The trial of Wales manager Ryan Giggs on charges of assaulting his ex-girlfriend and her sister has been postponed until August due to a court backlog, meaning that Robert Page will lead the team in March’s World Cup play-offs. ready to lead. Giggs has been on leave from his role as Wales boss since November 2020, when he was arrested. The former Manchester United star is accused of controlling and coercive behavior against his ex-girlfriend, Kate Greville, between August 2017 and November 2020.
He is also accused of assaulting Greville, causing actual bodily harm and general assault of his younger sister Emma Greville, at their home in the Manchester area on 1 November 2020.
Giggs, 47, has denied the charges and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
His hearing at Manchester Crown Court was set for next week, but there is no courtroom available at the venue to take up the case and it has now been pushed back by seven months.
“Unfortunately it has become necessary to remove this case from the list,” Judge Hilary Manley said. “The reason for this is that there is no court available to accommodate this suit.
“Due to the large backlog of court cases that has been aggravated by the pandemic and the need for social distancing, this is a situation that is a daily reality for criminal courts.”
Chris Dr, the barrister representing Giggs, said the former winger was “extremely disappointed at the development”.
Giggs, who did not attend Tuesday’s hearing, will now be heard on August 8.
Page was placed in interim charge of Wales in November 2020 and advanced to the 16th round at last year’s delayed Euro 2020.
The former Wales captain also oversaw promotion to the top level of the Nations League and said in November that he was committed to working in Giggs’ continued absence.
The Football Association of Wales declined to comment.
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Wales, whose only previous World Cup final was in 1958, plays Austria in a play-off semi-final in Cardiff on 24 March.
The winners will be either home to Ukraine or Scotland five days later to make it to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
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