England striker Ivan Toney has formally denied assaulting a man at a Soho nightclub, with his trial provisionally set for June 2028 at Southwark Crown Court.
The 30-year-old, who plays for Saudi club Al-Ahli, appeared at the south London court on Thursday morning for a hearing that lasted around five minutes. He pleaded not guilty to a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Judge Christopher Hehir set a provisional trial date of 12 June 2028 at the same court, and apologised to Toney for the length of the wait.
“That’s a long way in advance and 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 was released on unconditional bail after the brief hearing and told to stay in regular contact with his solicitors.
What Toney is accused of
Toney is accused of headbutting and punching Saber Da Silva during a confrontation at the 100 Wardour Street club in Soho, central London, on 6 December 2025.
An earlier hearing was told the two men exchanged words and “squared up to each other” before Toney allegedly “lunged forward and headbutted the complainant, followed by a few punches”. The court was told Mr Da Silva sustained injuries to his nose and fingers.
Toney denies the charge. The allegation remains unproven, and nothing at this stage amounts to a finding of guilt.
The charge was announced in late July 2026 following a Metropolitan Police investigation. A spokesperson for Toney previously said: “Ivan acknowledges the charge and although he is naturally shocked, he looks forward to being given the opportunity to clear his name in court.”
How the case reached Southwark Crown Court
Thursday’s hearing follows Toney’s first appearance at Westminster magistrates’ court at the start of October, where he entered a not guilty plea and the case was sent to the crown court. London Streets covered that first appearance when the striker appeared in court to deny the Soho nightclub assault allegation.
The move to Southwark Crown Court is the normal route for a charge of this seriousness once a defendant pleads not guilty and elects a crown court trial. A judge, rather than magistrates, will now oversee the case through to trial.
A 20-month wait — and a clash with Euro 2028
The gap between Thursday’s plea and the provisional trial date is around 20 months, a delay the judge himself acknowledged in court. Crown courts across England and Wales are working through a large backlog, and judges have repeatedly warned defendants about long waits for trial dates.
For Toney, the timing carries an extra complication. The trial is provisionally listed for 12 June 2028, three days into Euro 2028, which runs from 9 June to 9 July 2028 across England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. If the trial goes ahead on that date, it would fall squarely in the middle of the tournament’s group stage.
That scheduling is provisional, and trial dates can move. But as things stand, the football calendar and the court calendar are on a collision course.
Who Ivan Toney is
Toney began his professional career with Northampton Town before spells at Newcastle United and Peterborough United. He joined Brentford in 2020 and scored 72 goals across four years with the west London club before moving to Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia in 2024.
He has made 10 appearances for England, scoring once, and was part of the national squad at the 2026 World Cup. He was not selected in the most recent England squad for the Nations League fixtures in September and October.
Southwark Crown Court regularly hears high-profile cases, including the trial of former Met officer Mark Tyrrell and the Russell Brand trial, in which a judge directed a not guilty verdict on one count.
Toney remains on unconditional bail ahead of the provisional trial date. No further hearings have been announced.
