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By Mike Collett
LONDON, May 17 (Reuters) - Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp said winning the first major trophy of his career felt "fantastic" and he was hoping to celebrate his side's FA Cup triumph by taking his wife out for an Italian meal.
He said he would also make sure he fed his dogs, if he got back to the south coast in time, then take the plaudits on Sunday with the club's victory parade.
"It's a dream come true to win the FA Cup, for me, my family and the fans, it's fantastic," he said after Portsmouth's 1-0 win over Cardiff City at Wembley.
"You always want to win the FA Cup but you can't make it happen and I would be lying if I said that when we were drawn away to Manchester United in the quarter-finals I thought that we would get to Wembley."
Saturday's achievement comes at the end of a turbulent period for the 61-year-old Londoner who joined West Ham United as a 17-year-old in 1964, the year the Hammers won the FA Cup for the first time.
This was the closest he has been to the FA Cup final since, and Saturday's victory and erases some of the pain of a difficult few months.
POLICE RAID
Last November, police conducted a highly-publicised raid on his house and arrested him on charges of corruption in transfer deals.
Still on police bail, he has angrily denied the charges and has launched a court action against police for their behaviour.
He also said the raid hampered his chances of becoming the England manager after Steve McClaren was fired.
Last month, his wife Sandra's twin sister Pat Lampard died of pneumonia aged 58. She was the mother of Chelsea and England midfielder Frank Lampard, whose father Frank was a team mate of Redknapp at West Ham.
Redknapp's son Jamie played for Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and England and after Saturday's victory Redknapp said he was celebrating a great day for the club, the fans and his family.
"Everyone goes through tough times," he said, "I'm no different, but you have to get through them. You have to keep yourself motivated and just keep going with a smile on your face. I have to go to work every day and its no good if I look down.
"It's been a difficult year off the field so this is a dream come true. We're a very close family, it's for all my grandchildren and everybody. The players are all great, I love them all."
Redknapp also got the greatest cheer from the Portsmouth fans when he lifted the Cup after the game as wild celebrations began following Nwankwo Kanu's goal that brought Portsmouth their first victory in the FA Cup final since 1939.
Saturday's win represented the high point in a managerial career that has spanned two spells with Portsmouth, a brief unhappy period at Southampton and began 25 years ago with Bournemouth, close to where he now lives, and where he was planning to celebrate Saturday's victory.
