English Premiership
Spurs' Redknapp to stand trial
2011-11-12 17:41
London - Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp will stand trial in January for tax evasion relating to his time in charge of Portsmouth.
The 64-year-old Redknapp is jointly accused with his former chairman at Portsmouth, Milan Mandaric, of two charges of cheating the public revenue.
Redknapp managed south-coast club Portsmouth between 2002 and 2004, and returned to Fratton Park in 2005 after a brief spell at Southampton before moving to Tottenham in 2008.
The first charge alleges that between April 1, 2002, and November 28, 2007, Mandaric paid $145 000 into a bank account held by Redknapp in Monaco, to avoid paying income tax and national insurance.
The second charge for the same offense relates to a sum of $150 000 allegedly paid by Mandaric to the same account between May 1, 2004, and November 28, 2007.
Both Redknapp and Mandaric, who is now chairman at third-tier club Sheffield Wednesday, deny the charges. A two-week trial is due to begin at London's Southwark Crown Court on January 23.
Judge Anthony Leonard ruled on Thursday that a ban on reporting details of the proceedings could be lifted at 14:30 GMT on Saturday.
Redknapp underwent minor heart surgery earlier this month to unblock his arteries and has missed two Tottenham matches so far while he recovers.
Tottenham are fifth in the Premier League and Redknapp is hotly tipped to replace Fabio Capello as England coach after the 2012 European Championship.