Great Timing

I don’t think there are many football fans out there who don’t have a soft spot for Harry Redknapp, but just days after leaving former club Portsmouth for Premier League prop-uppers Tottenham, Redknapp has somewhat inappropriately been granted the Freedom of the City of Portsmouth. Understandably, a couple of vexed Pompey fans rocked up at the ceremony and rained down heckles on their ex-Messiah. Not just heckles though, but some very naughty boys even hurled eggs and coins at his passing car; thankfully the British sports education system is such that all missles missed their not-exactly-svelte target.

Redknapp said: “The people who shouted abuse are just idiots — 99 per cent of the people who turned up today have been fantastic.” Portsmouth City Council leader Gerald Vernon-Jackson honored ‘Arry by saying: “I was thinking what do I call him. Mr Redknapp, or Mr Harry Redknapp, but no, to everyone in Portsmouth he is just Harry.” At this point, one supporter in the audience quite amusingly yelled: “Call him Judas!” This echoes several banners which were seen around Fratton Park this past Sunday bearing the slogan: Once Forgiven. Twice Forgotten. Judas.

The Judas comments come just weeks after a certain Pompey boss pledged his future to the club with these (apparently empty) words:

“Any unfulfilled dreams I have left in football can be achieved here. I turned down two exceptional offers in the last 12 months and that was a clear indication of where my heart and mind was. It wouldn’t make an ounce of difference who came in for me now. This is where I belong and this is where I want to finish. It would have been easy to walk away in the past year and I don’t think anyone would have had any real complaints. But, as tempting as the offers were, I couldn’t have lived with myself. There would have been a massive sense of betrayal.”