THAT shy, retiring wallflower Uri Geller has apparently offered to help Harry Redknapp in his hour of need, saying he could pass on his powers of positive thinking to the Saints team and ensure their Premiership survival.

It took me back to 1976 before our semi-final with Crystal Palace when a stage hypnotist called Romark offered his services first to Malcolm Allison, who promptly told him where to go.

He rang my secretary Val Gardner to book an appointment with me and the players and, as he'd told the world he'd put a curse on Allison, I took the coward's way out and agreed to see him.

After training, I got the players in with the promise there would be no laughing. When he came in, his eyes immediately struck me. He had peripheral vision, both eyes staring in different directions.

He surprised everyone by asking for two chairs to be placed in the centre of the room facing away from each other two yards apart, then got an apprentice to put his head on one and heels on the other.

When he took the chairs away, the lad stayed suspended in mid-air. I was even asked to sit on the lad's stomach and still he stayed suspended.

We were impressed and let him talk about positive thinking before saying our thank-yous and farewells.

George Horsfall, our reserve team trainer, came in shortly afterwards and, after telling him what had happened, he did the trick all over again. He wouldn't tell us how it had been done, but George was born in India and it may well have had something to do with the old Indian rope trick.

Anyway, Romark must have been pleased with us, as we promptly beat Palace.

Romark later tried to drive blindfold on Brighton seafront in another stunt and ended up running into the back of a police car!