League One relegation battlers appoint Joey Barton as new manager

Northampton's League One relegation rivals Bristol Rovers have made Joey Barton their new manager on a two-year contract.

Rovers sacked previous boss Paul Tisdale on the same day Keith Curle left the Cobblers following a miserable three-month reign, losing nine of his last 12 games in charge.

Barton, who left Fleetwood Town at the start of January, had been in the running to replace Curle at Northampton according to the bookies, but he will take charge of Rovers against another relegation rival in Wigan Athletic on Tuesday evening.

The Gas are just two points above the Cobblers in League One although they do have a game in hand.

Clint Hill and Andy Mangan will join Barton as assistant manager and first-team coach respectively.

Rovers club president Wael Al Qadi said: “We are delighted to welcome Joey to Bristol Rovers and look forward to working closely with him to progress our football club forward.

"Joey's experience in the game is matched by his passion for coaching and delivering results, which made him a standout candidate for the role.

"He's got a good knowledge of the league already thanks to his spell at Fleetwood and has shown his credentials at delivering results and getting the best out of the players he works with.

"We are confident that he will be able to continue the ongoing development of the younger players coming through the ranks at the Club and speaking to him, I know his ambitions align with what we want to achieve as a football club.

"I want to wish Joey, the staff and the players the very best of luck for the coming games, as we look to cement our safety in Sky Bet League One and build for the future."