Charges Upheld, Harry Redknapp To Face July Tax Evasion Trial

Two months ago, while talking to a England-based Premier League reporter, a conversation about the England national team tactics turned to Fabio Capello’s successor. With the current Three Lions manager set to step down after next summer’s European Championships, it’s been wildly assumed that Tottenham Hostpur boss Harry Redknapp would be the Football Association’s first choice to succeed him. What are the odds, I ponder, that Redknapp doesn’t get the job, though my counterpart’s answer was far less assumption: There was this little matter of unresolved criminal case against ‘Arry.

Today, those charges took a step forward, with Harry Redknapp confirmed to stand trial on two counts of criminal tax evasion, failing in his attempt to have the case against him thrown out. Appearing in a Westminster court, Redknapp saw a magistrate rule he will stand trial on the two counts filed against him in January 2010.

The case stems from £191,000 paid over the course of six years to Redknapp during his days at Portsmouth, where club chairman Milan Mandaric and chief executive Peter Storie are alleged to have authorized payments to a bank in Monaco.

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs claims Redknapp evaded £40,000 in taxes on the payments, and although Redknapp has insisted he did nothing wrong, he and Mandaric will go to trial in July. Storie will face charges on a separate matter in May.

It’s fr to early to say whether this will affect Harry’s England prospects, but those prospects were born from the rising star Redknapp’s created since his move to Spurs. Whereas the original charges dimmed that star slightly, today’s news may dampen it more, casting a shadow on ‘Arry’s ascension. In July, however, Redknapp will get his chance to vanquish that specter. If he can’t, it may be difficult for the Football Association to justify the appointment of somebody who’s been deemed criminal.