Police on the south coast are frantically trying to locate the whereabouts of Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp this morning, after henchmen thought to be working for Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy took him from his home in the small hours.
No ransom note was left.
Tottenham are thought to have been incensed recently when, after a match between the two teams at Fratton Park Redknapp criticised the Spurs fans for their constant racist and homophobic barracking of Portsmouth's gay, black player, Sol Campbell.
Redknapp called their actions that day "foul, abusive and not belonging in today's society."
Some White Hart Lane supporters reasoned that this was just 'football talk', and that Redknapp had overreacted to 'playful shenanigans'.
This latest incident, though, reinforces the idea of thuggery amongst some elements of supporters of the north London club, and police have set up an incident room near Fratton Park, and are conducting a massive nationwide search for the 80-year-old former Bournemouth, West Ham, Portsmouth and Southampton boss.
Rumours that Redknapp had consented to become the next Spurs manager are not being seriously, as he is known to despise the club and its fans.
Sgt Derek Tipple of Hampshire Police, said:
"We know he likes to walk away from clubs at the drop of a hat, but we are taking this 'kidnap' thing as seriously as our sense of humour will let us."
