Joey Barton Denied Bail Until 2027 Trial

Joey Barton will remain behind bars until his trial in 2027 after a judge refused his latest bid for bail.

The 44-year-old former midfielder, from Widnes in Cheshire, is accused of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Kevin Lynch, 51, in Fairway, Huyton, on 8 March. He denies the charge.

The alleged attack came after Barton had been drinking with Lynch at Huyton and Prescot Golf Club. Lynch, a former non-league manager and founder of special education school NexGen Academy, is said to have suffered serious injuries to his eye.

Last week at Liverpool Crown Court, Judge David Potter pushed Barton's trial back a full year, adjourning it to 8 March 2027. That delay has now become even more significant: Barton will not be released before then.

On Monday, Barton appeared via videolink from HMP Liverpool, dressed in a grey zip-up fleece, for a renewed bail application. Judge Potter again refused bail and remanded him in custody.

Barton nodded as the decision was delivered. A pre-trial hearing has been set for 11 December, with the trial itself expected to last two weeks.

The former England international, who won a single cap, built a volatile but high-profile playing career with Man City, Queens Park Rangers, Newcastle, Rangers, Burnley and Marseille. Now, instead of preparing a team talk or a punditry stint, he is waiting in a prison cell for a trial that will define the next chapter of his life.