LONDON // Tottenham have hired Kevin Bond as assistant coach, reuniting him with manager Harry Redknapp for the fifth time in his career. Bond, who worked alongside Redknapp at West Ham, Southampton and in two spells at Portsmouth, has been looking for work since being fired as manager of lowly League Two club Bournemouth in September. Bond has enjoyed success as assistant to Redknapp and almost kept Bournemouth in League One last season despite a 10-point deduction.
The appointment suggest that the north London club appears to be unconcerned by unproven allegations of corruption. A documentary by the BBC in September 2006 alleged that Redknapp tried to lure a player (Andy Todd) while under contract at fellow Premier League club Blackburn Rovers. Bond was implicated and fired from his job as assistant manager at Newcastle at the time, but is taking legal action against the BBC and Newcastle for wrongful dismissal.
When the City of London police raided Redknapp's house at 0600 in Nov 2007 as part of a corruption inquiry, they were later forced to pay him damages. Redknapp claimed the episode cost him the chance to become England manager, but Newcastle still offered him the post of manager in January. Redknapp turned down the offer. Redknapp could also appoint the former Spurs midfielder Tim Sherwood as one of his assistants, who played under him during his first stint at Portsmouth.
"Kevin Bond has joined me," Redknapp told Sky Sports TV today. "There are a couple of lads who have been here who I spoke to about joining us as well. We will wait and see what happens with that one. "I like Tim, I think he is very knowledgeable and great on the game." Redknapp was present as Tottenham finally got their first league won of the season under their belt with victory over Bolton yesterday, raising spirits at the club despite the fact they remain bottom.
The hiring of a new coaching team, which included a £5 million (Dh29.2m) payment of compensation to Portsmouth for Redknapp's services, was estimated by British newspaper The Financial Times to cost Tottenham at least £10m. That includes a settlement to the fired Juande Ramos, who had completed just one year of a contract reportedly worth about £3.5m-per-year. But that will prove to be money well spent if Tottenham avoid relegation. Demotion from the Premier League is estimated to cost a club at least £25m.
*AP