England forward Toney to stand trial for alleged assault in June 2028
Football
By
AFP
| Oct 29, 2026
England striker Ivan Toney will face trial over an alleged assault at a nightclub in June 2028, it was announced Thursday.
The 30-year-old, who plays for Saudi club Al-Ahli, is accused of headbutting and punching Saber Da Silva at a club in the Soho area of central London last December.
Toney appeared at London's Southwark Crown Court on Thursday and formally entered a not guilty plea to a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
During the five-minute hearing, a provisional trial date was set for the same court on June 12, 2028 by Judge Christopher Hehir, who told Toney he was "sorry" about the delay.
"That's a long way in advance and I'm sorry about that," said Hehir. "As you may know, the crown courts are operating under a great deal of pressure. We have got a massive backlog of work for various reasons."
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Toney was released on unconditional bail after the brief hearing.
An earlier hearing was told the alleged assault happened at the 100 Wardour Street club during a confrontation between the defendant and Da Silva.
It was heard the two men "squared up to each other", before Toney allegedly "lunged forward and headbutted the complainant, followed by a few punches".
The former Brentford player has played for England 10 times, scoring one goal. He was a member of the 2026 World Cup squad but is not in the latest Nations League squad.