Barton hit with another betting charge

Joey Barton's return to Burnley may have to wait after the veteran midfielder was hit with yet another charge in relation to betting.

Following the suspension he received from the Scottish Football Association during his calamitous stay at Rangers earlier in the season, the English Football Association has claimed the controversial figure, who only rejoined Burnley this week, breached rules by placing 1,260 football bets between March 26, 2006 and May 13, 2016.

The 34-year-old has until Jan. 5, 2017 to decide whether he will appeal the charge.

His ban in Scotland related to punts on football-related matters between July 1 and Sept. 15 of this year, but this latest disciplinary proceeding would encompass his employment at each of the previous clubs in his professional career: Manchester City, Newcastle United, Queens Park Rangers, a loan spell at Olympique Marseille, and Burnley.

In 2016, the FA clamped down on the rule which states players cannot bet on football, even when they're not involved in any way. Ex-Manchester City defender Martin Demichelis was ordered to pay £22,058 after he was discovered to have placed 29 bets earlier this year, while Norwich City's Kyle Lafferty coughed up £23,000 for betting on a single match in February.

Given the extent of Barton's flutters down the bookies, it's likely the one-time England international will be handed a larger fine and perhaps a longer ban than the one match he carries over with him from his stint north of the border.