Redknapp leaps to Allardyce's defence

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp is standing up for close friend Sam Allardyce after the Bolton boss was the subject of ‘bung’ allegations in Tuesday night’s BBC Panorama programme.

‘Undercover: Football’s Dirty Secrets’ showed three agents claiming Allardyce and son Craig, until recently a football agent, were given illegal payments to facilitate player transfers.

The Football Association alone will investigate the allegations, relating to players’ agents and connected activities, made by the BBC against the Allardyces, Newcastle assistant manager Kevin Bond and agents Charles Collymore and Peter Harrison.

Top-of-the-table Pompey tackle Bolton at Fratton Park on Monday and Redknapp today leapt to the defence of Allardyce, who has declared himself “utterly innocent”.

Asked whether the allegations would affect Allardyce, Redknapp said: “I hope not. He is a fantastic manager, a lad who is so clever at what he does in terms of preparing teams.

“He is excellent as a manager and a smashing fellow. I hope things get sorted out for him, but he’s a very strong character. He understands the game and, hopefully, everything will be OK for him.”

Redknapp also appeared in the programme discussing Blackburn defender Andy Todd with Harrison.

Asked about Todd by Harrison during the programme, Redknapp replied: “I like Toddy, don’t I? No I’d take him. I would take him. I would take him without a doubt. I like him.”

But Redknapp said today: “I don’t know why I was on it (the programme), do you? It is a farce.

“I really don’t want to talk about this. I just want to talk about football - or the Ryder Cup, or something.

But anyone who saw the programme will be wondering why I was on it. It was farcical.

“I don’t think there is anything in it that I need to worry my lawyer about.”

A joint FA/Premier League probe will cover allegations of illegal approaches involving Chelsea’s director of youth football Frank Arnesen, Liverpool, Newcastle and Redknapp.