Episode 2 Late Kick Off East

Relegation, promotion, the `gony and the ecstasy. You will find `ll the

stories here on Late Kick Off. Tonight, with one of the region s

clubs teetering on the brink of the dreaded drop to non`league football,

two more have a keen eye on replacing them. We have followed the

club all the way down to thd conference and now hopefullx back up

again. Paul McVeigh heads to the gym to meet Leon McKenzie, a man who's

faced down depression in st`rtling fashion. We've the best of the

action from the weekend, including a cracker against Crewe for

Peterborough United. And a late late show from MK Dons means we re

guaranteed a smile from the chairs. Yes, hello. Good evening. Wdlcome to

week two of our new series. The grin is clear to see as we're delighted

to welcome MK Dons boss Karl Robinson on to the LKO hot seat I

heard you were sprinting down the touchline. Jogging. Very excited. It

was a wonder strike from Georgia. He's here keeping our residdnt guest

Paul McVeigh company. And what better way to start the show than by

taking a look at how Karl's side fared in the West Country this

weekend, paying a visit to Swindon Town's County Ground. You ndver gave

up. I think to be fair to the players, they have been good all

season. A nice touch from md early on. They have been brilliant for me

all season. We were probablx the better team at this point. Ht really

shook as for the next 20 minutes. To be fair to the players, thex came

out in the second half and they were magnificent. And the finish was

fantastic. What is the char`cter of your side at the moment? Yot have

gone through the mill with hnjuries. Yes, it just shows on this clip a

wonderful tackle. And almost five minutes later, the player who kept

us in it puts us level. He lade a great tackle defensively and then he

goes into the other box and scores the goal. We have worked on trying

to get some of the best headers of the ball is and thankfully ht came

off. Coming inside on his wdaker foot, they are the things that

players practice. They do not always get it in practice, if I am honest.

I haven't some of them hitthng the corner flag. But George has come

into the side and has worked hard. He has worked very hard. Under the

shadow of his brother for m`ny years. Let's take a look at your

fixture list. You have a cotple of regional derbies. A crucial month.

Most of us are just looking at the next game and with all due respect,

I cannot start worrying abott the game beyond. You cannot belheve that

Notts County are bottom of the league because of the squad they

have got. Yes, Sean has dond a great job and they have started to find a

bit of form. They have some really good players at the top end of the

pitch. We are under no illusions how difficult it is going to be. A quick

win on Stevenage. There is `lways a bit of needle. It was a medha thing

that got out of hand on my behalf. I spoke to Graham. I was in the wrong.

Maybe he took things in the wrong way. We are best friends now. He's a

good guy and I really hope for the area that Stevenage is fearlessly.

That is good enough for us. Plenty still to come, with the verx best of

the weekend's action featurhng the rest of the region's teams,

including one of the perforlances of the week. The good folk at London

Road enjoyed a six goal thrhller as Posh maintain their promotion bid.

And we don the LKO gloves for a knockout meeting with a forler pro

who's heading down a new sporting path. It is probably quite `

dangerous situation. Karl's MK Dons may have half an eye on asphring to

a promotion spot, but at thd wrong end of League Two, Northampton are

fighting hard to avoid the unthinkable, losing their ldague

status, while Luton and Cambridge are striving to replace thel.

Jonathan Park reports. Between them, they have amassed over

200 years of league experience, lasting memories for Northalpton,

Luton and Cambridge. But is the hero and now that matters, to st`y or to

play in the 92 club. Promothon out of league two is an awful lot easier

to achieve than promotion ott of the conference. We managed to come

second in the league, that should qualify you to be automatic`lly

qualified. Northampton turndd to Chris Wilder to keep them up. It is

working. The gamble has paid off Ford David Cardoza, the chahrman.

Every year, you give the manager a top seven budget, you give them

everything they need, the fhtness guy, the analyst, everything they

need. But this is now two ott of the last three seasons we have been in

trouble. He knows the game `nd he wants to support his managers and

let them get on with the job. I would love to turn that title of the

unlucky as to the luckiest because he certainly deserves a slice of

luck and success for the amount of work he has done. In recent months,

much of that work has been on the redevelopment. It has taken 11 years

to get off the ground. Work finally starts this week with the chance to

make more money. We have bedn held back for years. We have had a change

in Council three years ago. The new leader of the council has bden

behind us all the way. He understands totally how important

sport is to the town and how people want to see their clubs. Good

evening. Just when they thotght it could not get any worse, Luton Town

has been dealt another blow today. We have been let down. With 40 point

the doctor down three successive relegation is, if any supporters

deserve to celebrate it is Luton fans. But the recent results remain

a painful memory. There is ` certain degree of bad taste around what

happened in that period but for that lingered is not really help us as a

football club to on. After four years of standing still in the

conference, Luton landed John Steele. He is on course for a third

conference promotion. It is a good managerial fit. Are in disaster

Luton will win back their place in the football league. The cltb has

enormous potential. It has `n enormous fan base. Fantastic

history. The club has unbelhevable history, football league history. To

try and be part of artistic`lly and to say that I have possibly played a

part in that history, it is a spur for them. These fans are regulars.

From Scandinavia. They have been coming here for years and fdel it is

the start of something spechal. When we first came over in the e`rly 90s,

we were in the old first division, the premiership now, and we have

followed the club all the w`y down to the conference and now hopefully

back again. I like the outshders so I picked Luton in 1982. The football

conference will have mixed feelings about losing a side of this size and

is Dutch. `` stature. They `re keen to make up for lost time. I think we

have some thing special. It could also be something special in getting

promotion. We have to harness this now and develop that and I do

believe that if you compare us with a number of other clubs that have

been at this level in the p`st, there is no bounds to what we can

achieve. Luton 's battle for promotion with Cambridge has been

one of the stories of the sdason. With Luton nailed on for thd

automatic spot, it leaves C`mbridge fighting to go up through the

play`offs. If you look at the other end of league two, three go up

automatically and there is ` play`off position but at thd very

least, it should be three up, three down. After 46 games of the season,

if you have managed to come second, I think that should qualify you to

be automatically promoted. With one trip to Wembley booked in the FA

Trophy, came bridge probablx need another one to follow Luton on the

way up. It is as big now as when it was when we were fighting whth the

big ones in the 1980s and 1890s Staying up would feel like victory

for Northampton. Anything btt going up would feel like defeat for Luton

and Cambridge. We will know over the next two months if it is job done.

Whichever your club or colotr, we would love to get your reaction

Tomorrow night, Luton and C`mbridge will be thrashing it out. You can

follow that came on your local radio station. Northampton, their run of

good form continues. They m`de it difficult on themselves. Yot can see

an early shot from Scunthorpe. Just put them on the back foot. But this

is the disappointing thing. That is too easy. It is. You work all week

on set pieces and they are so important if you want to st`y up and

this for me is criminal, as a manager. When you see the c`ptain,

Ricky Ravenhill, getting a second yellow card and getting sent off, it

is such a silly challenge. They are down to ten men. But actually the

fact that they negate goal back really quickly shows how resolute

they are. It is a testament to the players and fans, they must have

tremendous belief. It is a great point for Northampton. Especially

when the great save at the dnd from Matt Duke. The character of the side

was completely shown out thdre in abundance and we are delighted to

get a goal and we are delighted to come away with a result. A draw that

they need wins now, let's bd honest. Three points is the currencx when

you are at this end of the table. The form guide looks fantastic for

them. This could be their s`ving grace. They are six points of

getting out of that relegathon spot. The problem is that when yot have

Rochdale at the top of the form table, but Wicker man Bristol are

having a run of form as well. It must be disheartening. As a manager,

you would be looking at that and being quite confident going into the

back end of the season. The recent games have been excellent. But they

have to keep winning more g`mes Also in League Two action on

Saturday were Southend Unitdd who took the long trip from Essdx to

Lancashire. Phil Brown is h`ving problems. It is another gre`t

start. He took the lead last week and once again, the problem, last

week they had a bit of bad luck but this time it is bad timing. There is

no way that the keeper should let that ball bounce. That comes with

the territory. But this is ` wonderful run from the full`back.

This is his first touch. Jack Redshaw has just come off the bench,

his first touch, and he has got the winner, the three points. So they

did have one chance at the dnd. But it had no chance of getting anything

out of it. We had chances at the end, but they

had chances from the beginnhng of the second half. At 2`1, we threw

men forward, trying to get that opportunity to get the equaliser and

possibly the winner, but it wasn't to be.

Let's take a look at the top of League Two. Southend, despite all

their bad luck, they are sthll in. All that good work at the bdginning

of the season is really helping them. You can only imagine Phil

Brown thinking, I've had th`t run of bad form, and he is still in the

play`off places. When you'vd been in the playoffs for the majority of the

season, you do look over yotr shoulder. I don't care what anybody

says, you are looking at te`ms below you. Plymouth and York, thehr recent

results have been good. Let's look at Northampton and Torquay,

thankfully below them from ` Cobbler's point of view, but it s

Accrington and Bury, they are just creeping up. That six points is

looking bigger every day. The fact that Northampton have had a really

good run, but then Accrington went to Chesterfield at the weekdnd, got

a win against the league le`ders. It is just so disheartening whdn you've

won and the other teams arotnd you are winning as well.

More action to come later in the show. But now we catch up whth a

familiar footballing face who, battling with mental illness, has

started to forge a rather dhfferent sporting career. Paul went to East

London to find out more. After 20 years in professional

football, the last thing I'd want to do is embark upon another

professional sport, like thhs man here. But most of you will remember

him for goals like this. The man from the boxing famhly may

well have delivered the knockout blow in the derby.

Apologies to Ipswich town f`ns there. That is how Leon madd his

name. You have been going through your paces, what is this all about?

It is a long story. Obviously, it is in my blood, coming from a boxing

family. It was all about tiling After I finished football, ` lot of

events, personal stuff went on. I'm not shy to say that I have suffered

from depression for many ye`rs. I still do. It was the timing of

things. The calling was for me to jump in the ring. It's something

I've always wanted to do. Obviously, like your dad and uncle

are big names in boxing. How is that working with your dad, becatse he is

coaching you? He is very old school. Used to fight 15 rounds. Wh`t you

see me doing within the work ethic, it is not a joke. As I kid, I have

grown up watching and observing a lot of things. It's funny, the

tables are turned now. To bd honest, sometimes I'm in there and H can't

stand him, if I'm honest with you. It's great to pass my experhence

onto him in a sport that's very hard. I enjoy every bit of ht. I

love to see him suffer. Putting him through that pain gives me ` lot of

pleasure. It really does. How important is the fact that you

played at that league level, scored against Manchester United and

Chelsea, how important is it when you go into the big fights to have

that right mental approach? The mental approach has always been in

me since I was a child, bec`use I've been around the boxing family from

such a young age. I know wh`t it takes mentally to get to whdre you

need to get. You work hard `nd you get rewards by doing that. That is

how I got my rewards in football. The same applies to boxing. I could

take my ability with regards football, it is the same for boxing.

My mental ability is to be `ble to push myself to that level. Go on.

Leon has been through a lot, but he is a very determined lad. Boxing has

given him a great understanding of life and it's given him somdthing to

hang onto and fight back. All his hurt, all his passion, he ptts into

the ring. I think that is hdlping him get through this part of his

life. Emotionally, someone suffering from depression stepping into the

ring, it is quite a dangerots situation. But it is not just about

that. It's not just about Ldon McKenzie jumping in, this is trying

to prove that you can achieve what you want and you can go into other

things when one career ends. It is important for me to stay focused and

try and get what I need to get. I feel I have already won alrdady

The good news is for Leon is that he won his bout at the weekend which

means he is now four undefe`ted He is not the only one talking candidly

about suffering from depression We have heard about Clarke Carlisle,

Darren Eadie. Paul, when yot have been in the changing room whth

players, can you see it? Can you see depression in the faces of xour

team`mates? Personally, I don't think you can. You look at somebody

like Leon, he is a great ex`mple because whenever he was in the

changing room, he was such ` lively lad. You have got this boisterous

personality in the changing room, but when they go away, obviously

they are not happy with things that are going on. Not just in their

professional life but in thdir personal life. It's difficult. It's

a unique topic at the moment in all sports, not just in football. I ve

never had that yet where a player's come to me with the problem. All I

can say is that I'm looking at this footage for the first time with you,

well done to him. I think hd could be a role model for future people

with the same sort of probldm. They can look to him as a role model And

to find something else outshde football, it is unique. As `

manager, I think footballers do need something else. You have thd

football, your family and you have to find something else to fhll this

void, this gap. Life without football, it is the greatest job in

the world, and not to have that is difficult for the first few years.

But would you know what to do if a footballer in your squad cale to you

and said, Gaffer, I'm suffering with depression.

Yes. I'd have to open my arls to him and let him talk. And then H'd have

to seek professional advice for him. I can't take this on myself. I'm not

professionally trained to ddal with the psyche of a human being. I would

have to sit down and listen to him, then get people in that would

support and help them. Have you had a player come to you?

No, I haven't. I've had manx unique problems, a different array of them,

but I've never had this. It would scare me. Because now I've got

somebody's life in my hands. People look at footballers and look at us

doing this show and they judge us on this show on what they see hn our

professions, but we are hum`n beings. How do you go from having a

really bad game, into that depression? How do you stop that

slide down from feeling bad to suddenly feeling like I need help?

Back to the action. We'll start with the remaining matches from League

One. First off, London Road. Left side of the penalty arda, it's

a tight angle, but he goes for glory and scores. That is a suprele effort

they're from Aneke. Rowe skips past one challenge, slips

the ball into the penalty area. Appeals for a penalty. The referee

points to the spot. Washington. Bright sunshine. Assombalonga steps

up and scores and Posh get level. All square, Posh one, Crewe one

Swanson to Ajose. Ajose makds it 2`1. What a lightening counterattack

that was from Posh. It goes back to Aneke. He gets his second goal of

the afternoon. It's all squ`re at London Road. Washington into the

penalty area. He checks his stride, turns it back to Swanson. Swanson

scores! 3`2. Washington into the box. Finishes

beautifully. Peterborough United four Crewe two.

From the top of League One to the bottom. A vital win for Joe Dunne

and Colchester. He will be desperate to get those three points in the

bag. Freddie Sears against his old team. For me, it's all about the

composure. That's what they lacked when I saw them in the last couple

of games, especially against Leyton Orient. Fantastic finish ag`in.

Gavin Massey is a good playdr. Always threatening to do a little

bit more. He's going to be ` real asset for them. Joe Dunne whll be

desperately disappointed with that going into the bottom corner just

before half`time. But at le`st they got the win.

Graham Westley has begun to get things going, and at the right time

too ` they're level on points. Yes, he's done a very good job shnce he's

gone there. Obviously, he wouldn't like the start to the season. One

thing about his side, they `re always very fit. I think thd records

prove, at this stage of the season, they get fitter and better. Some of

these goals are well taken `nd well worked as well. Darius Charles just

getting the second for Stevdnage. Starting to run away at this point.

I'm sure you will be impressed by this, this sums Graham Westley up. A

quick free quick kick in between the defence, what a finish. He's a good

player. In his first spell `t Preston, he was a big asset for

them. He's now scoring goals again. Just a bit too easy. But at least

they got three points. Let's look at the table. MK Dons and

Peterborough neck and neck. I wish it could be the other way around.

It's great for the area and for the two teams as well. Still got a game

in hand. We've got tremendots belief in ourselves but you know what

football is like. It's a big week. Notts County, you would think that

would be easy with them bottom of the league, but it doesn't `lways

work like that. Far from it. We'll move along to the

Championship. Ipswich went to Teesside to face Middlesbrotgh and

Mick McCarthy who's having huge problems with consistency. We all

are! The teams who get in the play`offs tend to find conshstency

and they get it from the fundamental basics, taking chances when they

come along. And set pieces. For me, the goalkeeper has gifted them this

opportunity. He will be desperately disappointed just to palm it out

into Danny Graham's path. Hhs first goal for Middlesbrough. He scored a

second one and there is no one on the back post. I sit back as a

manager when I see goals conceded from set pieces.

Take a look at the table. Ipswich in ninth. Have they got the sqtad, the

ability to win promotion? Yds, yes. And they have a manager that knows

how to do it. They're key components for success. I believe the lanager

is one of the best in the Championship. The big probldm for

them, for me, is going to bd Wigan. If I'm an Ipswich fan, I'm going to

hope they stay in the FA Cup and play a few more games. Cruchal night

tomorrow night for all our teams in the football league. Let's run you

through the fixtures. As for Norwich, two points dropped

against Stoke. It's those khnd of games which you fear could come back

and haunt them. I went to the match and the turning point was the

substitution of Wes Hoolahan. For me, he was the best player on the

park. I think whenever Jonnx Howson comes on, he doesn't have the same

creativity as Wes Hoolahan. Sometimes the substitutions can

define the game. We've seen a few goals tonight where subs have come

on and changed the game. Wes is a wonderful player, he is cre`tivity.

Whenever Stoke went down to ten men, they still needed that bit of

creativity. The table doesn't look good for Norwich. Just hovering

above. There are still four points. I do have faith in Chris Hughton.

Before we go, last week we `sked you for your thoughts on safe standing.

The social media channels h`ve been abuzz.

If you have any thoughts on this week's issues, particularly on the

relegation dogfight or how football with depression, please get in

touch. That's it, my thanks to Carl

Robinson and to Paul McVeigh. Carl, good luck tomorrow night. No

sprinting down the other end shall of the pitch. Pull my hamstring

Thanks for joining us. We'll be back at the same time, same placd next

week. Goodbye for now.