Friday, October 30, 2026 - England striker Ivan Toney will face trial in June 2028 over allegations that he assaulted a man at a nightclub in central London.
The 30-year-old Al-Ahli forward formally pleaded not guilty
to assault occasioning actual bodily harm during a hearing at Southwark Crown
Court on Thursday, October 29. He is accused of headbutting and punching Saber
Da Silva during a confrontation at the 100 Wardour Street club in Soho on
December 6, 2025.
Judge Christopher Hehir set a provisional trial date of June
12, 2028, approximately 20 months after the hearing, and apologised to Toney
for the delay. “That’s a long way, I’m sorry about that,” the judge said. “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.”
Toney, who wore a black button-up cardigan over a white
shirt and tie, was told that he was among defendants waiting for their cases to
be heard at crown court. The footballer was released on unconditional bail.
Judge Hehir advised him to remain in regular contact with his solicitors while
awaiting trial, describing this as “very important” and “a matter of common
sense”.
He also gave Toney the formal warning issued to defendants
on bail about the consequences of failing to attend court. “It’s a criminal
offence punishable by imprisonment,” the judge said, adding that the trial
could proceed in his absence if he failed to appear. The scheduled hearing
falls during the group stage of Euro 2028, which is due to take place in the UK
and Ireland. The timing could affect Toney’s availability for England, although
no selection decision has been announced.
The charge followed a Metropolitan Police investigation and
was announced in July, three weeks after the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup.
Toney was part of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad at the tournament. He appeared
as a substitute against Argentina in the semi-final and started the third-place
playoff victory over France.
He was not included in Tuchel’s subsequent squad for the
Nations League fixtures held at the end of September and beginning of October.
At an earlier hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in October, prosecutor
Tom Heslop outlined the alleged confrontation.
The court was told that Toney and Da Silva exchanged words
before “squaring up” to each other. Heslop alleged that Toney then “lunged
forward and head-butted the complainant, followed by a few punches”. Da Silva
allegedly sustained injuries to his nose and fingers. Toney pleaded not guilty
at that hearing and requested a trial at crown court.
Following the announcement of the charge, a spokesperson for
the player said he intended to contest the allegation. “Ivan acknowledges the
charge and although he is naturally shocked, he looks forward to being given
the opportunity to clear his name in court,” the spokesperson said.
Toney, who has won 10 England caps, began his career at
Northampton before playing for Newcastle United and Peterborough United. He
later joined Brentford, where his goals helped the club secure promotion to the
Premier League in 2021. He moved to Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli in a £40 million
transfer in 2024. The allegation against him remains to be determined at trial.
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