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Ahuge debt of gratitude is owed to the friends, former team-mates and other professional associates of Harry Redknapp who gave freely of their time to be interviewed for this book, including: Kenny Allen, John Best, Richard Cooke, Leon Crouch, Tommy Docherty, Jimmy Gabriel, Trevor Hartley, Bobby Howe, Alan Hudson, Peter Jeffs, Rupert Lowe, Milan Mandaric, Rodney Marsh, Alvin Martin, Jim McAlister, Wilf McGuinness, Dejan Stefanovic, Ian Thompson and John Williams.

Thanks are due also to Nick Callow, who got the ball rolling, and Allie Collins of John Blake, who was patient and supportive throughout. Nicola Benn, Paul Edwards, Stephen Farmer, Wendy Hardy, Dick Hookway, Howard Nurse, Joanna Olszowska, Nick Pitt and Paul Vanes all provided much appreciated help in terms of contacts or research material. Particular thanks to Frank MacDonald of Seattle Sounders for his invaluable assistance in helping me to track down various contacts Stateside.

Several written resources were helpful in terms of research and reference. They include: My Autobiography, by Harry Redknapp (with Derek McGovern); The West Ham United Football Book, by Dennis Irving; NASL: A Complete Record of the North American Soccer League, by Colin Jose; Sleeping Giant Awakes and Stay Up Pompey! by Pat Symes; Bonzo, by Billy Bonds; goalseattle.com; and the 1974 and 1978 editions of the Seattle Sounders Media Guide. A wider debt is owed to the exhaustive chronicling of Harry’s life and times by friends and colleagues in the national and regional press.

I would like to thank several people who have had a shaping influence on my career to date: at the Observer, Brian Oliver and Roger Alton; Peter Mitchell and Jim Bruce-Ball of the Sunday Telegraph; and everyone on the guardian.co.uk sports desk. Particular thanks also to Jon Henderson for numerous kindnesses.

Of the many others whose generous assistance contributed either directly or indirectly to this book, three deserve special mention. Tim Haynes put me back on the road to journalism after a lengthy spell pursuing alternative interests, for which I shall always be grateful. Andrew Truscott has been an unfailingly stimulating source of debate on all things sporting. Above all, without the love, support and encouragement of Elizabeth McFarland, this book would still be in extra-time.