Richard Keys adds fuel to fire as FA probe into ‘serious’ Tottenham allegations could prove costly
The FA probe into the deal that took Jermain Defoe to Portsmouth from Tottenham could prove to be extremely costly for the London club.
The Times reported on Wednesday (22 November) that the FA is looking into allegations of “potentially serious breaches of agent rules” as part of the former England international’s £7.5million switch to Fratton Park almost 16 years ago.
A two-year investigation by the newspaper found that the ex-Premier League forward, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and Harry Redknapp, the Pompey manager at the time, all dealt with an unlicensed agent during the negotiations in January 2008.
A private hearing concerning the deal took place, where a panel of three QCs found that former West Ham and Tottenham player Mitchell Thomas, who was the unlicensed agent in question, was a central figure in the deal.
He was named by the FA in 2008 on a list of agents who had been operating in football without a licence, but the governing body decided to take no disciplinary action against any of the parties despite the potential breach.
It was also heard that Levy enlisted the services of licensed agent Stuart Peters to act for the Lilywhites, but a representation contract did not appear to be in place, even though that was an FA requirement. The chairman agreed to pay Peters about £1million for his role in the deal, with agent fees for the transfer totalling more than £1.5million.
Redknapp’s role is also likely to come under increased scrutiny after he was previously at the centre of a high-profile tax evasion case during his time at Portsmouth [The Guardian].
Alongside former Pompey owner Milan Mandaric, the 76-year-old was found to be not guilty in 2012 after the prosecution had alleged the two men had evaded tax on payments totalling £189,000 that were made by Mandaric into Redknapp’s offshore bank account while they were at Portsmouth together.
Although the former Spurs boss was cleared of those allegations, there will be questions asked about his involvement in the claims aimed at the North London club.
Responding to the news on Twitter on Thursday (23 November), BeIN Sports presenter Richard Keys said: “I don’t believe this. ‘Arry caught up in a wheeling and dealing controversy? No chance.”
In the same year that Tottenham are alleged to have committed the offence, Luton Town were handed a 10-point deduction for breaking agent rules, eventually playing a part in their relegation to the National League.
Independent experts told The Times that a failure to comply with the FA’s regulations should be regarded as an “extremely serious matter”, potentially leading to “heavy sanctions”.
Any club found guilty of breaching the rules could be hit with a transfer ban, a points deduction or even relegation, while agents and players can face anything from a warning or fine to a ban, it added.
A statement from the FA has said that it is “looking at the case” and will be “reviewing the arbitration panel award” surrounding it.
Given that the incident happened so long ago, it is difficult to predict what the outcome will eventually be. But it arrives at precisely the wrong time for Tottenham, as football’s governing bodies are currently taking a strong stand against any potential rule breaches.
The 10-point deduction Everton recently received for breaching the Premier League’s spending rules will no doubt cause concern for the chiefs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The man who will be feeling most of the strain will likely be Levy, as he is the only party involved in the incident that still has a deep connection with the club.
His affiliation with Spurs, however, could mean they are punished should any wrongdoing be found following the FA probe, while the governing body may decide to discipline him and the rest of the parties involved individually.
A potential points deduction would be crippling to the Lilywhites’ hopes of getting back into Europe, though, with a hefty fine or transfer ban limiting what they could do to help progress forward under Ange Postecoglou following his strong start to life in North London.
According to a report by Sky Sports on 2 September, the Aussie was handed £212.3million to spend on transfers in the summer and that money has only just managed to get them back into the Champions League conversation, suggesting any ban could set them back years.
It’s still early days in this story and plenty more could still come to light, but it will no doubt have come as uncomfortable reading for all those associated with the club.
In other Tottenham news, Marcelo Bielsa was right about a “special” Spurs star.