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.