:00:14. > :00:24.Will come to the Late Kick Off. It has all changed on the managerial
:00:24. > :00:30.
:00:30. > :00:34.front, and some changes for us, as well. Cobblers in crisis, rock
:00:34. > :00:41.bottom of the Football League. Special report on Northampton's
:00:41. > :00:48.fight for survival. There is very hard to the bottom of the Football
:00:48. > :00:57.League. And Paul Gill insists she will decide his own fate at Portman
:00:57. > :01:03.Road. And who needs Graham Westley, as the boss moves on to pastures
:01:03. > :01:06.new, it is business as usual for goal happy Stevenage. The land will
:01:06. > :01:13.come to Late Kick-Off. Back on Monday nights from now through to
:01:13. > :01:20.the end of the season. I am joined by Perry Groves. Essex boys. Don't
:01:21. > :01:25.give me a lot of confidence! And a long side him, Lyon Mackenzie, who
:01:25. > :01:29.has played for virtually every team in the league! Plenty of highs and
:01:29. > :01:34.lows, as ever, but we're starting at the bottom and working our way
:01:34. > :01:39.up. The League 2 table does not make good reading for Northampton
:01:39. > :01:44.Town fans. The threat of dropping out of the Football League is all
:01:44. > :01:50.too real. Northampton face a tough fight to avoid relegation as James
:01:50. > :01:54.Burridge reports. In football, you win some, you lose some. Get kicked
:01:54. > :02:01.out of the football began you lose a lot. Getting relegated is the
:02:01. > :02:06.worst thing that can happen. �700,000 worse off. You go to
:02:06. > :02:11.places you just don't want to go to. When it is going wrong it is
:02:11. > :02:17.sometimes difficult to retrieve. Stick and say what Tristan spend?
:02:17. > :02:24.At Northampton Town, they have done both. But the wheel is still
:02:24. > :02:31.spinning. Over �7 million we have spent, to be bottom of the Football
:02:31. > :02:37.League. We last season, Northampton down flirted with relegation. This
:02:37. > :02:41.season they are having a full-blown affair with it. It is an absolute
:02:42. > :02:45.disaster. You look at the teams that go down and have a comeback.
:02:45. > :02:49.We could do the same. I have supported them for a long time and
:02:49. > :02:55.they would take to see them go down after all this time. You can not
:02:55. > :02:59.imagine what might happen if they were to get relegated, would they
:02:59. > :03:05.come straight back up? It is tough, they would it was a lot of relegate
:03:05. > :03:09.-- revenue. The future hangs heavy over a man who has endured a
:03:09. > :03:16.miserable few years. Despite spending big, the chairman of
:03:16. > :03:19.Northampton Town has been left counting the cost. We have put
:03:19. > :03:24.350,000 more on the wage bill from the previous season on the basis
:03:24. > :03:29.that we wanted to go up. We had a clean sheet to bring in 20 odd
:03:29. > :03:35.players, to give it a real go. And we were bottom of the leak two
:03:35. > :03:45.weeks ago, so yes. A overdue be affected if you were to go down?
:03:45. > :03:45.
:03:46. > :03:49.a club? Typical to say. I suspect off. When we got relegated from
:03:49. > :03:56.League 1, to League 2, they lost almost �800,000 of income, or one
:03:56. > :04:03.night. He did that affect the club? We are still here, that is a
:04:03. > :04:09.success, just surviving. But the difference is, to do that again,
:04:09. > :04:13.where Rovers costs come from? That will be a difficult one. It is a
:04:13. > :04:17.massive gamble, as a chairman, isn't it? You are throwing money at
:04:17. > :04:23.something and you do not know if you're going to get any return.
:04:23. > :04:30.is up impossible job, financially, to get it right. Of course it does.
:04:30. > :04:36.Clubs in League to receive �430,000 from the Football League and
:04:36. > :04:41.relegated clubs get half of the summer but only for one season and
:04:41. > :04:48.lose �180,000 per season towards youth development programmes. The
:04:48. > :04:51.payments will last two seasons. Cambridge United Darren the 6th
:04:52. > :04:58.season in the Blue Square premier. They have but been forced to cut
:04:58. > :05:02.their cloth accordingly. We were in despair. It came as a culture shock
:05:02. > :05:06.to us but there are so many League clubs in this position and
:05:06. > :05:11.invariably, one or other has a rich benefactor that helps them get out.
:05:11. > :05:17.But the standard of this league now is phenomenal. So many clubs are in
:05:17. > :05:20.a situation of unique survival at this stage. On days of 2500, you
:05:20. > :05:26.can get some good friends of mine due and it is about getting through
:05:26. > :05:32.this period. Survival first, promotion second? Yes, if we make
:05:32. > :05:42.the play-offs, it exceeds expectations for this year, bearing
:05:42. > :05:46.in mind our budget. After the first sort of season I think we struggled.
:05:46. > :05:55.We have seen bigger league clubs were down but because they are
:05:55. > :06:00.financial basket cases. It is a smaller clubs that are going up. We
:06:00. > :06:03.have saw that, but they don't have the money. This is the reality of
:06:03. > :06:07.life in the Conference. Cambridge United against them so would have
:06:07. > :06:12.been a Football League fixture, but now these are two sides and their
:06:12. > :06:19.smaller crowds are learning how to do it the hard way. Coming out of
:06:19. > :06:27.this division is very tough. And it takes a lot of expense. In League 2
:06:27. > :06:31.we had something like 44 players, that was throwing money at that,
:06:31. > :06:36.and it did not work. Deja remember the first few weeks and a
:06:36. > :06:41.conference? It was a horrible feeling. The impact is huge on the
:06:41. > :06:44.community. That is what brings the pressure. If it was all about a
:06:44. > :06:48.football game there is always winners and losers but when it
:06:48. > :06:56.comes to relegation to the Blue Square Bet Premier, your side in
:06:56. > :06:59.your town affecting your community, it is massive. The Championship was
:06:59. > :07:04.not necessarily ruled out, thumped and down a couple of seasons ago,
:07:04. > :07:08.and money has been thrown at this club, and all it has got them is to
:07:08. > :07:13.the foot of League 2. How much has it cost usage you have been running
:07:13. > :07:20.this place? We have spent over �7 million now, to the bottom of the
:07:20. > :07:25.Football League. 7 million. That is a huge amount of money. Yes, not
:07:25. > :07:29.just to be in League 2, but bottom of League 2. It is your heart still
:07:29. > :07:35.in it? It is, it has had a battering in the last year, but we
:07:35. > :07:39.are here, and we will keep going. If I knew what I know now when I
:07:39. > :07:46.first came here, we would be in the Championship now, I am pretty sure
:07:46. > :07:52.of that. Some people say you should try to safeguard your status in
:07:52. > :08:02.League 2, or to get promotion, you have to spend money. That is not
:08:02. > :08:05.true. I have done both. chairman said he has put 7 million
:08:05. > :08:11.Townson to the football club. It is a lot of money. If it was not for
:08:11. > :08:15.him there would not be a football club. I don't call it the
:08:15. > :08:20.Conference, I call it the vision to be, because if you look at it now
:08:20. > :08:23.there are 11 teams that have been in the Football League and 16 of
:08:23. > :08:27.them are full-time, so it is not easy to get back up again. They is
:08:27. > :08:31.important that the chairman stays there, he has been a big part of
:08:31. > :08:34.the football club for the last decade. He said there, he is harder
:08:34. > :08:41.still in it. He has got that passion for the club. As long as
:08:41. > :08:45.his heart is still in it they can turn it around. He said if he knew
:08:45. > :08:48.then what he does now he would be in the Championship, and you have
:08:48. > :08:53.to get the right managers, so he has had Gary Johnson, Aidy
:08:53. > :09:02.Boothroyd is there, he is bottom, but Aidy Boothroyd will get the
:09:02. > :09:05.more organised, structured, and fitcorner. You were there on the
:09:05. > :09:11.Gary Johnson and he did not see eye to eye with him. A unfortunately
:09:11. > :09:16.not. Sometimes the manager comes in and you do not see eye-to-eye. I
:09:16. > :09:22.was top goalscorer that the time. It was important for me to play. I
:09:22. > :09:26.did not play in a situation but my argument to him was at the end of
:09:26. > :09:30.the season, I said you have got strikers here that have played over
:09:30. > :09:38.40 games and not got into double figures. I got into double figures
:09:38. > :09:44.and played 17 games. It depends how the manager wants to analyse things.
:09:44. > :09:47.And one man can define your position, which is a shame. We have
:09:47. > :09:51.seen clubs going down and not coming back. It is not easy to get
:09:51. > :09:55.back into the Football League when she fall-out. You lose have the
:09:55. > :10:04.money, you get half the money for two seasons, so you need a
:10:04. > :10:08.benefactor. He said he has done that and it does not work, either.
:10:09. > :10:13.Aidy Boothroyd is experienced and will give youngsters some chances.
:10:13. > :10:20.Penises experienced players to take the pressure of the youngsters.
:10:20. > :10:25.This was a good start. Yes, John Johnson puts them 1-0 up. That
:10:25. > :10:28.should give them confidence for the rest of the game. Looking for their
:10:28. > :10:34.first victory in 15 matches and that is going to give them
:10:34. > :10:38.confidence. And it did, and the first half. Some dodgy defending a,
:10:39. > :10:43.and that was a decent finish, and then, to be fair, they got
:10:43. > :10:52.themselves back in front again. have watched them a few times and
:10:52. > :10:56.there are a lot of defending errors. This is a good finish. I like him.
:10:56. > :11:01.When I go to watch him play, he works hard, he walks the Charles
:11:01. > :11:07.really well. When things are going against you, I don't think that is
:11:07. > :11:10.a penalty kick in a million years. He just collides with the consent.
:11:10. > :11:16.Dickinson gets there first. When you are at the top of the league,
:11:16. > :11:24.you get those decisions. Of this goal goes in it is 2-2, just after
:11:24. > :11:28.half-time. And it is difficult, then, isn't it? When you are in are
:11:28. > :11:37.losing luck, your confidence starts to Road. And you have a lot of bad
:11:37. > :11:41.luck. The decent free kick from Jacobs, good save from Morris. And
:11:41. > :11:49.then, another great free kick, more us with no chance, goes inside a
:11:49. > :11:53.post and comes out. Another chance, just wide. When things are going
:11:53. > :11:56.against you you need one of these two Going for you. Like that one.
:11:56. > :11:59.That was a little more that pops up when you hope that that is going
:11:59. > :12:05.towards the goal and that is the way things are running for
:12:05. > :12:12.Northampton at the moment. 10 hours to go, so it then scored three
:12:12. > :12:19.goals. Yes, it was a good cross. And the substitute who had just
:12:19. > :12:22.come on. Windsor event gets in a position to bring the game back to
:12:22. > :12:28.2-2, they are going to go on to win the game because of the position
:12:28. > :12:31.they are in the league. -- when Southend gets in a position. Do you
:12:31. > :12:36.think he is the right man to take Northampton forward, they Aidy
:12:36. > :12:42.Boothroyd? I know him quite well. He is an organised manager. He gets
:12:42. > :12:52.the best out of his players. I personally think he has to bring a
:12:52. > :13:02.couple in, but this is the question. David said he spent �7 million. And
:13:02. > :13:04.
:13:04. > :13:09.they are at the bottom of League 2. That 5 to win a means the Shrimpers
:13:09. > :13:15.are at the top of League Two with a great chance of going straight back
:13:15. > :13:20.up. Shrews be around beaten at home. Two will be a tough one for them.
:13:20. > :13:25.Yes it is tough. I hope they get their confidence. Southend Borough
:13:25. > :13:31.fantastic side. I know some of the players there and it is a good side.
:13:31. > :13:34.De you think they can go up? think they can. They are the best
:13:34. > :13:44.in the away wins. They are organised and structured with good
:13:44. > :13:48.team spirit. They are difficult to beat. They can score a couple.
:13:49. > :13:54.you are fighting for vast top spot, you need that in your squad. You
:13:54. > :13:59.need to be able to bring on players that can score goals. You move the
:13:59. > :14:05.squad about and everybody is happy. It seems to be a good and tight
:14:05. > :14:11.unit. Next League One and the leak -- MK Dons chairman confirmed they
:14:11. > :14:14.would be funding tickets and travel for Carlisle fans on the back of a
:14:14. > :14:19.postponement. Hugely embarrassed. We have tried to do something about
:14:19. > :14:24.it. We have announced that we will refund all the Carlisle fans their
:14:24. > :14:28.tickets and we will give them a free ticket. We will enable them to
:14:28. > :14:32.bring a friend to the game and we will put on two coaches from
:14:32. > :14:36.Carlisle so hopefully we are making a real effort to try and make sure
:14:37. > :14:41.that the Carlisle fans that can get to the game will be able to be
:14:41. > :14:46.there. For our own supporters as well who had a miserable day and
:14:46. > :14:50.made an unnecessary visit, we are going to have bring a friend for
:14:50. > :14:54.free so why hope we can get some positive out of what was one of the
:14:54. > :14:59.darkest days for us. A bit embarrassed there. It is a great
:14:59. > :15:03.gesture is and it to pay for travel and tickets. He will have been
:15:03. > :15:07.absolutely devastated because MK Dons is his baby and his vision. I
:15:07. > :15:12.knew full well he would give two free tickets to Carlisle fans and
:15:12. > :15:16.he gave them free meals at the game and he will pay for travel so you
:15:16. > :15:20.can ask for any more than that. It was a long trip for the Carlisle
:15:20. > :15:25.fans so it was not an ideal team to be playing. This is what it was
:15:25. > :15:29.like just two hours before the game on Saturday. It was just a small
:15:29. > :15:35.patch of grass. Sunshine and everybody thought the game would go
:15:35. > :15:38.ahead but that small area of ground was the problem. The groundsman was
:15:38. > :15:42.the lowest man in the world. He thought he should have put the
:15:42. > :15:49.covers on. Because Carlisle had travelled so far they knew why even
:15:49. > :15:55.more desperate to get the game on. 520 round trip for them. 520 mile
:15:55. > :16:00.round trip for them. The pitch has been awful. You have to call the
:16:00. > :16:03.picture of. It does not look as though there is a lot wrong with it,
:16:03. > :16:10.just a small patch. What the officials were thinking at that
:16:10. > :16:15.time... The food is better than at motorway service food on your way
:16:15. > :16:19.home at least. They had some good cuisine. A great gesture. They have
:16:19. > :16:26.a big game tomorrow. They drew in the FA Cup against Queens Park
:16:26. > :16:31.Rangers at home. Do you fancy their chances?. I do. They did really
:16:31. > :16:37.well and got on one all drawers were would not write them off.
:16:37. > :16:43.Surprise package in League One has to be Stevenage. Back-to-back
:16:43. > :16:52.promotions. Perhaps no surprise that he Wesley would be poached.
:16:52. > :16:56.His move to Preston was confirmed. There has been a lot of tears this
:16:57. > :17:01.week. They have won a lot of medals for themselves and the football
:17:01. > :17:11.club. It has been difficult. They did nothing to miss him though. A
:17:11. > :17:12.
:17:12. > :17:22.massive win. The Nick Freeman show. He put them one per zero up. -- 1-
:17:22. > :17:22.
:17:22. > :17:26.nil. -- 1-0. They went 2-0 up. It was of the far post. He has
:17:27. > :17:31.instilled a lot in to them as a team. They are very strong.
:17:31. > :17:36.Everybody knows what they are doing and that is important. One defeat
:17:36. > :17:46.in 16 games. It is a terrific record. The Stevenage fans were out
:17:46. > :17:47.
:17:47. > :17:54.last night and they contacted us. We asked if Graham Westley would be
:17:54. > :17:58.poaching players. There is a deal that they cannot do that -- he
:17:58. > :18:02.cannot do that until the end of the season. The chairman has done a
:18:02. > :18:08.brilliant job making sure that he cannot do that. Are you surprised
:18:08. > :18:12.he has gone to Preston? No, they are a bigger club with a bigger fan
:18:12. > :18:17.base. But Darren Ferguson went from Peterborough and then a few months
:18:17. > :18:24.later he came back. It is an opportunity for Graham to go there
:18:24. > :18:28.to a bigger club. I feel that... We will have to see in due course how
:18:28. > :18:32.he does. It does not necessarily mean he will do the same job that
:18:32. > :18:42.he did in Stevenage. They are a different team. It does not always
:18:42. > :18:43.
:18:43. > :18:49.work that way when he tried... He is a nine-to-five man. At Preston
:18:49. > :18:54.date -- they train two or three times a day. He instilled a to his
:18:54. > :18:59.players. It is hard work. What is next for Stevenage? Who was linked
:18:59. > :19:03.with the job? If Martin takes the job, he will have to be careful not
:19:03. > :19:07.to change too much. They are very successful and they are used to the
:19:07. > :19:11.routines. If I was Martin I would have somebody who was number two
:19:11. > :19:15.who would know all about Stevenage Football Club there was already
:19:15. > :19:20.there. He needs someone who knows the strengths and weaknesses.
:19:20. > :19:26.us have a look at the top of the table. MK Dons are in 5th position.
:19:26. > :19:31.Stevenage are in thick. Colchester are just propping up the top of the
:19:31. > :19:37.one. That is your old club, Perry. A disappointing season for them.
:19:37. > :19:45.Yes, they need a goalscorer. In the game on Saturday gave Scunthorpe
:19:45. > :19:53.they had 16 shops on target and they could not score a goal. --
:19:53. > :19:57.shops. It was a decent finish. Scunthorpe went 1-0 up. What do you
:19:57. > :20:01.think generally for Colchester this season? Mid-table do you think they
:20:01. > :20:07.can have a push for the play-offs? I think they are about right in the
:20:07. > :20:13.mid- table. I would say definitely. There have been some bad results
:20:13. > :20:21.against teams in our region. They lost 6-12 Stevenage. Steven
:20:21. > :20:28.Gillespie picks himself up and then get the penalty quite comfortably.
:20:28. > :20:35.Scunthorpe's goalkeeper made some fantastic get saves. But you need a
:20:35. > :20:40.goalkeeper. -- a goalscorer. What can Colchester fans expect? Will
:20:40. > :20:45.they go into the transfer market? Possibly but you have got to really
:20:45. > :20:51.concentrate on being in a comfortable position. If you push
:20:51. > :20:55.now you will have to spend some money and they need a goalscorer,
:20:55. > :21:02.somebody who gets bits. Peterborough have had a good season
:21:02. > :21:12.so far. It was disappointing at the weekend. They missed some chances.
:21:12. > :21:16.
:21:16. > :21:24.They have a good little squad. The actual sport in itself is good. It
:21:24. > :21:32.will be an interesting game against Brighton. As a squad they are
:21:32. > :21:38.confident. Little did brilliantly. It broke to Daniel Kearns. That is
:21:38. > :21:43.a foul. Anywhere on the pitch that is a penalty. A thing they had a
:21:43. > :21:48.rocky referee and he did not give them a lot of joy. Daniel Ferguson
:21:48. > :21:53.has been annoyed about not being given that. There has been contact.
:21:53. > :21:57.Are Peterborough punching above their weight? They look like they
:21:57. > :22:03.have learned from the last time they were in the championship
:22:03. > :22:10.because they were in experienced. They have a decent the goal scorer
:22:10. > :22:16.and her a lot of younger players. They will be all right in the
:22:16. > :22:20.championship. I think there will be OK. What a job Darren Ferguson has
:22:20. > :22:27.done after returning from Preston? He has come back and he is really
:22:27. > :22:30.enjoying it again. It is like remarrying your ex-wife. They are
:22:30. > :22:34.very strong characters and they have realised they are better as a
:22:34. > :22:40.unit and working apart. Barry is the director of football with a bit
:22:40. > :22:44.of experience. It is invaluable. can go one way or the other. He has
:22:44. > :22:51.been very fortunate to come back. It doesn't always work. I would not
:22:51. > :22:57.like to go back to my ex-wife! might want you back! Like I say, it
:22:57. > :23:02.does not always work. Talking about exes, my ex club Ipswich have had a
:23:02. > :23:08.funny season. They have thrown away another two-goal lead. Yes, when
:23:08. > :23:14.they concede, they started off really well with a good play from
:23:14. > :23:19.Lee Martin. They were under pressure from Jason Scotland and it
:23:19. > :23:24.might have been OK. It is no secret that the problems are at the back.
:23:24. > :23:30.There is useless defence. They have got to strengthen. When you're in
:23:30. > :23:36.that league, you have to strengthen at the back. It is a unit. That is
:23:36. > :23:41.where it comes from. They made a bid for Shaw said Leger but it has
:23:41. > :23:51.not quite gone through. He is in the market for a new centre-half.
:23:51. > :23:53.
:23:53. > :23:59.They need an experienced new centre-half to galvanise everybody.
:23:59. > :24:09.Those are nice clubs by the way! is a right midfielder play at the
:24:09. > :24:13.
:24:13. > :24:16.right back. Kevin Phillips had a decent finish. He is good for back.
:24:16. > :24:22.The players positioning have a lot to do with it. You can see
:24:23. > :24:28.Northampton missing a lot of chances. What about that one?
:24:28. > :24:32.were walkabout for Blackpool's second goal. He was looking at the
:24:32. > :24:36.goalkeeper and try to give him the If Tears ended up tackling himself.
:24:37. > :24:41.It is one of those where you think, I have scored here and he took his
:24:41. > :24:46.eye off the ball. That is exactly what he has done. To be honest,
:24:46. > :24:50.that should have been a goal. should have been a win that,
:24:50. > :24:56.absolutely. There was a vote of confidence today. What is the
:24:56. > :25:03.situation at Portman Road? I had a fair crack of the whip and that is
:25:03. > :25:08.what I am getting. It didn't workout. That is reasonable. Then
:25:08. > :25:14.they will have to sack me. I have drive and determination to get this
:25:14. > :25:24.job right. It is great when you know you have an owner who is 100%
:25:24. > :25:26.
:25:26. > :25:36.behind you. We both want the same thing. Ipswich fans, do you think
:25:36. > :25:42.
:25:42. > :25:45.Paul Jewell is still the right man? Who would love to hear from you.
:25:45. > :25:49.What do you think of the job that Paul Jewell is doing? It all
:25:49. > :25:54.depends on results. We are in India in to it and he has been in charge
:25:54. > :25:57.of 51 games and they have conceded 95 goals. He needs a centre-half
:25:57. > :26:03.and to get in so structured. Ipswich fans would rather they
:26:04. > :26:09.played young players. Williams played and they give it energy.
:26:09. > :26:13.They have a good desire where as the older players have nothing to
:26:13. > :26:16.54. Contractually we cannot show any Norwich action because they are
:26:16. > :26:20.in the Premier League. That is one of your form of the teams and they
:26:20. > :26:26.are going pretty well. Fantastic. I have watched them a few times this
:26:26. > :26:33.season. He has got it right, the manager there. He is doing really
:26:33. > :26:39.well. Everything he seems to do seems to pay off. The positioning
:26:39. > :26:45.of the players... What about Leon McKenzie? It is great to have you
:26:45. > :26:51.with us today. You have had difficult times. It is fabulous
:26:51. > :26:57.that you are here and are able to talk about it. Yes, it is something
:26:57. > :27:03.I went through a few years ago. I was passionate to bring it forward
:27:03. > :27:07.and be open and show everybody the problems that I went through two
:27:08. > :27:12.basic to make the situation of depression more aware. To get the
:27:12. > :27:20.PFA to be more supportive in respect of Dom Mark Pugh have they
:27:20. > :27:27.been helpful? Not so much back then but since my article in the Daily
:27:27. > :27:30.Mail and with Dean Windass speaking. It is a brave thing to do. When you
:27:30. > :27:35.go through those situations it is a brave thing to come forward and
:27:35. > :27:39.speak publicly. How public the -- how important the think it is to
:27:39. > :27:43.get the message out publicly? Is more widespread than people think.
:27:43. > :27:48.It is a massive step forward. When you speak publicly about such
:27:48. > :27:54.personal stuff, for me it was getting the awareness about
:27:54. > :27:58.depression and getting it out there so there is more support within the
:27:58. > :28:03.area. That is the main thing. Better times ahead for you? Your
:28:03. > :28:08.music career about to take off. This is what I mean. I am living
:28:08. > :28:13.testimony. The place that I was apt to the place I am now, if I look
:28:13. > :28:17.back now I would have never thought I could have brought out a single.
:28:17. > :28:27.I have a single coming out on Friday, it is hitting the radio
:28:27. > :28:28.
:28:28. > :28:31.stations on Friday. The it will be released on iTunes on 19th March.