:00:25. > :00:29.Three wins, 23 goals. Just another Tonight, going off the rails. Why
:00:29. > :00:35.are the trappings of success brings problems for some modern
:00:35. > :00:43.footballers and their clubs. Girls chasing people with money in their
:00:43. > :00:49.pocket. It is dangerous. Access all areas at stadium MK as we go behind
:00:49. > :00:54.scenes with the medics. It is the hub of any football club. That is
:00:54. > :00:59.where you tend to hang out. And the pick of the action and
:01:00. > :01:05.reaction from the weekend without a single defeat in sight.
:01:05. > :01:11.Hello, good evening. Smiles all round this week and here to
:01:11. > :01:19.celebrate his Colchester past and present. Perry Groves, very much
:01:19. > :01:23.past it! And the present manager, John Ward. There is a fascinating
:01:23. > :01:28.battle developing in the race for promotion to the Championship.
:01:28. > :01:38.Colchester have just one spot of Stevenage now and the MK Dons
:01:38. > :01:38.
:01:38. > :01:43.aiming for the top two. It is Saturday afternoon just
:01:43. > :01:53.before kick-off. This is the changing room before the game
:01:53. > :01:57.
:01:57. > :02:07.against Exeter. One place that they do not miss, is that Visio room. --
:02:07. > :02:07.
:02:07. > :02:12.physiotherapy room. Hello, Simon. You're doing a treatment here, this
:02:12. > :02:22.appears to be the only injury. George has got a little problem
:02:22. > :02:23.
:02:23. > :02:30.with his ankle. We are using this machine to stimulate the muscles.
:02:31. > :02:36.How many staff do you have? Myself and Adam. And then a couple of
:02:36. > :02:45.physiotherapists and some part-time staff, a chiropractor, a doctor who
:02:45. > :02:54.coming on a part-time basis. We're always attending courses,
:02:54. > :02:59.approving -- improving all the time. It does seem to help the practice.
:02:59. > :03:06.This machine might just give us 1% but if it does that, it is better
:03:06. > :03:14.than nothing. Whilst Simon gets on with his job, we have an unusual
:03:14. > :03:22.problem. Apparently the kit is similar to Exeter. Yes their kit is
:03:22. > :03:27.red and white and we have a red stripe. So we're going to wear the
:03:27. > :03:36.third choice kit today which is black. So why does the home team
:03:36. > :03:40.have to change? The reason is that we do not have any shirts without
:03:40. > :03:48.names on. So instead of confusing everyone in the stadium and the
:03:48. > :03:53.referee, unfortunately we have had to change. It is just a minor
:03:53. > :03:59.hiccup. And if you win today it could
:03:59. > :04:04.become the lucky Kit! A few years ago we kept winning the way from
:04:04. > :04:09.home so the red shirt became the favourite. So Black could do us a
:04:09. > :04:15.favour today. Well as you can hear it is noisy in
:04:15. > :04:25.here. And the kit has become black. Depending on what happens with
:04:25. > :04:30.injuries during the game, what is your routine like during the game?
:04:30. > :04:36.Well we are going to focus on the lads, getting their legs prepared,
:04:36. > :04:43.the soft tissues. Then when Miguel out for warm-up we have a meeting
:04:43. > :04:53.with the paramedics. Then I take my place on the bench and if anything
:04:53. > :05:25.
:05:25. > :05:35.happens I will be there for that another deflection. It is into the
:05:35. > :05:35.
:05:35. > :06:16.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 40 seconds
:06:16. > :06:21.another deflection. It is into the That was a great result for
:06:21. > :06:27.everyone today. No injuries today. Only the linesman. He has just
:06:27. > :06:31.before the kick-off he came to see me and asked me to check out his
:06:31. > :06:38.hamstrings. And he had some damage their so we had to get as
:06:38. > :06:44.substitute. But we had no injuries and we got the three points. It is
:06:44. > :06:52.the hub of any football club, the treatment room. It is where people
:06:52. > :06:58.tend to hang out as well. And Simon takes it on the chin. He gets a lot
:06:58. > :07:02.of stick thrown at him. But he can throw it back as well. He is
:07:02. > :07:10.talented at his job and the club are fortunate to have someone like
:07:10. > :07:16.him. We will have to work hard to get hold of him. We are lucky to
:07:17. > :07:21.have him at the club. How important is that back room
:07:21. > :07:26.staff? Very important. In that instance we're looking at injuries
:07:26. > :07:31.and getting people back quickly. We have a fast run of games now coming
:07:31. > :07:37.up. The fitness guys are important for those warm ups and getting
:07:37. > :07:41.prepared for the next game. So you need that support and you need
:07:41. > :07:51.people onside all the time. And the kit, have you ever come across that
:07:51. > :07:54.
:07:54. > :08:04.before? 12 ricket mount will get the mother of all rollicking! I
:08:04. > :08:04.
:08:04. > :08:09.think it is disruptive for the MK Dons. But it did not do them much
:08:09. > :08:19.good. And that was important for them because they got beaten in
:08:19. > :08:24.midweek. I think they are the ones that could sneak in. They are good
:08:24. > :08:28.enough. Could they make the top two? A I think they could find that
:08:28. > :08:33.difficult but they will make the top six. Stevenage is also pushing
:08:33. > :08:43.for that place. They came from two goals behind. They are just getting
:08:43. > :08:44.
:08:44. > :08:48.a little bit sloppy. They go two down. Chesterfield battling for
:08:48. > :08:55.their lives at the bottom. They have not won since they played
:08:55. > :09:05.Spurs. I saw them play at Spurs. They were terrific. But that takes
:09:05. > :09:10.a lot out a few mentally as well as physically. It is not that easy, as
:09:10. > :09:20.you well know. you well know.
:09:20. > :09:20.
:09:20. > :09:25.There is a lot of team spirit. I think that was the equaliser.
:09:25. > :09:32.They have shown a lot of spirit but they have not won for seven games.
:09:32. > :09:36.And Gary Smith, the manager, do you know much about him? I do not but
:09:36. > :09:41.he has the reputation of being a good young manager coming through.
:09:42. > :09:47.I think he will do pretty well. you got the performance of the week
:09:47. > :09:50.against Cheltenham last week. It was tough going have to Wycombe
:09:50. > :09:54.and getting another performance as strong as that out of them was
:09:54. > :09:59.probably more of the surprise of the weak! But we got that and we
:09:59. > :10:03.have to try to live up to it. We came away with the point on
:10:03. > :10:10.Saturday and that is not back away from home. Ahead of the game, what
:10:10. > :10:20.were you thinking? I was just having a look around. I like the
:10:20. > :10:26.
:10:26. > :10:31.place. I'm not comfortable in a suit and tie.
:10:31. > :10:36.So the game itself. Defensively, very good at the moment, you must
:10:36. > :10:41.be pleased? We have been strong defensively and that is pleasing.
:10:41. > :10:47.But every now and again it just kind of takes away from the front
:10:47. > :10:53.end of the pitch. It never quite looked like we were going to get
:10:53. > :11:01.the winner in this match. So good things and things that we needed to
:11:01. > :11:09.improve on. Perry has been terrific. We brought
:11:09. > :11:14.him back for two big games. He has settled in really well now. And he
:11:14. > :11:22.looks like a good partnership with Magners. And Ben Williams in goal?
:11:22. > :11:25.He is really coming into form. His handling and decision-making is
:11:25. > :11:30.really good at the moment. We have to keep working to make sure it
:11:30. > :11:36.stays that way. Joey Dunlop was missing at the weekend, is he a
:11:37. > :11:44.Kate? He has been ill with a virus that has kept him out. But I spoke
:11:44. > :11:49.to him today and he is hopeful that he will be with us tomorrow night.
:11:49. > :11:57.A useful point at the weekend? needed it because we need the back-
:11:57. > :12:02.up. So it was a good result and a good week. Let's take a look at the
:12:02. > :12:07.league table and see what that does for you.
:12:07. > :12:12.The play-offs? It was just after the past two games that people
:12:12. > :12:16.started to mention the play-offs. Everything is possible but we have
:12:16. > :12:26.a massive quartet of games coming up and we have to get the results.
:12:26. > :12:30.
:12:30. > :12:34.questions with a bit more confident after the next four games, but we
:12:34. > :12:40.will try. We asked the viewers to get in touch and ask the questions
:12:40. > :12:50.and they all ask the same thing, here it isKolo yes, it is still
:12:50. > :12:54.games and expect Notts County to get beaten a couple of times, so
:12:54. > :12:59.everything is difficult but we have been in this position all season,
:12:59. > :13:03.mid-table, but to push on would be fantastic. Starting with Sheffield
:13:03. > :13:13.United tomorrow, here is confirmation of that fixture.
:13:13. > :13:14.
:13:14. > :13:18.Stevenage also at home. Good luck with that one. Still to come this
:13:18. > :13:22.eveningKolo falling into temptation, how success brings problems for
:13:22. > :13:26.some of our players. And two more for the Cobblers
:13:26. > :13:30.hitman as Northampton about at the drop zone. But first, the
:13:30. > :13:34.Championship and we start with Peterborough. A fantastic win.
:13:34. > :13:38.needed a win, they hadn't won for three games and this game had goals
:13:38. > :13:44.written all over it with the way Blackpool player. A great leap by
:13:44. > :13:48.Tyrone Barnett. This lad failed a fitness test before the game but
:13:48. > :13:54.told the physio he wanted to play. That is good character, and they
:13:54. > :13:59.hit Blackpool on the break. Unbelievable defending. A but
:13:59. > :14:04.Tyrone Barnett does really well, he waits for Baptiste to commit
:14:04. > :14:10.himself and set it up. Ian Holloway said there was no team that had 23
:14:10. > :14:13.shot against them like Peterborough did this weekend. Darren Ferguson
:14:13. > :14:20.described it as the best performance of the season from them.
:14:20. > :14:23.And they had beaten Ipswich 7-1 earlier this year, so it must have
:14:23. > :14:26.been some performance. Blackpool are a nice team to play against
:14:26. > :14:35.because you know Ian Holloway will play three up front and
:14:35. > :14:41.Peterborough took advantage of it. George Boyd, a decent finish past
:14:41. > :14:45.match jocks. -- Matt Gilks. They will be delighted to get George
:14:45. > :14:50.Boyd back on the scoresheet, a good player. A quality player and he has
:14:50. > :14:55.been doing really well for them. Peterborough Dubai Open football
:14:55. > :14:59.and will go forward and get goals - - to play. They will concede but on
:14:59. > :15:05.their day, they are a very good side. Staying in the vision was
:15:05. > :15:09.what it was all about for them. -- Division. Yes, they will stay there
:15:09. > :15:13.but they will get stronger for next year. A good team. They played
:15:13. > :15:23.Ipswich at the weekend -- and Ipswich at the weekend, coming down
:15:23. > :15:28.from Numa -- two goals down. And a on this one, I would like to see
:15:28. > :15:34.Cresswell get a little bit closer. Takes a deflection off Tommy Smith,
:15:34. > :15:39.but a bit unfortunate. They got a draw away at Southampton and this
:15:39. > :15:43.game, they would have taken a point. They have been up and down but when
:15:43. > :15:49.they are up, they are a very good side. These boys are playing for
:15:49. > :15:59.their futures. Collor said what has been offered one, apparently. --
:15:59. > :16:00.
:16:00. > :16:10.Carlos Edwards. That is what you want indie Boxx!, don't think Nick
:16:10. > :16:13.
:16:13. > :16:17.Barmby was far too happy with that better skill, comes to Jason
:16:17. > :16:22.Scotland, and he just rolls it into the path of Grant Leadbitter,
:16:22. > :16:26.offering him to shoot. Not a bad strike from Grant Leadbitter,
:16:26. > :16:30.another playing for his future because he is out of contract then
:16:30. > :16:36.the summer. Parlour Kippen eye on all of these lads! He just need a
:16:36. > :16:40.few quid. The -- I will just. do you see the Peterborough at home
:16:40. > :16:45.game going? There will be some goals, Ipswich have had some big
:16:45. > :16:49.draws up now, and Peterborough got their first win in four, so a
:16:49. > :16:57.betting man would have both teams to score. Let's have a look at the
:16:57. > :17:01.bottom of the table, looking a lot more comfortable for both our teams.
:17:01. > :17:05.Fingers crossed, but certainly you would think they would stay up
:17:05. > :17:07.there. They will be in good shape, because they have to lose four or
:17:07. > :17:14.five games and other teams have to win that bandied terms of the
:17:14. > :17:18.context of the season, they won't do that at the bottom. They any
:17:18. > :17:22.chance of Ipswich getting the players? I am not getting into
:17:22. > :17:29.that! -- any chance of Ipswich getting into the play-offs.
:17:29. > :17:32.The majority are letting their the minority. Southend have vanished
:17:32. > :17:35.their players for improper conduct, most of it related to late night
:17:35. > :17:39.and bad behaviour. But just how bad is the problem?
:17:39. > :17:49.The distractions for a modern-day footballer are as obvious as they
:17:49. > :17:49.
:17:49. > :17:56.are dangerous. In a big house, big car, pretty girls chase in them.
:17:56. > :18:06.Money in their pocket. It is a dangerous concoction. A good night
:18:06. > :18:09.out can prove costly in more ways than one. It is one of those
:18:09. > :18:14.situations that you don't know what it you have got until it's gone.
:18:14. > :18:18.You have got to be very careful about what you do. Once again,
:18:18. > :18:24.footballers have been punished for their off-field indiscretions, from
:18:24. > :18:27.Michael Chopra and Jimmy Bullard at Ipswich to others at Southend.
:18:27. > :18:32.all make mistakes, nobody is perfect, they have made the mistake
:18:32. > :18:37.and they are both apologetic and they can move on, we have dealt
:18:37. > :18:42.with it. Have you felt let them? There were a couple of bites where
:18:42. > :18:49.I was shaking my head. -- a couple of nights. A lot of managers tell
:18:49. > :18:53.me they have the same kind of problems. The chairman and the
:18:53. > :18:58.board, I have to appease, and your best players are causing all sorts
:18:58. > :19:01.of problems and could be very good assets to sell, that is what
:19:01. > :19:09.disappoints me. One player who has been there and come to a battle
:19:09. > :19:12.with alcohol is Clarke Carlisle. Is there chair of the Professional
:19:12. > :19:17.Footballers' Association. Edward Dhoni had taken a few more days of
:19:17. > :19:20.my behaviour and I would have been sacked by QPR who were at League
:19:20. > :19:25.One -- it would only have taken. There is not much of the return
:19:26. > :19:34.from that. So I was blessed come to that point of enlightenment when I
:19:34. > :19:41.did. Yes, so fortunate. It could have been a so different. Do you
:19:41. > :19:48.think there are players in the Football League now in that sort of
:19:48. > :19:52.pride? I know there are. -- plight. I know there are players who were
:19:52. > :19:58.struggling with issues. You can spot the lads who were susceptible
:19:58. > :20:05.the then, maybe going out more than they should or are not... Or you
:20:05. > :20:08.can do is give advice. I can't make any other person do some ING.
:20:08. > :20:13.antics of today's footballing generation of probably no different
:20:13. > :20:20.to that of yesteryear. Former players like tommyrot and know how
:20:20. > :20:24.lucky they were. -- Tommy Robson. But 16 men in a hotel overnight
:20:24. > :20:28.together and they are absolute children. Doesn't matter whether it
:20:28. > :20:32.was my day or today, when you get to the bottom Leeks, if they are
:20:32. > :20:38.still on 3,000 or 4,000 pound a week, that is a lot of money to
:20:38. > :20:42.control. And these are your lesser players. I know they have all got
:20:42. > :20:47.agents, which is a good thing. It didn't happen in my day, so the
:20:47. > :20:52.agent, it is his responsibility now that he has take that lad on, one
:20:52. > :20:57.of his things is to control that lap and his money. That is what he
:20:57. > :21:01.should be doing. -- lad. If you are a professional footballer filling
:21:01. > :21:06.the captors hours before and after matches in hotels like these, that
:21:06. > :21:09.can cause a problem. You are bored, you are finished by one or 2
:21:09. > :21:13.o'clock and there is not a lot to do when you are young and on your
:21:13. > :21:21.own. It is easy when you have your family, but when you are young,
:21:21. > :21:24.there are so many things to get up to that you shouldn't. It could
:21:24. > :21:28.beat anyone. There are an amazing amount of people that want to tell
:21:28. > :21:33.the manager that this one has been here and that one there, and
:21:33. > :21:38.sometimes it isn't true. They are young lads, there are going to be
:21:38. > :21:42.times when they go out and have a drink and they go to clubs. You
:21:42. > :21:45.can't really stop that, as long as it is the right time and in a
:21:45. > :21:51.sensible way. But if you get the respect from the players, they
:21:51. > :21:56.won't want to upset you. headlines may highlight football's
:21:56. > :21:59.bad apples but realistically it is full of players who know where the
:21:59. > :22:03.line is and know when to stop. job we have got and the lifestyle
:22:03. > :22:08.we can have if you're at the top of your game is fantastic and we all
:22:08. > :22:13.want that, so if you knuckle down and keep your head right, but...
:22:13. > :22:18.it easy to knuckle down and not get tempted? Some people it is an some
:22:18. > :22:21.people it isn't. I am fine, it doesn't really bother me. They are
:22:21. > :22:25.role models with more money and time than most but occasionally
:22:25. > :22:29.overstep the mark. But their indiscretions off the pitch
:22:29. > :22:33.compared to the Premier League are few and far between.
:22:33. > :22:38.John, do some of that ring true we do? How difficult visit as a
:22:38. > :22:42.manager? -- with you? Clarke manager? -- with you? Clarke
:22:42. > :22:45.Carlisle was quite emotional about what he said and if you are a
:22:45. > :22:49.footballer listening to his own indiscretions, you have to think,
:22:49. > :22:54.this is pretty serious. But this is such a short career for players.
:22:54. > :22:57.They finish in their early thirties and there is a lot of living to do
:22:57. > :23:02.after that serve it really pays for them to say I am going to make the
:23:02. > :23:06.most of this. Have you seen things changed over the years? As a
:23:06. > :23:11.manager, you have to change with it. Sir Alex Ferguson has been there
:23:11. > :23:14.longer than any others and he has moved with the Times. I guess it
:23:14. > :23:19.drive some crazy sometimes but he has kept on top of it and kept at
:23:19. > :23:25.the top of his own game that drives him. You have to learn with young
:23:26. > :23:31.players but you also have to offer them advice and it is a great
:23:31. > :23:35.career, don't wicket. Perry, you were part of an Arsenal team with
:23:35. > :23:40.Paul Merson and Tony Adams. How difficult was that period? They
:23:40. > :23:43.kept dragging me out. It was terrible! When you are young, if
:23:43. > :23:47.you were think you are indestructible and then suddenly it
:23:47. > :23:51.has passed you by. -- you think. Footballers are going to make
:23:51. > :23:54.mistakes but if you keep making the mistake over and over, then the
:23:54. > :23:59.penny should drop. I was more frightened of my dad, if I let him
:23:59. > :24:05.down. In the modern age of technology, it is that they quickly.
:24:05. > :24:10.Gambling is more than issue because you can do it indoors. As a manager,
:24:10. > :24:15.you get to know so many people who are willing to tell you everything.
:24:15. > :24:18.I know when lads are tweeting late at night and where they are. These
:24:18. > :24:22.guys are in the public view all the time whether they have a shirt on
:24:22. > :24:25.or not, and guys know who they are and what they are doing.
:24:25. > :24:29.Footballers can go out and have a good time but you don't have to go
:24:29. > :24:36.over the top band that is the important factor. Back to the
:24:36. > :24:46.football and Southend. In they came from a goal behind and got a point
:24:46. > :24:49.
:24:49. > :24:53.together. They go a goal down and then... A we saw the game against
:24:53. > :24:58.Crawley on Monday night, Liam Dickinson went down injured. He has
:24:58. > :25:03.broken his ankle and is out for the season. Yes, he said he was going
:25:03. > :25:06.to be OK as well. That was a game that might have changed things
:25:06. > :25:16.around for the positive, because they scrapped really hard with nine
:25:16. > :25:19.men to get a point. Sometimes those things, you think it is your season
:25:19. > :25:24.and they followed it up with a really good result. One win in the
:25:24. > :25:29.last five but they are further up the table. This is a bad foul on
:25:29. > :25:34.Anthony Grant and it is a sending off when you think you will be
:25:34. > :25:43.cruising. Paul Sturrock will go bananas that the goal they concede.
:25:43. > :25:50.One of your players just switches off and it ends up an own-goal. As
:25:50. > :25:55.a manager, it Paul Shaw Herod would be poor birds do their jobs. -- it
:25:55. > :25:59.pull your hair red when players. You have to be so disciplined and
:25:59. > :26:04.you have to go to the end of the game and they did it in the
:26:04. > :26:07.previous game, but they let themselves slip in this one. Very
:26:07. > :26:12.congested at the stop of League Two. They are still third, it is in
:26:12. > :26:15.their hands. -- Top. They are hitting form at the right time, a
:26:15. > :26:21.couple of draws under when but it will be a big blow losing Liam
:26:21. > :26:29.Dickinson. -- and a winner. Northampton are out of the
:26:29. > :26:35.relegation zone at long last. it is a great long throw and it is
:26:35. > :26:38.so worth its while. When we had that to compete with Wycombe and
:26:38. > :26:43.had to have defended, but it is so good if you have a guy who can do
:26:43. > :26:49.that and have people who can finish it off. Ben Tozer is the guy who is
:26:49. > :26:56.throwing up. Akinfenwa just hold the defender the Rock, so much body
:26:56. > :27:03.strength. -- off. He can be the freezer, he is bigger than the
:27:03. > :27:11.fridge! The that is his 16th of the season. If you have a goalscorer at
:27:11. > :27:14.the bottom, they are the ones who keep you out of trouble. What the
:27:14. > :27:17.make up the Luke Guttridge situation? He left Aldershot and
:27:17. > :27:21.apparently had as a gentleman's agreement with Dean Holdsworth that
:27:21. > :27:25.he wouldn't play, but he did. Aidy Boothroyd said he would find him
:27:26. > :27:30.two weeks' wages if they didn't play. Then he has got to play!
:27:30. > :27:34.There was a similar one with Louis Saha and Everton at the weekend, a
:27:34. > :27:37.gentleman's agreement. I'm not sure there are too many gentle men
:27:37. > :27:47.around the place. If you have to win a game, you put your best team
:27:47. > :27:52.out. They need the points, and now they are in great form.
:27:52. > :27:57.Northampton's first back-to-back wins in over a year. And guess who
:27:57. > :28:01.they play tomorrow night? Dagenham & Redbridge. That is a huge game.
:28:01. > :28:09.They have a couple of games, Northampton, to get out of that.
:28:09. > :28:14.But they have got to get point parole -- points out of them.
:28:14. > :28:20.a massive game. Yes, because you put more distance between you. They
:28:20. > :28:21.never lost at the weekend at Plymouth last as well, so it is
:28:21. > :28:25.massive psychologically -- Dagenham massive psychologically -- Dagenham
:28:25. > :28:30.& Redbridge lost at the weekend. Good luck, John, with the play-offs.
:28:31. > :28:34.Thanks for coming on. Thank you to Perry. That is it for now and for a