Harry Redknapp lifts the Championship play-off final trophy after QPR defeated Derby County in the match 1-0 on Saturday. Eddie Keogh / Reuters / May 24, 2014
Harry Redknapp lifts the Championship play-off final trophy after QPR defeated Derby County in the match 1-0 on Saturday. Eddie Keogh / Reuters / May 24, 2014

Redknapp after QPR promotion: ‘It was a backs to the wall job’



Harry Redknapp admitted he was a relieved man after Bobby Zamora’s last-gasp strike fired QPR back into the Premier League and eased the club’s precarious financial situation.

Redknapp’s side hit the jackpot at Wembley on Saturday as they rode their luck to steal a 1-0 victory against Derby in the Championship play-off final.

Zamora’s fine finish in stoppage-time was QPR’s first and only shot on target and came completely against the run of play after Derby had dominated following the 60th minute dismissal of Hoops midfielder Gary O’Neil.

The frenzied celebrations by QPR’s Malaysian owner Tony Fernandes, who was drenched in champagne by the time he left the on-pitch party after the final whistle, made it clear how important promotion was for the west London club, who would have been in danger of sinking into financial chaos if they had been condemned to another season in the second tier following their relegation in 2013.

Fernandes has funded a £70 million (Dh432.7m) wage bill reportedly higher than Spanish champions Atletico Madrid, while also coping with annual losses of around £65 million and estimated debts of £177 million.

In that context, promotion to the Premier League, where QPR will now land a minimum windfall of £80 million, was essential and Redknapp’s drained expression when he met the media an hour after Zamora’s winner showed the weight of expectation had weighed heavily over the last nine months.

“I’m sure it’s important (financially) but you will have to ask the chairman about that,” Redknapp said.

“The owner is very excited. He’s a nice fella and I’m pleased for him. It’s great for the club to be back in the Premier League. I’m delighted obviously. It’s good for the club and the fans.

“It was an amazing finish. We were under the cosh with 10 men and I was thinking ‘can we get to penalties?’. That was the only hope.

“It was a backs to the wall job, but I thought we defended for our lives and then Bobby stuck one in the top corner.”

In the week leading up to the final there had been reports Redknapp would leave QPR if they lost and may even retire from management.

The 67-year-old former Tottenham and West Ham boss was asked again if he planned to remain in charge at Loftus Road now Premier League action is back on the agenda, and his answer, while slightly non-committal, suggested he would be back in the dug-out for at least another year.

“I’m looking forward to being back in the Premier League. Now I’m looking forward to a break. I’m going to have a week off and see where we go,” he said.

“I’ll have a good look at it. I haven’t even thought about next year. Everything was about this game. Now we know where we’re playing next season.”

Zamora, who scored West Ham’s winner in the 2005 Championship final against Preston, has proved a lucky charm in the play-offs.

But the 33-year-old’s ruthless punishment of a mistake by Derby defender Richard Keogh was cruel on Rams manager Steve McClaren.

McClaren, back at Wembley for the first time since his England reign ended in 2007 with a rain-lashed defeat against Croatia that saw him dubbed ‘the Wally with the brolly’, started the season on the coaching staff at QPR before taking charge of Derby in September.

And the knowledge that his old friend Redknapp was back in the big time was little consolation after such a heartbreaking defeat.

“I can’t remember what Harry said at the end. I was in shock,” McClaren said.

“Football is a cruel game. One lapse and you lose a game like that. It is going to take a few days wallowing in our misery before we recover.

“We stayed on the pitch to watch QPR pick up the cup. It does hurt but we said we don’t want this hurt again.”

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Game Changer

Director: Shankar 

Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram

Rating: 2/5

If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.

If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).

Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
The specs

Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
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German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

Vidaamuyarchi

Director: Magizh Thirumeni

Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra

Rating: 4/5