Episode 11 Late Kick Off East

Nail biting, edge of your seats, squeaky-bum time - say it how you

like, one thing's for sure, it's On the programme this evening: As

the business end of the season approaches, what price a promotion

hat-trick for the lads from the Lamex?

There is a tremendous amount of chemistry and cameraderie. It has

been wonderful to work with them. The fight to fill our stadiums -

how our clubs are doing their best to attract more supporters into

their grounds. It is the kids bringing mum and dad's to the

football here! It is a Taylor-made victory for

Posh, but is Peterborough's hotshot Hello, good evening. Delighted to

welcome Perry Groves. Good evening. One looking for to not saying very

much! A are other guest is Mr Barry Fry! You didn't get the suntan in

this country, did you? A I did, cutting the grass at home in

Peterborough. Soap, was your last won the one that kept you in the

championship? I think so. We did well in March. We keep Blackpool,

we beat Reading, then we beat Leicester, who are big guns. Three

Taylor is on fire, he is unbelievable. A if you keep scoring

goals like he did, his price will go up! That was unlucky by George

Borg - George Boyd. The really wanted Tyrone and Taylor to form a

partnership. Sinclair did really well there. All the players have

been unbelievable for us. This is the goal itself. He just goes by

people, it is a great shot. Am glad he scored. I did put �5 million on

him, now a I have been down for 6 million! If East keeps - if he

keeps scoring like that will be worth �10 million! Grant McCann,

your skipper took the penalty. Grant had eight goals at the middle

of November, then he had time out injured. He said himself that he

changed his mind in the run-up. have all played and it is fearful,

isn't it? Poll is unbelievable. What about the glad you have been

at centre have? He has been magnificent every game. 21 but has

a hundred and 50 appearances for Macclesfield. There has been plenty

of talk about Paul Taylor. Here is is a very talented player. Darren

Ferguson took a chance on him and he has repaid that by doing

brilliantly. He wants to listen, or wants to learn and he has improved

no end. You have made him an offer? We gave him a four-year offer that

he wants to go to the Premier - the Premiership, and good luck to him.

Anyone else out of contract? George Boyd. He has been a marvellous

servant. Played 260 games, scored 60 goals. He won't talk about a new

contract. A quick word about Ryan Dannatt. Brilliant! I have got my

Norwich gear on. I believe he was man of the match. Norwich have done

great. I sold them Adam Durie, Russell Martin, Leon McKenzie.

They're all good lads and they all speak highly of marriage. Great

result that London Road. At Portman Road was a terrific occasion. The

1961 and 62 team were paraded around did ground. You probably

remember that seemed. I do. I was a substitute for Manchester United.

Ipswich beat Manchester United that day. The this was this weekend.

Ipswich prospects season probably turned around at Barnsley. Ipswich

have got a little bit of confidence now. They are playing with a bit

more for me. I think Marcus Evans has done brilliantly there. He has

backed the manager and has been proven to be right. He is a good

manager. It was a disastrous start to the season, but they will be a

great site next year, no doubt. put Darren Murphy up front. He

gives them a bit of strength up front. They lost Alex McCarthy.

Their finishing wasn't great, then you start to get a bit edgy, then

you end up going deeper, sitting back. There is the bottom of the

table. You are pretty safe, Peterborough? Yes, I think we are

safe. He will still want to win in the remaining games. If we finish

4th from bottom and retain her championship position, then that is

another miracle. Sir, job done! A busy Easter as well. Coventry is in

form. They did well to get out at the bottom three, so it will be a

difficult game. Yesterday beats, then home to Nottingham Forest.

Ipswich and Posh good bets for another season in the Championship,

but who will join them? The bookies currently rate MK Dons 3:1 to win

promotion from League One. Colchester are outsiders at 250:1,

but at 14:1, what price another promotion party for Stevenage?

Let's not beat about the bush, the Lamex Stadium isn't the most

glamourous sporting venue in the land. Keeping up with remarkable

success on the pitch is easier said than done for a club but was

playing non-League football just two years ago. This is my first

visit to the Lamex. Just about everybody who comes here these days

is coming for the first time such has been the extraordinary rise of

Stevenage. A third successive promotion isn't out of the

question! What has happened at Stevenage is the stuff of fairy-

tales. Instant promotion from League 2 last year on the back of

their elevation to the Football League. Throw in an FA Cup victory

over Newcastle last year and it is fair to say that the manager was

going to be a tough act to follow. Enter Gary Smith. He was relatively

unknown. The big disadvantage is that the side is doing well, was

doing well. A lot of people were looking to see if I was going to

change things and if I was going to impact the result. Not much needed

to be changed. Everyone said the Stevenage way for the last three

years was with Graham, but the people come to what just that will

see that his Simek. We like to play football in the right areas. The

new manager is carrying that on and is encouraging us to get the ball

down a lot more. It has been extremely exciting. This side are

wonderful group of players, great character and spirit. You can tell

the way they play and the results that we have had there is a

tremendous amount of chemistry and camaraderie in the group. It has

been wonderful to work with them. And manager normally comes a month

things aren't going well, and this has almost been the opposite. It

was a shock when Graham left. The manager has come in and it couldn't

have been an easy decision, because we were already right up there.

Beragh have been undefeated in the lead, and sitting just outside of

just inside the post. There didn't seem to be anything on, but Wycombe

have just stood still for a moment and it curled inside the right-hand

crossbar and then over the top. Here comes Eastman. Penalty! No

question at all. The pressure came from behind us and the referee

points to the spot. This is a big moment in this season for Wycombe.

He scores! I guess that is going to feel more like a defeat them a draw.

Absolutely. I think it it's probably the most dejected we have

been after a game, even though we still remain unbeaten, the story

today was missed opportunities, some good football. I thought our

reward was the goal. I thought it was going to see us through to her

first victory in some time and make a big difference to the league

They have just bumbled. They were in a great position, but Phil

Wallace runs that club great. It is a miracle were they are. They are

not out of it yet, but they have stumbled. I think it is eight out

of the last nine draws. They are probably at 20 goal as seasoned

striker away from the play-offs. think if Stevenage can call up they

will find it hard to hold on to their players. One they have done

is kept most of that squad played in did not leak. They have is not

quite all the fitted tree had from Stevenage. Matt Holland as one of

my favourites players. Love you How are they going to fill her at

ground with more fans? And he is at it yet again - the big man is

blazing a trail and hitting the net as the Cobblers continued to climb

out of trouble. Back to the top of League One, and

the MK Dons have stumbled a little. Yes, they will be disappointed, I

don't know if it is the pressure it when they have to perform on the

day, and getting beat by Brentford at the weekend, they would not be

very happy. They got beat by Carlisle in

midweek as well, sort two home defeats.

They are missing four key players, though. They have injuries and I am

not sure if they have strength in depth. But they have done brilliant

of the field, but love if they would gawp.

The mentioned the injury list, can be carried that?

You cannot deal with that. It is all about the play-offs, now,

isn't it? I absolutely, it is all about who

they will play in the semi-finals of the play-off? There fighting

of the play-off? There fighting quality has shown.

I think car all will be very confident and the play-offs -- Carl

will be very confident. They were a bit unlucky last year.

Let's hope they have a bit of luck on their side of this year.

He will look to try and get everyone fit for the play-offs,

what he? James Devenay was fit for the weekend, the right back from

Newcastle. He yes, I think that is from earlier in the season, Karl

Robinson criticised how they were playing.

By think he said about them being like the old Wimbledon, and I think

that was the reason why that went on. They have to pick up, don't

they? They need to pick it up. The S, to be fair they have been

quite consistent, that is their first back-to-back defeat all

season. -- yes, to be fair. The end they go to Preston, Preston

is having a bad time at the minute. Week talked about Stevenage and the

draws they have, Colchester, it is much the same for them.

He is, they are fighting for their lives. It is a great ball from

Michael Rose, then it goes to Karl Duguid. Exeter are scrapping, but

Colchester have been really professional. Although they

probably don't have the chance to make the play-offs they have stayed

nice and compact. My eagle rose hit the post, as well.

In the week they got beat at Walsall. That was their first

defeat in 10. The skipper got there it -- his

thirty-second to call for Colchester.

Do you know who he called to celebrate? And a certain Perry

Groves. How is he claiming that, Jamie

children? That is an own goal, but if he gets awarded it, that is a

strike. - my act Jamie Kearton. Stevenage are just outside, five

points behind Carlisle, it will be difficult to stick into the play-

offs, or impossible, and as Elliot Ward, probably -- as Elliot Ward

said, probably out of that, now. These are the fixtures over the

weekend, Colchester against Hartlepool, Saturday the MK Dons

travel to Preston, and on Monday Colchester travel to bury come a

long trip on Easter Monday. Stevenage have President. That will

be a cracker, wanted? You will get a good reception. As Barry said,

they have to keep that momentum they have to keep that momentum

going. Even before it be this season has ended fans are looking

forward to the next. They are expensive lucky -- luxury

for some. It is that time of year again when

football fans are being asked to dig deep, no matter how good, bad

or indifferent your team played last season. It is time to splash

Football clubs have to be smarter than the where and the past.

I am very aware that to do all my crowd I need to be in a higher

division. I am still in the same division will be started.

Ipswich and MK Dons have plenty of space to fill. Next season the

Upper stadium will be full of seats, increasing the capacity to 32,000.

The German knows of the club remains in League One the stadium

will operate at 25 % capacity. There is no doubt that having a

bigger stadium will make our challenge even harder, but when I

got into this and made a promise to deliver 30,000 -- a 30,000 all-

seater and Stadium in Milton Keynes. That will also enable the football

club to have no limits to their success they can achieve. I know

that our legacy is important, and it is in the infrastructure of the

business. The team are working on a new

season ticket applications. The main headline - a big reduction of

more younger fans than any other team in the country we do, and that

gives us a challenge for evening games.

Children are at school the following day and we see

attendances drop in the evenings. But for long-term growth of this

football club it is vital we encourage youngsters could -- also

has to come, because unlike other football clubs where parents bring

the children, here it is the other way round.

A Ipswich have achieved a long, slow, and ultimately expensive

decline in attendances. In eight years they have lost 6,000 fans.

Winning them back will not be easy, particularly when everyone has less

money to spend. Our prices typically across

football to hide? The answer is probably yes, and

that is why we have froze and season-ticket prices for another

year and we are looking carefully at prices for next season. --

throws in season-ticket prices. The biggest average crowd them the

championship is up to nearly 9,000, third at -- 37 % up on last year in

League One. MK Dons are down slightly on last season's average

by around 4%. Their rivals for promotion in League One, Stevenage,

are selling more tickets, up 19 %. This does follow promotion, though.

Colchester have lost fans since last season, down 12 %, while

despite contrasting seasons two teams are showing increases,

Northampton up 9% and Southend of The challenge is to keep season-

ticket holders happy. It is still far too much for the

championship, and they do not look after a season tickets. They are

always doing promotions for people who do not come that regularly.

They just used as an abuse us, I think.

With fans who do not come regularly, you can get a �10 ticket now and

again, but we don't get a refund when there is a �10 game on,

perhaps we should get refunds. is a dilemma you always have,

because you want to protect the season-ticket holder to ensure you

are not undermining them by constantly having promotions on

match-day tickets, but that allows wavering season-ticket holders.

They think, I could get value for money by picking and choosing which

aims to go to. For Football League rules state you

can only run four de good promotions per season involving

home fans. But even if you could offer of a discount, the maths

would not add up. A if it was as simple as reducing

the price by 50 % to double the gates, everyone would be doing that.

It is not that simple. If you decrease prices by a certain level,

truthfully it makes little difference. You have to make quite

a large reductions in ticket prices to attract large numbers of people.

Many of our clubs have a frozen ticket prices next season, a

including Ipswich. All are having to adapt to a drop in a way support

with petrol prices and train fares too much for many. -- away support.

For some, emotional roller-coaster as are well worth the entrance fee.

How difficult has had been at Peterborough for you, Barry?

When I owned a club I came out with a scheme that if you were a season-

ticket holder and hadn't under 10 child or grandchild they would get

a free season-ticket. That was to try and get the next generation of

supporters. I am pleased to say the present chairman carried that over.

We're 37 % up on our dates, but that is mostly away fans. Next year

that ended his coming down. We had West Ham the other day, 6,000 away

fans. We are going to lose 1.5 million. Plus the fact that

television money is going down by 26 %, that is another �800,000 we

will lose. A lot of clubs will lose. Players out of contract and agents

will get a rude awakening, because they will have to come to the real

world this year. Absolutely. Into League Two, at what a difference a

month makes. Four wins and two draws and one defeat after March,

it which is looking much brighter. it which is looking much brighter.

Yes, we said of the good score some goals they could get out of trouble,

that is what has happened. The was more about the goalkeeper,

this game, Neal Kitson's first game in 26 games.

He may have made himself a hero. They showed good fighting spirit,

and that is what Aidy Boothroyd would have been looking for.

A decent save from Jacobs there. He Aidy Boothroyd has done a good

job, hasn't he? A year is, I am pleased for the German, a good

double win for them. With Andy King of there is never a

dull moment! Still plenty of work to do, though.

I cannot see the teams in the bottom two putting a run of three

or four wins together because they do not have that consistency.

It would be good to see Northampton winning more games, as well.

Do and Adebayor Akinfenwa? Are he is a presence.

-- and Adebayor account at -- Adebayor Akinfenwa?

He is a presence. He is out of contract, I think, in

the summer. I have had a word with a couple of

people about him. The a great save by the goalkeeper.

Yes, he came for what are one yard and he understood the angle from

and he understood the angle from the penalty.

He made himself he rose straight away.

away. Let's look at the bottom of the

table, look how much rosier it looks now. There are six points

clear of Macclesfield, who are 23rd. I think Peter's brother will

probably stay in the division now, don't you?

-- I think Peterborough. Top-of-the-table, Southend, is

there any chance of them? He I don't think automatic

promotion, they will consider themselves lucky. They had a bad

run at the wrong time, and a win that what was -- at the win was

what they needed on Saturday night. They lost to Dickinson, their

leading goalscorer. To get Freddy Eastwood, he will

excite the crowd, he has done it all before. That could be the

difference of going up automatically or not.

Barton is not a bad goalkeeper, actually, but he had a bad night. -

- Button is not a bad goalkeeper. You see another one that goes

underneath him. They needed a win to get that confidence back again.

They have six games ahead, they will probably have to win the

majority. But with Freddy Eastwood, he

generates enthusiasm and excitement with the crowd. If they get behind

him I can see them winning four of five of them.

Yes, you have Bilel Mohsni, Ryan Hall, and you see he is a poacher.

There they are, fifth position, two point behind Crawley at Shrewsbury

who both have a game in hand. They will probably have to win five

out of six to get to automatic promotion.

Here are some of the fixtures over Easter in League Two.

Southend travel to Bradford, Northampton go to Oxford, they will

be hoping for three points. One Monday Southend and at Wimbledon

and Northampton travel to Swindon, a tricky one.

Yes, it is, but Aidy Boothroyd will love that. He wants to go there and

upset them, doesn't he? A quick line to posh.

Yes, Posh is safe! For are you safe?

Yes, it has been an unbelievable set of results. We have to lose all

ours, I can see that happen. I don't either.