The greatest love of his life... loyal wife Sandra
felt mentally exhausted. Then I’d look at the 12 people that held my future in their hands: What if they were all Arsenal fans?
The night before the verdict I didn’t say goodbye to anybody. No last farewells, just in case it was bad news.
I was facing two to three years. That was a proper villain’s sentence. I didn’t even have a washbag. Did I go straight there? Questions were still going round my head, when the foreman said: “Not guilty.” I jumped straight in my car and drove south. I needed to be back with Sandra again. I didn’t cry during the court case, but I did when I saw her. Just as Sandra supported Harry, he always wanted to support her, doing whatever it took to make her happy.
Sandra’s dad, Bill Harris, was a foreman down Albert Dock. He was a huge bloke. I used to take Sandra back to her house after going out, and if I was there longer than 10 minutes the old man used to bang on the floor from the bedroom upstairs. It wasn’t long before we were making plans to be married. However I had to save up first – times were different for footballers then, I was earning £20 a week at West Ham.
So to help us buy our first house I got a job in the supermarket. The next Friday I went to collect my pay packet from West Ham still in my white coat, [the boss] Ron Greenwood said: “What are you up to? Decorating?” “I’m working in a supermarket,” I told him. “I want to buy a house and I can’t afford it on what West Ham pay me.” He got me another two quid a week – and in 1967 we got married in a church in Barking and went off on honeymoon... to Torquay. Modern players have got nothing on the glamorous life we lived!
In 2005, Harry was abused by fans after leaving Portsmouth for rivals Southampton – a decision he would later reverse.
I would be out in my garden and I would hear the unmistakable accents. “You f***ing scum, Redknapp.” Sandra would hear it, too. “Oh my God, Harry, what have you done?”, she would ask. Then there were the phone calls. Wicked phone calls ... real filth.
“I hope you crash your car and kill Harry & Sandra Nick’s new deputy
Emily told Noel of love life your wife; I hope your wife gets cancer.” It was too much.
And Sandra was there to pick him up, whenever his team lost.
As a manager I am representing people who love their team. When you lose, it feels like you have let them down. Sandra knew it took me a day or two to recover. She’d cook me pasta, maybe open a bottle of wine.
She never put any pressure on me to stop. When her sister died of pneumonia in 2008, it was a sobering moment. The time I spend with Sandra is so precious.
I wouldn’t have a clue what to do without her support. ■ Extracted from Always Managing: My Autobiography by
Harry Redknapp
(Ebury Press, £9.99) Part David Brent, part guilty pleasure of certain women. Now camp leader despite a trial flop. Noel is having to “deal” with a lot for his six-figure pay day but he is value for it so far. Picked as deputy camp leader by Nick, she is growing in confidence. The one man everyone loves at the moment. By his standards a quiet 24 hours. The camp don’t want her to cook but she has a recipe for success
in the jungle. Bonding nicely with everyone. X Factor trial must have brought back memories. John has been either restrained or edited out lately. Sure he’ll be acting Still only seenup soon. occasionally.
Helped to win brownies in Dingo Dollar Challenge. Surprisingly upbeat. Won’t be killed off too early on this, unlike EastEnders. Not much action. Slipping right down the charts, which he isn’t used to in The Vamps. Wants to get Fleur a Hollyoaks cameo. She may be a bigger screen presence.