The club – reeling from Joey Barton's latest assault conviction – is determined to be making the headlines for the right reasons in the coming campaign.

While manager Kevin Keegan, his staff and the club's hierarchy have no problem with players celebrating a win, they will make it clear to the squad when they return for pre-season training next week that it will have to be done at the right time, and at the right place.

They will be told that drinking in Newcastle, or anywhere else for that matter, in the build-up to games is unacceptable, and that fans do not take kindly to seeing players out in the city after a defeat.

Owner Mike Ashley wants to restore the club's battered reputation, and anyone who gets out of line can expect to face disciplinary action.

And Keegan will have any instances of players out at inappropriate times brought to his attention.

Barton, meanwhile, is expected to have his own code of conduct drawn up by lawyers if he wins a reprieve at United.

The 25-year-old was yesterday given a four-month suspended sentence, 200 hours community service and ordered to pay £3,000 compensation to former Manchester City team-mate Ousmane Dabo, who he assaulted in a training ground dispute last year.

Newcastle will hold talks with Barton and his representatives before making any decision on his future, with all options being kept open by owner Mike Ashley, who has to weigh up moral, ethical and financial considerations.

One option is to terminate his contract, but more likely is a renegotiation of his wages, which are understood to be in excess of £60,000-a-week.

Barton is currently serving a six-month jail sentence for an assault in his home city of Liverpool in the early hours of December 27 last year after going AWOL after being left out of Sam Allardyce's team to face Wigan Athletic at the JJB Stadium on Boxing Day.

However, the midfielder is now eligible for early release, and he and his advisors are hopeful he will be out before the start of pre-season training on Monday.