help his cause. His arrest will also cause fresh concern in the Barton family.

In a recent interview on BBC1's Inside Sport, Barton said it was "killing him" to keep having to explain headlines to his beloved grandmother who has been stricken with illness.

Barton said: "She's in hospital and obviously she's worried about me because I'm up here and she's saying, 'Everything all right?' It kills me the fact she's got to read that and then decipher whether or not I've done right or wrong.

"She doesn't like reading stuff like that because in her eyes I'll always be an angel. I'll always be a great kid because she knows the person I am."

A Newcastle spokesman said: "The club is aware of an incident but until we have further information it would be inappropriate to comment."