Tearful Redknapp's Pompey goodbye

Harry Redknapp received the freedom of the city after being booed at the Portsmouth Guildhall ceremony.

Thankfully, this ugly minority were soon silenced by audience members (and some incredibly vigorous stewards).

Just two days after his defection to Spurs and the wounds are still very raw, despite Tony Adams' appointment.
Feelings and emotions are running high.

I don't think too many people begrudge Harry his chance at Spurs.
We on the south coast will be eternally grateful for putting our tight-knit football club on the map.

It's Harry's verbal indiscretions we have a problem with.
Fine when he's on your side, but infuriating when he's not.

His claims the move was good for Pompey and his reference to them as a good 'little club' are just patronising.

Likeable and mischievous he may be, but classy he is definitely not.

But then we knew that anyway, of course. His move down the road will always be a stain on the incredible job he did at Pompey.

Like that hasty act, Redknapp continues to shoot himself in the foot because for all the self-proclaiming and self-preserving nonsense Harry spouts, he really did care about Pompey.

At the civic ceremony, a tearful Redknapp was genuinely touch at the outpouring of thanks he received from the city.

And while he repeated it until it lost its meaning, Pompey people really are his type of people.

Take away the exaggerated cockney wide-boy that appears on TV, and his affinity with Pompey will always be there.

It's just a shame one of the greatest figures in Pompey's history taints it with thoughtless media soundbites.

Here's a snippet from his goodbye interview in The News.

I'll leave it to you to decide how genuine it is.
That, for all his greatness, has always been Harry's problem.

'I think walking away from Portsmouth has to be the hardest thing I've ever done.

'It was unbelievably hard to decide to move. I haven't really slept since I did.

'It was a difficult decision. On Saturday night I said I definitely wasn't going to go.

'I didn't want to leave. I love it here and I enjoy the life here.
These are nice people and this is a great city.