Crowd abuse normal now - Joey

Published Oct. 5, 2011 3:15 p.m. ET

foxsports

Crowd abuse has come under the spotlight again after last weekend's North London derby between Tottenham and Arsenal was marred by offensive chanting from both sets of supporters at White Hart Lane. Sections of home supporters taunted Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, while some away fans chanted offensive songs towards Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor. Barton, who himself has been the target of opposition fans, admits crowd abuse is likely to continue in football unless the culprits are punished. "It's just sort of been the norm for me [crowd abuse] from the age of 23 obviously through my own stupidity and just football in general," Barton told Sky Sports News. "It is a strange society we live in where a lot of things are not allowed to be said in normal atmospheres but in football grounds it's like anything goes. "It is what it is. There's no point as a player sort of complaining about it because none of us can stop the 20, 30, 40,000 people whatever it may be singing what they sing or chanting what they chant. "It is one of the disappointing aspects of the game but it is part and parcel of it and until there's an accountability probably it will continue for a long time."