Joey Barton wins 'Straight Ally of the Year' award for support of helping to tackle homophobia

When he's not committing bodily harm to teammates or kicking unsuspecting opponents, Joey Barton is actually a decent human being.

He might not be your favorite footballer, but Barton has often shown a compassionate side, such as the Twitter campaign he led to back an online petition demanding full disclosure of the documents related to the Hillsborough disaster.

Now, the QPR midfielder's "Jekyll" side has been rewarded with the "Straight Ally of the Year" award for his support of campaigns to tackle homophobia and discrimination in football.

The honor was presented at the Out In The City & G3 Magazine Awards on Friday, which Barton attended with his openly gay uncle, Tom Barton.

"Joey's victory is no surprise after he has worked so hard to tackle homophobia in football," awards organizer Sarah Garrett said. "I'm glad his efforts were recognized and I hope he continues to be a champion for equality on and off the football field."