Ivan Toney pleads not guilty to assault charge and elects Crown Court trial

Ivan Toney has pleaded not guilty to a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm following an alleged incident at a nightclub in Soho. The England and Al-Ahli striker appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday, where he chose to have the case tried before a judge and jury, according to reports by the BBC and the Guardian.

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The charge concerns an encounter with Saber Da Silva at the live music venue 100 Wardour Street on 6 December last year. The Guardian reported that prosecutor Tom Heslop described an exchange of words between the men before the alleged assault. Heslop said the words used were not known. Prosecutors allege Toney headbutted and punched Da Silva, causing injuries to his nose and fingers; Toney denies the charge.

District Judge Briony Clarke told the 30-year-old that the case could be heard in the magistrates' court, the BBC reported. Toney instead elected a Crown Court trial during a hearing that the Guardian said lasted 12 minutes. He was released on unconditional bail, with the BBC reporting that his next hearing is at Southwark Crown Court on 29 October. That appearance is a further hearing, not a reported trial date.

The Guardian reported that Toney was charged on 31 July following a Metropolitan Police investigation. At the time the charge was announced, his spokesperson said the footballer was shocked and wanted the opportunity to clear his name in court. Thursday's appearance established his not-guilty plea and choice of trial venue; the allegations remain contested.

Toney currently plays for Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League. Both reports noted his 10 England appearances and his place in the squad that reached the Euro 2024 final. His club career began at Northampton Town and later included spells at Newcastle United and Peterborough United before he joined Brentford in 2020.

At Brentford, his goals helped the club secure promotion to the Premier League in 2021, the Guardian reported. He subsequently moved to Al-Ahli in 2024. His immediate next step in the court proceedings is the Southwark hearing later this month, following his release without bail conditions.