Ex-Premier League star Joey Barton pleads not guilty to golf club assault charge

[p]The 43-year-old ex-[a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]Manchester City[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/newcastle-utd/p6ahwuwJ/"]Newcastle[/a] midfielder appeared via videolink from Liverpool prison for the plea hearing at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday.[/p][p]He pleaded not guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Kevin Lynch, 51, at Fairway in Huyton near Liverpool, on March 8th.[/p][p]Barton's co-defendant, Gary O'Grady, 50, of Huyton, was not asked to enter a plea to the charge on Tuesday.[/p][p]An earlier court hearing was told the defendants had been drinking with Lynch at Huyton and Prescot Golf Club before the alleged attack.[/p][p]Lynch, a former non-league football manager and founder of special education school NexGen Academy, was said to have suffered serious injuries to his eye.[/p][image alt="Joey Barton leaves Liverpool Crown Court after sentencing following his guilty verdict for online harassment in December 2025" id="0d582cad-d042-4c93-9d5e-95562b4177e5" credit-line="Reuters / Peter Powell" guid="69a26d61-e325-4887-a4fc-02d307e998c4" original-width="4183" original-height="2737" /][p][b]Judge Andrew Menary set a trial date of September 1st, with the case expected to last seven days, during a 15-minute hearing that also dealt with administrative matters.[/b][/p][p]Barton, of Widnes, northwest England, was remanded in custody, while the judge renewed conditional bail for O'Grady - supported in court on Tuesday by several family members.[/p][p]Barton won one England cap during a playing career that also included stints at Scottish giants [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/rangers/8vAWQXNS/"]Rangers[/a] and French club [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/marseille/SblU3Hee/"]Marseille[/a].[/p][p]He now hosts podcast Common Sense With Joey Barton, which is described as an "unfiltered" look at issues in sport, society, politics and other topics.[/p]