:00:06. > :00:15.Nail biting, edge of your seats, squeaky-bum time - say it how you
:00:16. > :00:24.
:00:24. > :00:27.like, one thing's for sure, it's On the programme this evening: As
:00:27. > :00:35.the business end of the season approaches, what price a promotion
:00:35. > :00:39.hat-trick for the lads from the Lamex?
:00:39. > :00:42.There is a tremendous amount of chemistry and cameraderie. It has
:00:42. > :00:45.been wonderful to work with them. The fight to fill our stadiums -
:00:45. > :00:54.how our clubs are doing their best to attract more supporters into
:00:54. > :00:56.their grounds. It is the kids bringing mum and dad's to the
:00:56. > :01:06.football here! It is a Taylor-made victory for
:01:06. > :01:09.
:01:09. > :01:15.Posh, but is Peterborough's hotshot Hello, good evening. Delighted to
:01:15. > :01:24.welcome Perry Groves. Good evening. One looking for to not saying very
:01:24. > :01:29.much! A are other guest is Mr Barry Fry! You didn't get the suntan in
:01:29. > :01:34.this country, did you? A I did, cutting the grass at home in
:01:34. > :01:40.Peterborough. Soap, was your last won the one that kept you in the
:01:40. > :01:47.championship? I think so. We did well in March. We keep Blackpool,
:01:47. > :01:57.we beat Reading, then we beat Leicester, who are big guns. Three
:01:57. > :02:05.
:02:05. > :02:14.Taylor is on fire, he is unbelievable. A if you keep scoring
:02:14. > :02:24.goals like he did, his price will go up! That was unlucky by George
:02:24. > :02:24.
:02:24. > :02:34.Borg - George Boyd. The really wanted Tyrone and Taylor to form a
:02:34. > :02:40.
:02:40. > :02:46.partnership. Sinclair did really well there. All the players have
:02:46. > :02:55.been unbelievable for us. This is the goal itself. He just goes by
:02:55. > :03:02.people, it is a great shot. Am glad he scored. I did put �5 million on
:03:02. > :03:08.him, now a I have been down for 6 million! If East keeps - if he
:03:08. > :03:15.keeps scoring like that will be worth �10 million! Grant McCann,
:03:15. > :03:19.your skipper took the penalty. Grant had eight goals at the middle
:03:19. > :03:25.of November, then he had time out injured. He said himself that he
:03:25. > :03:34.changed his mind in the run-up. have all played and it is fearful,
:03:34. > :03:40.isn't it? Poll is unbelievable. What about the glad you have been
:03:40. > :03:49.at centre have? He has been magnificent every game. 21 but has
:03:49. > :03:59.a hundred and 50 appearances for Macclesfield. There has been plenty
:03:59. > :04:05.
:04:05. > :04:09.of talk about Paul Taylor. Here is is a very talented player. Darren
:04:09. > :04:13.Ferguson took a chance on him and he has repaid that by doing
:04:13. > :04:20.brilliantly. He wants to listen, or wants to learn and he has improved
:04:20. > :04:30.no end. You have made him an offer? We gave him a four-year offer that
:04:30. > :04:36.he wants to go to the Premier - the Premiership, and good luck to him.
:04:36. > :04:44.Anyone else out of contract? George Boyd. He has been a marvellous
:04:44. > :04:53.servant. Played 260 games, scored 60 goals. He won't talk about a new
:04:53. > :04:59.contract. A quick word about Ryan Dannatt. Brilliant! I have got my
:04:59. > :05:07.Norwich gear on. I believe he was man of the match. Norwich have done
:05:07. > :05:15.great. I sold them Adam Durie, Russell Martin, Leon McKenzie.
:05:15. > :05:22.They're all good lads and they all speak highly of marriage. Great
:05:22. > :05:28.result that London Road. At Portman Road was a terrific occasion. The
:05:28. > :05:38.1961 and 62 team were paraded around did ground. You probably
:05:38. > :05:40.
:05:40. > :05:47.remember that seemed. I do. I was a substitute for Manchester United.
:05:47. > :05:52.Ipswich beat Manchester United that day. The this was this weekend.
:05:52. > :05:59.Ipswich prospects season probably turned around at Barnsley. Ipswich
:05:59. > :06:07.have got a little bit of confidence now. They are playing with a bit
:06:07. > :06:12.more for me. I think Marcus Evans has done brilliantly there. He has
:06:12. > :06:17.backed the manager and has been proven to be right. He is a good
:06:17. > :06:25.manager. It was a disastrous start to the season, but they will be a
:06:25. > :06:35.great site next year, no doubt. put Darren Murphy up front. He
:06:35. > :06:39.
:06:39. > :06:44.gives them a bit of strength up front. They lost Alex McCarthy.
:06:44. > :06:51.Their finishing wasn't great, then you start to get a bit edgy, then
:06:51. > :06:57.you end up going deeper, sitting back. There is the bottom of the
:06:57. > :07:03.table. You are pretty safe, Peterborough? Yes, I think we are
:07:03. > :07:07.safe. He will still want to win in the remaining games. If we finish
:07:07. > :07:16.4th from bottom and retain her championship position, then that is
:07:16. > :07:20.another miracle. Sir, job done! A busy Easter as well. Coventry is in
:07:20. > :07:29.form. They did well to get out at the bottom three, so it will be a
:07:29. > :07:32.difficult game. Yesterday beats, then home to Nottingham Forest.
:07:32. > :07:35.Ipswich and Posh good bets for another season in the Championship,
:07:35. > :07:37.but who will join them? The bookies currently rate MK Dons 3:1 to win
:07:37. > :07:40.promotion from League One. Colchester are outsiders at 250:1,
:07:40. > :07:50.but at 14:1, what price another promotion party for Stevenage?
:07:50. > :07:56.
:07:56. > :08:01.Let's not beat about the bush, the Lamex Stadium isn't the most
:08:01. > :08:05.glamourous sporting venue in the land. Keeping up with remarkable
:08:05. > :08:10.success on the pitch is easier said than done for a club but was
:08:11. > :08:15.playing non-League football just two years ago. This is my first
:08:15. > :08:19.visit to the Lamex. Just about everybody who comes here these days
:08:19. > :08:23.is coming for the first time such has been the extraordinary rise of
:08:23. > :08:29.Stevenage. A third successive promotion isn't out of the
:08:29. > :08:33.question! What has happened at Stevenage is the stuff of fairy-
:08:33. > :08:38.tales. Instant promotion from League 2 last year on the back of
:08:38. > :08:42.their elevation to the Football League. Throw in an FA Cup victory
:08:42. > :08:49.over Newcastle last year and it is fair to say that the manager was
:08:49. > :08:55.going to be a tough act to follow. Enter Gary Smith. He was relatively
:08:55. > :09:00.unknown. The big disadvantage is that the side is doing well, was
:09:00. > :09:04.doing well. A lot of people were looking to see if I was going to
:09:04. > :09:10.change things and if I was going to impact the result. Not much needed
:09:10. > :09:15.to be changed. Everyone said the Stevenage way for the last three
:09:15. > :09:21.years was with Graham, but the people come to what just that will
:09:21. > :09:25.see that his Simek. We like to play football in the right areas. The
:09:25. > :09:31.new manager is carrying that on and is encouraging us to get the ball
:09:31. > :09:35.down a lot more. It has been extremely exciting. This side are
:09:35. > :09:40.wonderful group of players, great character and spirit. You can tell
:09:40. > :09:44.the way they play and the results that we have had there is a
:09:44. > :09:49.tremendous amount of chemistry and camaraderie in the group. It has
:09:49. > :09:54.been wonderful to work with them. And manager normally comes a month
:09:54. > :09:59.things aren't going well, and this has almost been the opposite. It
:09:59. > :10:07.was a shock when Graham left. The manager has come in and it couldn't
:10:07. > :10:12.have been an easy decision, because we were already right up there.
:10:12. > :10:22.Beragh have been undefeated in the lead, and sitting just outside of
:10:22. > :10:56.
:10:56. > :10:59.just inside the post. There didn't seem to be anything on, but Wycombe
:11:00. > :11:09.have just stood still for a moment and it curled inside the right-hand
:11:10. > :11:19.
:11:19. > :11:24.crossbar and then over the top. Here comes Eastman. Penalty! No
:11:24. > :11:32.question at all. The pressure came from behind us and the referee
:11:32. > :11:42.points to the spot. This is a big moment in this season for Wycombe.
:11:42. > :11:42.
:11:42. > :11:48.He scores! I guess that is going to feel more like a defeat them a draw.
:11:48. > :11:54.Absolutely. I think it it's probably the most dejected we have
:11:54. > :11:59.been after a game, even though we still remain unbeaten, the story
:11:59. > :12:06.today was missed opportunities, some good football. I thought our
:12:06. > :12:09.reward was the goal. I thought it was going to see us through to her
:12:09. > :12:19.first victory in some time and make a big difference to the league
:12:19. > :12:23.
:12:23. > :12:29.They have just bumbled. They were in a great position, but Phil
:12:29. > :12:36.Wallace runs that club great. It is a miracle were they are. They are
:12:36. > :12:44.not out of it yet, but they have stumbled. I think it is eight out
:12:44. > :12:50.of the last nine draws. They are probably at 20 goal as seasoned
:12:50. > :12:54.striker away from the play-offs. think if Stevenage can call up they
:12:54. > :13:02.will find it hard to hold on to their players. One they have done
:13:02. > :13:09.is kept most of that squad played in did not leak. They have is not
:13:09. > :13:19.quite all the fitted tree had from Stevenage. Matt Holland as one of
:13:19. > :13:24.
:13:24. > :13:28.my favourites players. Love you How are they going to fill her at
:13:28. > :13:31.ground with more fans? And he is at it yet again - the big man is
:13:31. > :13:35.blazing a trail and hitting the net as the Cobblers continued to climb
:13:35. > :13:40.out of trouble. Back to the top of League One, and
:13:40. > :13:43.the MK Dons have stumbled a little. Yes, they will be disappointed, I
:13:43. > :13:47.don't know if it is the pressure it when they have to perform on the
:13:47. > :13:51.day, and getting beat by Brentford at the weekend, they would not be
:13:51. > :13:55.very happy. They got beat by Carlisle in
:13:55. > :13:59.midweek as well, sort two home defeats.
:13:59. > :14:04.They are missing four key players, though. They have injuries and I am
:14:04. > :14:08.not sure if they have strength in depth. But they have done brilliant
:14:08. > :14:18.of the field, but love if they would gawp.
:14:18. > :14:18.
:14:18. > :14:22.The mentioned the injury list, can be carried that?
:14:22. > :14:27.You cannot deal with that. It is all about the play-offs, now,
:14:27. > :14:30.isn't it? I absolutely, it is all about who
:14:30. > :14:37.they will play in the semi-finals of the play-off? There fighting
:14:37. > :14:44.of the play-off? There fighting quality has shown.
:14:44. > :14:51.I think car all will be very confident and the play-offs -- Carl
:14:51. > :14:55.will be very confident. They were a bit unlucky last year.
:14:55. > :14:58.Let's hope they have a bit of luck on their side of this year.
:14:58. > :15:04.He will look to try and get everyone fit for the play-offs,
:15:04. > :15:11.what he? James Devenay was fit for the weekend, the right back from
:15:11. > :15:14.Newcastle. He yes, I think that is from earlier in the season, Karl
:15:14. > :15:18.Robinson criticised how they were playing.
:15:18. > :15:23.By think he said about them being like the old Wimbledon, and I think
:15:23. > :15:29.that was the reason why that went on. They have to pick up, don't
:15:29. > :15:32.they? They need to pick it up. The S, to be fair they have been
:15:32. > :15:38.quite consistent, that is their first back-to-back defeat all
:15:38. > :15:45.season. -- yes, to be fair. The end they go to Preston, Preston
:15:45. > :15:50.is having a bad time at the minute. Week talked about Stevenage and the
:15:50. > :15:54.draws they have, Colchester, it is much the same for them.
:15:54. > :16:01.He is, they are fighting for their lives. It is a great ball from
:16:01. > :16:03.Michael Rose, then it goes to Karl Duguid. Exeter are scrapping, but
:16:03. > :16:08.Colchester have been really professional. Although they
:16:09. > :16:12.probably don't have the chance to make the play-offs they have stayed
:16:12. > :16:16.nice and compact. My eagle rose hit the post, as well.
:16:16. > :16:21.In the week they got beat at Walsall. That was their first
:16:21. > :16:26.defeat in 10. The skipper got there it -- his
:16:26. > :16:35.thirty-second to call for Colchester.
:16:36. > :16:40.Do you know who he called to celebrate? And a certain Perry
:16:40. > :16:45.Groves. How is he claiming that, Jamie
:16:45. > :16:55.children? That is an own goal, but if he gets awarded it, that is a
:16:55. > :16:56.
:16:56. > :16:59.strike. - my act Jamie Kearton. Stevenage are just outside, five
:16:59. > :17:07.points behind Carlisle, it will be difficult to stick into the play-
:17:07. > :17:11.offs, or impossible, and as Elliot Ward, probably -- as Elliot Ward
:17:11. > :17:17.said, probably out of that, now. These are the fixtures over the
:17:17. > :17:22.weekend, Colchester against Hartlepool, Saturday the MK Dons
:17:22. > :17:30.travel to Preston, and on Monday Colchester travel to bury come a
:17:30. > :17:40.long trip on Easter Monday. Stevenage have President. That will
:17:40. > :17:40.
:17:40. > :17:45.be a cracker, wanted? You will get a good reception. As Barry said,
:17:45. > :17:48.they have to keep that momentum they have to keep that momentum
:17:48. > :17:51.going. Even before it be this season has ended fans are looking
:17:51. > :17:55.forward to the next. They are expensive lucky -- luxury
:17:55. > :17:58.for some. It is that time of year again when
:17:58. > :18:02.football fans are being asked to dig deep, no matter how good, bad
:18:02. > :18:12.or indifferent your team played last season. It is time to splash
:18:12. > :18:23.
:18:23. > :18:28.Football clubs have to be smarter than the where and the past.
:18:28. > :18:34.I am very aware that to do all my crowd I need to be in a higher
:18:34. > :18:38.division. I am still in the same division will be started.
:18:38. > :18:44.Ipswich and MK Dons have plenty of space to fill. Next season the
:18:44. > :18:47.Upper stadium will be full of seats, increasing the capacity to 32,000.
:18:47. > :18:53.The German knows of the club remains in League One the stadium
:18:53. > :18:55.will operate at 25 % capacity. There is no doubt that having a
:18:55. > :19:03.bigger stadium will make our challenge even harder, but when I
:19:03. > :19:07.got into this and made a promise to deliver 30,000 -- a 30,000 all-
:19:07. > :19:12.seater and Stadium in Milton Keynes. That will also enable the football
:19:12. > :19:19.club to have no limits to their success they can achieve. I know
:19:19. > :19:24.that our legacy is important, and it is in the infrastructure of the
:19:24. > :19:29.business. The team are working on a new
:19:29. > :19:34.season ticket applications. The main headline - a big reduction of
:19:34. > :19:36.more younger fans than any other team in the country we do, and that
:19:36. > :19:39.gives us a challenge for evening games.
:19:39. > :19:44.Children are at school the following day and we see
:19:44. > :19:48.attendances drop in the evenings. But for long-term growth of this
:19:48. > :19:52.football club it is vital we encourage youngsters could -- also
:19:52. > :19:56.has to come, because unlike other football clubs where parents bring
:19:56. > :20:01.the children, here it is the other way round.
:20:01. > :20:06.A Ipswich have achieved a long, slow, and ultimately expensive
:20:06. > :20:09.decline in attendances. In eight years they have lost 6,000 fans.
:20:09. > :20:13.Winning them back will not be easy, particularly when everyone has less
:20:14. > :20:18.money to spend. Our prices typically across
:20:18. > :20:21.football to hide? The answer is probably yes, and
:20:21. > :20:28.that is why we have froze and season-ticket prices for another
:20:28. > :20:33.year and we are looking carefully at prices for next season. --
:20:33. > :20:39.throws in season-ticket prices. The biggest average crowd them the
:20:39. > :20:43.championship is up to nearly 9,000, third at -- 37 % up on last year in
:20:43. > :20:50.League One. MK Dons are down slightly on last season's average
:20:50. > :20:56.by around 4%. Their rivals for promotion in League One, Stevenage,
:20:56. > :21:02.are selling more tickets, up 19 %. This does follow promotion, though.
:21:02. > :21:10.Colchester have lost fans since last season, down 12 %, while
:21:10. > :21:18.despite contrasting seasons two teams are showing increases,
:21:18. > :21:22.Northampton up 9% and Southend of The challenge is to keep season-
:21:22. > :21:25.ticket holders happy. It is still far too much for the
:21:25. > :21:30.championship, and they do not look after a season tickets. They are
:21:31. > :21:34.always doing promotions for people who do not come that regularly.
:21:34. > :21:39.They just used as an abuse us, I think.
:21:39. > :21:45.With fans who do not come regularly, you can get a �10 ticket now and
:21:45. > :21:49.again, but we don't get a refund when there is a �10 game on,
:21:49. > :21:52.perhaps we should get refunds. is a dilemma you always have,
:21:52. > :21:56.because you want to protect the season-ticket holder to ensure you
:21:56. > :22:03.are not undermining them by constantly having promotions on
:22:03. > :22:08.match-day tickets, but that allows wavering season-ticket holders.
:22:08. > :22:14.They think, I could get value for money by picking and choosing which
:22:14. > :22:16.aims to go to. For Football League rules state you
:22:16. > :22:20.can only run four de good promotions per season involving
:22:20. > :22:24.home fans. But even if you could offer of a discount, the maths
:22:24. > :22:28.would not add up. A if it was as simple as reducing
:22:28. > :22:38.the price by 50 % to double the gates, everyone would be doing that.
:22:38. > :22:42.It is not that simple. If you decrease prices by a certain level,
:22:42. > :22:47.truthfully it makes little difference. You have to make quite
:22:47. > :22:51.a large reductions in ticket prices to attract large numbers of people.
:22:51. > :22:55.Many of our clubs have a frozen ticket prices next season, a
:22:55. > :23:03.including Ipswich. All are having to adapt to a drop in a way support
:23:03. > :23:10.with petrol prices and train fares too much for many. -- away support.
:23:10. > :23:15.For some, emotional roller-coaster as are well worth the entrance fee.
:23:15. > :23:19.How difficult has had been at Peterborough for you, Barry?
:23:19. > :23:23.When I owned a club I came out with a scheme that if you were a season-
:23:23. > :23:27.ticket holder and hadn't under 10 child or grandchild they would get
:23:27. > :23:32.a free season-ticket. That was to try and get the next generation of
:23:32. > :23:38.supporters. I am pleased to say the present chairman carried that over.
:23:38. > :23:42.We're 37 % up on our dates, but that is mostly away fans. Next year
:23:42. > :23:48.that ended his coming down. We had West Ham the other day, 6,000 away
:23:48. > :23:53.fans. We are going to lose 1.5 million. Plus the fact that
:23:53. > :23:58.television money is going down by 26 %, that is another �800,000 we
:23:58. > :24:03.will lose. A lot of clubs will lose. Players out of contract and agents
:24:03. > :24:07.will get a rude awakening, because they will have to come to the real
:24:07. > :24:12.world this year. Absolutely. Into League Two, at what a difference a
:24:12. > :24:20.month makes. Four wins and two draws and one defeat after March,
:24:20. > :24:23.it which is looking much brighter. it which is looking much brighter.
:24:24. > :24:29.Yes, we said of the good score some goals they could get out of trouble,
:24:29. > :24:34.that is what has happened. The was more about the goalkeeper,
:24:34. > :24:39.this game, Neal Kitson's first game in 26 games.
:24:39. > :24:43.He may have made himself a hero. They showed good fighting spirit,
:24:43. > :24:49.and that is what Aidy Boothroyd would have been looking for.
:24:49. > :24:54.A decent save from Jacobs there. He Aidy Boothroyd has done a good
:24:54. > :24:57.job, hasn't he? A year is, I am pleased for the German, a good
:24:57. > :25:02.double win for them. With Andy King of there is never a
:25:02. > :25:07.dull moment! Still plenty of work to do, though.
:25:07. > :25:11.I cannot see the teams in the bottom two putting a run of three
:25:11. > :25:18.or four wins together because they do not have that consistency.
:25:18. > :25:26.It would be good to see Northampton winning more games, as well.
:25:26. > :25:30.Do and Adebayor Akinfenwa? Are he is a presence.
:25:30. > :25:36.-- and Adebayor account at -- Adebayor Akinfenwa?
:25:36. > :25:41.He is a presence. He is out of contract, I think, in
:25:41. > :25:45.the summer. I have had a word with a couple of
:25:45. > :25:50.people about him. The a great save by the goalkeeper.
:25:50. > :25:50.Yes, he came for what are one yard and he understood the angle from
:25:50. > :25:53.and he understood the angle from the penalty.
:25:53. > :25:55.He made himself he rose straight away.
:25:55. > :25:59.away. Let's look at the bottom of the
:25:59. > :26:04.table, look how much rosier it looks now. There are six points
:26:04. > :26:08.clear of Macclesfield, who are 23rd. I think Peter's brother will
:26:08. > :26:12.probably stay in the division now, don't you?
:26:12. > :26:17.-- I think Peterborough. Top-of-the-table, Southend, is
:26:17. > :26:21.there any chance of them? He I don't think automatic
:26:21. > :26:25.promotion, they will consider themselves lucky. They had a bad
:26:25. > :26:30.run at the wrong time, and a win that what was -- at the win was
:26:31. > :26:39.what they needed on Saturday night. They lost to Dickinson, their
:26:39. > :26:42.leading goalscorer. To get Freddy Eastwood, he will
:26:42. > :26:50.excite the crowd, he has done it all before. That could be the
:26:50. > :26:55.difference of going up automatically or not.
:26:55. > :27:01.Barton is not a bad goalkeeper, actually, but he had a bad night. -
:27:01. > :27:06.- Button is not a bad goalkeeper. You see another one that goes
:27:06. > :27:09.underneath him. They needed a win to get that confidence back again.
:27:09. > :27:13.They have six games ahead, they will probably have to win the
:27:13. > :27:17.majority. But with Freddy Eastwood, he
:27:17. > :27:21.generates enthusiasm and excitement with the crowd. If they get behind
:27:21. > :27:30.him I can see them winning four of five of them.
:27:30. > :27:34.Yes, you have Bilel Mohsni, Ryan Hall, and you see he is a poacher.
:27:34. > :27:39.There they are, fifth position, two point behind Crawley at Shrewsbury
:27:39. > :27:41.who both have a game in hand. They will probably have to win five
:27:41. > :27:46.out of six to get to automatic promotion.
:27:46. > :27:49.Here are some of the fixtures over Easter in League Two.
:27:49. > :27:55.Southend travel to Bradford, Northampton go to Oxford, they will
:27:55. > :27:58.be hoping for three points. One Monday Southend and at Wimbledon
:27:58. > :28:03.and Northampton travel to Swindon, a tricky one.
:28:03. > :28:10.Yes, it is, but Aidy Boothroyd will love that. He wants to go there and
:28:10. > :28:15.upset them, doesn't he? A quick line to posh.
:28:15. > :28:22.Yes, Posh is safe! For are you safe?
:28:22. > :28:26.Yes, it has been an unbelievable set of results. We have to lose all
:28:26. > :28:32.ours, I can see that happen. I don't either.