HUNDREDS of football journalists and their guests honoured Harry Redknapp at a Gala Dinner held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London’s West End last night.

Redknapp raced back from the north-west, where vhis struggling Tottenham team suffered a bitterly disappointing 91st minute defeat at Wigan, to attend the function organised by The Football Writers’ Association to mark his 25 years in management.

Sir Geoff Hurst, who benefited from many right-wing crosses delivered by Redknapp during their playing days at West Ham, joined Harry, Sandra and Jamie Redknapp on the top table and presented ‘H’ with his award.

It was the second time a former Hammers boss has been honoured by the FWA. Ron Greenwood, who signed Redknapp as a schoolboy in the early 60s, was the award’s first recipient in 1983.

Harry paid tribute to Greenwood - “the best coach I’ve ever seen in the game” - and, despite the late defeat at Wigan, he remained upbeat and kept the audience entertained with a string of typically amusing anecdotes.

He recalled: “Ron sent his players to different schools to coach the kids. I worked at Pretoria School, in Canning Town, in the afternoons and would stay behind to play with the kids after school had finished. We were paid £2.50 a week.

“Pretoria produced a lot of good footballers, a few top boxers . . . and a couple of bank robbers!”

Current managers who were there to pay tribute to their colleague were Everton manager David Moyes, Fulham’s Roy Hodgson, plus former bosses Sir Bobby Robson, Barry Fry and Frank Clark. Ex-Hammer Clive Allen, now a member of Harry’s Spurs coaching staff, was there with brother Bradley and cousin Paul, another former West Ham favourite.

The cabaret was provided by Harry’s great friend, East Ender Kenny Lynch, along with fellow entertainer Bobby Davro who sung a medley of Frank Sinatra – and even had Harry himself dancing to New York, New York.

In our exclusive picture below, Harry and Kenny are seen enjoying the special occasion.