West Ham close in on Joey Barton but David Gold hasn’t always been a fan…

This is Gold. David Gold.

The West Ham chairman is about to seal a deal for free agent Joey Barton, but it seems the midfielder hasn't always been high on his wanted list. When asked on Twitter whether he'd back Sam Allardyce over a move for Barton back in 2013, Gold joked that he'd probably have to give the manager some time off... It isn't the only time he's publicly criticised the former QPR man, either, saying this after Barton's infamous spat with Dietmar Hamann... We imagine the conversation was a bit awkward during contract negotiations.