Joey Barton pleads not guilty to causing grievous bodily harm in golf club incident

Joey Barton has denied assaulting a man outside a golf club in north-west England. The 43-year-old former Manchester City and Newcastle midfielder appeared via video link from Liverpool prison for the plea hearing at Liverpool crown court.

He pleaded not guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Kevin Lynch on 8 March. Barton’s co-defendant, Gary O’Grady, was not asked to enter a plea to the charge on Tuesday.

An earlier court hearing was told the defendants had been drinking with Lynch at Huyton & Prescot Golf Club before the alleged attack. Lynch, a former non-league football manager and founder of the special education school NexGen Academy, was said to have suffered serious injuries to an eye.

Judge Andrew Menary set a trial date of 1 September, with the case expected to last seven days, during a 15-minute hearing that also dealt with administrative matters.

Barton was remanded in custody, and the judge renewed conditional bail for O’Grady, who was supported in court by several family members.

Barton won one England cap during a playing career that also included stints at Rangers and Marseille.

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