Congratulations must go to Portsmouth Football Club and especially Harry Redknapp for lifting the 127th FA Cup trophy in the history of the esteemed cup competition.

There are few clubs that deserve the trophy as much as Portsmouth. The south coast club has won a lot of respect for the way its fans sing during matches, as well as being a very family-friendly Premier League club. Their manager, Harry Redknapp, is a rare breed — one of the last few great English managers. And now they’re rewarded with a berth in next season’s UEFA Cup as well as playing in the Community Shield match against Manchester United on Sunday, August 10, 2008 at Wembley Stadium.

The remarkable fact about Portsmouth is that it wasn’t that long away (two years precisely) when the club escaped relegation on the last day of the season.

Let’s hope that Redknapp’s Portsmouth team can build on what they achieved today. They’ll be looking forward to proceeding through the rounds of the UEFA Cup and will hope to be a stronger side in the Premier League next season. Trophies are a massive confidence boost for players.

Here’s a video of Portsmouth hoisting the trophy:

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