Harry's (End) Game

Lifelong Birmingam City fan KEITH DIXON puts forward his theory as to why the Harrry Redknapp era suddenly came to a halt…

AT 3.45pm on Saturday, September 16, something happened which ended Harry Redknapp’s reign as manager of Birmingham City.

We were beating Preston North End 1-0 and the crowd of 21,168, including the away fans, were impressed with the performance of Harry’s team.

It was only the third game that he had had the chance to select a team which included all his new transfer window signings.

In his manager’s column in the match day programme, he stated: “We’ve signed some fantastic players and this team is beginning to take shape. And it is a team you supporters will get excited about, which is important.”

At half-time, the Bluenoses were believing Harry’s comments. Could this, at long last, be the start of a new beginning for the Blues which would see us challenging for promotion to the Premier League?

Fifteen minutes later the same team came out and gave the fans the most appalling display I have witnessed since we were demolished 8-0 by Bournemouth immediately after the Board had sacked Lee Clark.

On reflection, this was worse because against Bournemouth at least the players kept going as the crowd exited St Andrew’s. There was a similar crowd exit on this occasion as all eleven players capitulated to a good but not excellent Preston outfit, going down 3-1.

This was our eighth league game under Harry this season. Our haul of points was four from a possible 24 and that’s why we were second bottom in the Championship.

More revealing is the fact that those four points had been gained in the opening three games of the season and we had lost the last five.