Former Fleetwood Town manager Joey Barton pleads not guilty to assaulting his wife

The 38-year-old former Premier League footballer, who now manages Bristol Rovers, appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court in south west London today (Monday, July 26) via video link.

The charge against Barton, who lives in Widnes, Cheshire, relates to an incident at home in Kew, south-west London, on June 2 in which his wife Georgia suffered a head injury.

The court heard Barton allegedly grabbed her by the throat and kicked her in the head during an altercation outside the property, where they had been visiting with two friends.

His wife was also left with a bloody nose following the incident.

The court heard Mrs Barton then called the police and asked for her husband to be removed from the property.

Today, Barton spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address.

He wore a t-shirt and shorts during the hearing.

Barton, a former midfielder, played for teams including Manchester City, Newcastle, Queen’s Park Rangers and Marseille during his playing career.

He also appeared once for the England team in 2007.

He then moved into management, starting off with Fleetwood Town from 2018 to 2021 before joining Bristol Rovers earlier this year.

Barton was released on unconditional bail until his trial at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on December 16.

A case management hearing has been set for November 17.

New documentary to air showing behind-the-scenes at Fleetwood Town during Joey Barton's spell at the club

A fly-on-the-wall documentary series following Joey Barton's tenure at Fleetwood Town will debut next week.

International streaming service DAZN will broadcast The Contract, a six-part series covering the Cod Army on and off the pitch, on demand from Thursday, July 29.

The series follows then-manager, Joey Barton, owner and local entrepreneur Andy Pilley, players, and the local community.

Fleetwood Town said the documentary series follows the Cod Army over the course of 2018-2021, providing a "raw and unflinching insight into the pressure of running a modern-day football club outside of the Premier League".

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