Bailed: Liverpool and England midfielder Steven Gerrard
leaves court after facing magistrates in Southport this
morning.
Liverpool
captain Steven Gerrard is to deny assaulting a man during a
nightclub brawl, a court heard today. The Liverpool captain will
plead not guilty to affray and assaulting company director Marcus
McGee, 34, last month following the Reds' 5-1 defeat of
Newcastle.
England midfielder was bailed to re-appear at the court on
Friday March 20, the day before his club take on Aston Villa.
The FA have indicated that his England future is not in question
at this stage and that they will only reconsider at the conclusion
of proceedings against him.
He was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm -
which carries a maximum sentence of five years' imprisonment - and
affray along with John Doran, 29, and Ian Smith, 19, both from
Huyton, Merseyside.
Gerrard was driven to the magistrates' court in Southport and
had jogged up the steps dressed in a dark blue suit. Dozens of
photographers were kept back from the court entrance in a penned
area.
Nick Evans, prosecuting, asked for the case to be heard next on
April 3 after a
10-week break to prepare it. But after submissions from the defence
solicitors including Gerrard's, Richard Green, the magistrates
adjourned the case back to the court at Southport on March 20.
Gerrard, a father of two young daughters who is married to model
Alex Curran, spoke only to confirm his name and address and say he
intended to plead not guilty along with the other defendants.
Staying focussed: The media wait for Gerrard's
arrival
The Reds captain emerged from the half-hour hearing to thank
photographers and
a handful of supporters. Merseyside Police had cordoned off the
court with steel riot barriers after a 'Support Stevie G' group was
set up on the social networking site Facebook.
Police sources said they expected as many as several hundred
supporters and defended their decision to close the actual court to
the public on safety grounds.
