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Ivan Toney pleads not guilty and elects a jury trial
Accused of assaulting a man at a Soho nightclub in December, the Al-Ahli forward pleaded not guilty at a London court on Thursday. He has elected a jury trial and returns on 29 October.
by Lucas Morel · 1 min read
A ten-minute hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 1 October. Ivan Toney confirmed his name and age, then pleaded not guilty. The Al-Ahli forward, 30, is accused of headbutting and punching a man, Saber Da Silva, at a club on Wardour Street in Soho on 6 December 2025.
What the prosecution alleges
Prosecutor Tom Heslop set out the case: the two men had “squared up to each other” before Toney, on the prosecution’s account, headbutted the complainant and followed up with punches. The charge, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, could have been dealt with in the magistrates’ court. District judge Briony Clarke left the choice to the forward, who elected trial before a judge and a jury.
Back in court on 29 October
Released on unconditional bail, Toney will appear at Southwark Crown Court on 29 October, with no trial date set. Charged in late July after a Metropolitan Police investigation, he has spoken through a spokesperson: “Ivan acknowledges the charge and although he is naturally shocked, he looks forward to being given the opportunity to clear his name in court.”
Out of the England picture
The timing is unforgiving for a 30-year-old international: ten caps and one goal, a summer at the World Cup with England, then a place left out of the latest Nations League squad. Toney left Brentford for Al-Ahli in 2024 and now plays far from the major leagues; his club has not commented on the hearing. The 29 October appearance is only a preliminary step: the trial itself has no date.