Joey Barton, a former Championship and Premier League footballer, is back in front of a judge for an alleged violent attack, and it is not the first time he has been in conflict with the police.

Joey Barton, who was promoted three times from the Championship during a turbulent playing career, is again in legal problems. The former midfielder and manager, who appeared for England once in 2007 for twelve minutes, has been accused with allegedly attacking a former non-league football boss at a golf club in March.

This isn’t the first time Barton has found himself in legal trouble. Barton has often been in court on a variety of counts, many of which are related to violent actions. The trial was scheduled to begin this week, but it has now been pushed out until March 2027.

Given that Barton has been remanded in detention till now, this could be his second stint in prison. He received a six-month term for common assault and affray in 2008, as well as two suspended sentences in 2021 and 2025.

Joey Barton has been remanded into custody following the most recent allegations made against him.

Joey Barton and another guy were back in court in Liverpool this week for an alleged attack at a golf club on the city’s outskirts in March 2026. He disputes the charges.

According to the Sun, he is accused of attacking Kevin Lynch, the former manager of non-league club Prescot Cables, at Huyton and Prescot Golf Club in March.

However, there is now a six-month delay in hearing this case, and Barton has been remanded into detention. Unless the judge decides to release him on bail, he will be detained until the matter is heard.

Barton has pled not guilty to assault causing serious bodily harm. According to reports, Mr Lynch was brought to the hospital with facial and rib injuries, and he has already been advised that he may lose sight in one eye.

Joey Barton’s legal issues are the latest installment in a story that dates back nearly twenty years.

Joey Barton’s recent legal troubles are far from the first time the former midfielder and manager has faced a court. Barton has regularly been in difficulty with the law, both while playing and after retiring from the game.

In March 2007, he was arrested on suspicion of assault and criminal damage in connection with an incident that occurred in Liverpool, however the charges were dropped. However, only a few weeks later, he assaulted Ousmane Dembele, knocking him out and left him in the hospital with head injuries, including a probable detached retina.

He received a four-month suspended prison sentence for this in July 2008, although he had already gotten into conflict with the law by then. He was charged with assault at the end of 2007 and convicted in May 2008, receiving a six-month sentence. In addition, the FA banned him for twelve games as a result of this.

At the end of 2021, he was found not guilty of assaulting Barnsley manager Daniel Stendel following an incident in the tunnel at Oakwell after a match between the Reds and Fleetwood Town, which Barton was managing at the time.

He was charged with assault after beating a lady in London earlier in 2021, and after the original case crumbled, a prosecution appeal resulted in him being found guilty and sentenced to a 12-week suspended prison term.

He was also found guilty of libel for statements he made on social media about presenter Jeremy Vine, and when he repeated them after his conviction, he was compelled to pay an additional £35,000 on top of the £75,000 awarded by a judge.

His social media use cost him dearly elsewhere. After being sued for libel by former England international Eni Aluko, Aluko won her case in the High Court in March 2026, receiving £339,000 in damages, with Barton also required to pay her legal fees. He was unable to appear in court for this since he was already in court for the event that led to him being held in custody this week.

Barton’s post-playing career in football management has stalled after he spent two years with Bristol Rovers from 2021 to 2023, and he has subsequently focused on developing a media career.