I spent a jolly afternoon on Wednesday in London, doing my bit being interviewed for a DVD review of last season, pontificating in front of the cameras on the Lord Wenger and all his doings etc. Of course the great danger is that one can, in the heat of questioning, make a prediction or two, which by release date in August, might look extremely silly. I await with nervous anticipation.
Anyway, having just made the long trek back from London to the Midlands, glorying in the fact that the town near which I live now has its own railway station, I found myself thinking about the strange goings on in the world Mr Redknapp and his mate Kevin Bond.
In September 2006 the BBC made a series of allegations about corruption in football in their highly regarded Panorama programmes. Obviously I have no knowledge about the rights and wrongs of the allegations, and I have to add that everyone accused said that they had done nothing wrong.
Which is where the story stood until today.
Among all the allegations, a certain Harry Redknapp (then of Portsmouth) was said by the programme to be involved in ‘tapping up’ a player – a serious football offence. He denied it. In November 2007 he was arrested by the police. He said it was all about nothing.
Also in the Panorama programme Kevin Bond who at the time of the interview was assistant to ‘Arry said he would consider discussing receiving payments from agents – which would of course be against all the rules, and quite possibly could involve other serious offences.
I bring these people together because as you may know, Redknapp and Bond now work together at Tiny Tottland.
The BBC programme showed film of a conversation in which Bond told a reporter: “I understand what you’re looking for, and certainly myself and Harry would be open to listening to, you know, in order to come to some arrangement, if you like, where whatever we need, we’ll make sure that we call you, and what you really want is that we call you and only you.”
Anyway Bond started legal action against the BBC. The BBC stood its ground, did not apologise, or pay any damages, or back off.
And today it seems Bond has stopped all his actions, just as the case was about to start. He has walked away, presumably not wanting the case to continue, perhaps worrying that he could lose (although obviously I don’t know what really goes on in his head – or that of Redknapp come to that).
But it is strange that both of these people should work at Portsmouth, have BBC allegations made against them, be arrested (in the case of Redknapp) and run up all the costs of getting ready to go to the high court (in the case of Bond), and then…. sort of do nothing.
Funny old game.
Anyway, just to show that not all silly things happen at Tottland,
Newcastle Zebras are descending into chaos with no manager, no direction and a desperation from the owner to just get out of the whole rotten business. In such a scenario there’s no doubt virtually every player will now leave the club including Bassong. But where will he go?
Seems it could be Tottenham or Arsenal. What a choice to have to make! How could he ever decide. The land of Redknapp, Bond, the police and the High Court. Or Arsenal. Well, I wouldn’t know.
And last of all, Portsmouth might not become the richest club in the world after all because Sulaiman Al Fahim doesn’t want to fill in all the fit and proper person forms. In which case they might be in a spot of bother with no buyer.
Oh and Setanta are trying to sell the office furniture to raise money to keep going.
If you have been, thanks for reading.
(c) Tony Attwood 2009. – Oh yes, almost forgot. We just signed Vermaelen for lots of £££.
Hello all!
What a wonderful read this site is! Congratulations Tony and all contributors.
For what it’s worth I think you are doing the right thing in “discouraging” random hate-filled rants from posters, who really should feel more at home on the anti-support sites that abound. Such “characters” can often infect a site and change it beyond all recognition.
I also agree with some posters (Shotta-Gunna and others) that the finger should be pointed at the FA, the EPL and the media for bringing English football into its current perilous state, driven by rampant commercialism.
Sky etc. beat their chests and bray about it being the “biggest league in the world” but what actual benefits accrue to the supporters?
How is the current “product”, which prices local and average income supporters completely out, more enthralling and involving than what went before it in the previous generations?
I no longer identify at all with most players, while I love their skills, I despise the preening, petulant, mercenary characteristics that are continually displayed and then reported over and over again.
Would they really be less “valuable” if they were paid a tenth of what they currently get? would they try less hard to win? Are wages or transfer fees ever going to go down or even stabilise? It seems that we are being held ransom over our passion for football and this cynical “juicing” seems immune from the current climate.
I would love to see Manure and Liverpool collapse and for a new responsible way of doing things to be installed but is this really likely to happen? Will Arsenal and other better run clubs be allowed to benefit and dominate or will the goalposts be moved to protect the irresponsible?
It just seems like all of the wrong messages are being sent out by football in general.
We are so fortunate to follow the Arsenal, the paragon of clubs. It just hurts that we seem to be ridiculed and destabilised for trying to do the right thing, while Chelsea are given the thumbs-up for winning the F.A.Cup every 2 years.
It’s a strange world we live in!
Nevertheless, justice will one day be done and it will taste so SWEEEET!!!
Good morning,
I don’t want to say anything that might be termed as libelous,But Mr.Redknapp has a mansion in Poole which cost over 3 million some 10 years ago, I think you know where I am coming from.
I actually wonder why anyone would want to buy a football club,especially in these recession times.Is it for power,or too much money than sense, because I see very little evidence of profit making if one accepts football as a business.
Arsenal are the perfect model and in time will be proved right.
Always nice to read the “untold arsenal” by Tony. Alwaus intresting points of view.
I also agree with Frederick Skitty.
For me it is that in a society where you only are judged on the silverware you get, this is a bad society.
When you try to do it in an other way then most of the other clubs, like Arsenal does it, you get slaughtered by the media and by some “fans”.
But I look at the long term and if we would try to follow the footsteps op Liverpool or MU we would be in big financial trouble. Just look at the yount talent we have and the even younger talents on the way coming trough, and very British, this is just magnificent.
I’m a fan from Belgium for more then 30 years and I’ve known periods when we didn’t won anyhting for 7 or 9 years, so I’m patient and we will come back stronger than ever and if we can keep this group togetheter, with some small additions, we wil rule the Pl and Europe in the comming decade.
Never mind the short sighted silverware grabbers, The Arsenal is different and does it differently and I’m proud of it.
Almost missed the last line there!
We’ve already completed the deal for Tommy Vermaelen you say? Well then it must be so! Hope there’s some official news soon!
Just checked the wikipedia page on him & though it doesn’t have an official confirmation, they do have Arsenal written in on the right hand column under the ‘Senior career’ section! What’s interesting though is that for current club, they still say Ajax. Shows what they know…!
Oh well, here’s to an official confirmation at the earliest!
i always thought the spuds had a magic porridge pot. but the low wages bill exlains it.
its no wonder berbatov left.