Barton's "Nazi Salute"?

As you may have read in the Monday Links over at the Footy Blog, over the weekend Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton celebrated the first goal in his side's thrashing of Aston Villa with what some perceived as a Nazi salute.

According to the Telegraph, Barton "swiftly issued a public statement through his club to insist that he was entirely innocent of any wrongdoing after becoming the subject of intense internet debate following his celebration."

“I was merely pointing out that the moustache was going to go after the game,” Barton said, in an attempt to defuse the latest controversy that threatens to blight his career.

“I’ll be shaving the moustache off now that we have won. There are a few of the lads desperate to get it off. It is either the end of my moustache or the end of my relationship, so I’m glad it is going.”

And here, from Who At All The Pies, is the video. He does the "salute" at about the 25 second mark. I tend to believe him that it was all just an innocent misunderstanding, but what the hell do I know?