Former Northampton Town striker Ivan Toney denies nightclub assault as trial date set for 2028
Former Northampton Town striker Ivan Toney will stand trial in 2028 after pleading not guilty to an assault charge following an alleged confrontation at a London nightclub.
The 30-year-old England international appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday, October 29, where he denied assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Toney is accused of headbutting and punching Saber Da Silva during an incident at the 100 Wardour Street nightclub in Soho on December 6, 2025.
Judge Christopher Hehir provisionally scheduled the trial for June 12, 2028, acknowledging the lengthy wait for the case to be heard.
Addressing Toney, the judge said: “That’s a long way in advance and I’m sorry about that. 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.”
The footballer, who arrived at court at approximately 9.10am wearing sunglasses, grey trousers and a button-up jacket over a shirt and tie, was granted unconditional bail.
The hearing lasted around five minutes.
The charge followed an investigation by the Metropolitan Police and was announced in late July.
Toney, who is from Northampton, began his professional career at Northampton Town before spells with clubs including Wigan Athletic and Peterborough United.
He joined Brentford in 2020, scoring 72 goals during four years with the club before transferring to Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli in 2024.
The striker has earned 10 England caps, scoring once, and was part of the national team at the 2026 World Cup.
However, he was not selected for England's latest Nations League fixtures.