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28 March 2024

Redknapp goes from dock to dugout

Published
By Agencies

Harry Redknapp will swap the dock at Southwark Crown Court for the dugout at Vicarage Road when his Tottenham Hotspur side face Watford in their FA Cup fourth round tie on Friday.

Redknapp, who is on trial for tax evasion, which he denies, has been in court and has missed training since Monday but will still be at the match on Friday evening, his assistant manager Kevin Bond said on Thursday.

Bond told reporters at the club's training ground at Chigwell, north of London, that Redknapp's absence is having "very little" effect on preparations for the match.

He said that Redknapp had been in daily contact with both him and first-team coach Joe Jordan about the Cup clash talking before and after training every day.

"Yes, he will be at the match and yes, he will pick the team," Bond said on Thursday.

"The fact that the manager has not been here has had very little impact. Harry will have a look at who's fresh and who's available - we've got one or two knocks."

Redknapp was also absent earlier in the season when he was in hospital for minor heart surgery.

"Its a similar scenario to when Harry had a small medical procedure. We didn't have him for a week or so leading up to the Fulham game," Bond said.

"The training carries on as normal, so there's not a lot of difference except that Harry's not here in the day."

"We haven't had a chance to discuss the team in great depth. There's also a game four days after the match against Wigan at home that we have to consider."

Tottenham, who are third in the Premier League with just two defeats in their last 20 league matches, start as strong favourites to beat Watford, who are 18th in the Championship (second division).

Spurs have won all four matches they have played against Watford in the FA Cup, including a 4-1 win in the 1987 semi-final at Villa Park and a 5-2 win the last time they met in the competition in a third round match in 1999.

 

Redknapp had sole control of account, trial hears

Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp was the only person responsible for the bank account in Monaco at the centre of charges of tax evasion against him, a court heard on Thursday.

On the fourth day of his trial, a bank executive said Redknapp was the only signature on records for the account, which he allegedly used to hide $295,000 (225,000 euros) from tax authorities.

At Southwark Crown Court in London, David Cusdin, vice-president of HSBC in Monaco between 2000 and 2005, said he recalled Redknapp flying into the principality to open an account.

Giving evidence via videolink, Cusdin said: "I was certainly aware of his visit. It was quite possible that I didn't open the account, it was one of my team, but I was certainly aware of the visit.

"I don't have a recollection, but I could well have shaken his hand at the meeting."

Cusdin added it was normally necessary for the client to be present: "In this case, it is a single person on the account... one signature on the account".

The banker, who headed a team of 700 during his time in Monaco, said he was responsible "for private English-speaking clientele".

Another of his clients was Redknapp's co-defendant Milan Mandaric, 73, who was chairman of Portsmouth when Redknapp was manager of the club and is now chairman of Sheffield Wednesday in England's third tier.

The banker said he had known Mandaric since 1998 and described him as a "perfect gentleman... he would always ring prior to his visit".

The trial has heard that Redknapp opened a Monaco bank account -- named 'Rosie 47' after his pet English bulldog -- which he allegedly kept secret from his accountant for more than four years.

Redknapp, who has been tipped as a future England manager because of his success in leading Tottenham into the top four of the Premier League, and Mandaric both deny two counts of cheating the public revenue.