Former Premier League footballer Joey Barton has refuted allegations of assaulting a man outside a golf club in the northwest of England.
The 43-year-old ex-Manchester City and Newcastle midfielder appeared via videolink from a Liverpool prison for his plea hearing at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday.
Barton pleaded not guilty to intentionally causing grievous bodily harm to Kevin Lynch, 51, at Fairway in Huyton, near Liverpool, on March 8th.
Co-defendant Gary O’Grady, 50, from Huyton, was not required to enter a plea during the hearing.
Earlier court proceedings indicated that the defendants had been drinking with Lynch at the Huyton and Prescot Golf Club prior to the alleged incident.
Lynch, a former non-league football manager and the founder of the special education institution NexGen Academy, reportedly sustained severe injuries to his eye.
Judge Andrew Menary established a trial date of September 1st, with the proceedings anticipated to last for seven days, during a 15-minute hearing that also addressed administrative concerns.
Barton, residing in Widnes, northwest England, remains in custody, while the judge has granted conditional bail to O’Grady, who was present in court on Tuesday with the support of several family members.
Throughout his playing career, Barton earned one cap for the England national team and played for Scottish heavyweights Rangers as well as French club Marseille.
Currently, he hosts a podcast titled Common Sense With Joey Barton, which provides an “unfiltered” perspective on various subjects, including sports, society, and politics.
Compiled by SportArena.au
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