Sir Bobby Robson hopes Joey Barton grabs this latest chance handed to him by Newcastle United.
In his column for the Mail on Sunday, Robson wrote: "I have to admit when Joey Barton was sent to jail for the latest in a long line of unsavoury incidents, I didn't really want him to wear the black-and-white of Newcastle United again.
"However, the club have made their decision to give him another chance, and now Barton has to repay them by producing his best to save Newcastle from a catastrophic relegation.
"I was at the Stadium of Light yesterday to see Sunderland's 2-1 victory which left Newcastle rooted in the bottom three, without a win in seven matches. And yet, surprising as it sounds, I am slightly more optimistic about Newcastle's prospects now. They certainly had more spirit and endeavour than I've seen at times this season.
"Barton has been given many 'last chances'. You wonder if people would have been so tolerant if he'd had another profession. But the fact is he has been given a final, final opportunity by the club. And even if that's because they paid a big transfer fee for him rather than some sense of moral duty, Barton has it in his own hands to restore people's faith in him. Newcastle need him. I hope he doesn't let us all down again."
