Bowyer given court date on Dyer fight charge

Bowyer's solicitor, Steven Barker, said he was still seeking a judicial review of the decision to prosecute his client, which may not be heard before the scheduled court date.

In that case, Barker said he would apply for the case to be adjourned until after the High Court's decision.

"I'm hoping common sense prevails," Barker said. "This is not an application we have made lightly - it is very well thought out by some very eminent legal minds."

He believed Bowyer's club fine of "more than a quarter of a million pounds" meant further punishment by the courts was not in the public interest.

The player fought with his team-mate Dyer during Newcastle's 3-0 defeat by Aston Villa, and the incident was caught on television, as well as witnessed by 52,000 fans at St James' Park.

The Turkish club Fenerbahcehave warned Newcastle that there would be no point in making an offer for their striker Nicolas Anelka.

Anelka joined the Turkish side on the final day of the January transfer window, with Fenerbahce paying Manchester City £7m. But the Newcastle manager, Graeme Souness, is understood to be chasing the striker, who has already made it clear he has no desire to leave Turkey.

The Fenerbahce vice-president, Nihat Ozdemir, has told Newcastle they would be wasting their time making an offer.

"No offer has been made to the player or ourselves," Ozdemir said. "We didn't buy him to sell him. We're going to reach many big successes in Europe with Anelka. We constantly aim to improve our squad and therefore we won't sell Anelka. Whatever the offer, we won't let him go."

Souness has made his third signing of the summer with the arrival of the 17-year-old goalkeeper Tim Krul from the Dutch club Den Haag on a three-year deal.

Krul said: "I'm very happy. It's a fantastic move for me to sign for such a big club. To come and play in England has always been a dream."