Episode 9 Late Kick Off London and the South East

season's play-offs, and Northwest team. What went wrong? Welcome to

Good evening and welcome to the last Late Kick Off of the season.

Coming up tonight, every twist and turn in the battle for second place

on a dramatic final day in the Championship. It has been rock-and-

roll, it has been a roller-coaster, whatever you want to call it.

Seagulls prepare for take off to the Premier League. We have to be

realistic and do not think that But Ollie's Eagles also have their

sights on the promised land. While in the League One play-offs,

Brentford find themselves on the spot again. With me tonight are

Mark Bright, and - in preparation for the return of his beloved QPR

to Late Kick Off next season - the reserve and Under-21 coach at

Loftus Road, Marc Bircham. Marc, I bet you hoped QPR had seen the last

of this programme. I get to see my friends! I take that as a

complement, thank you very much. One team hoping to replace QPR in

the Premier League are Watford. They went into yesterday's final

match at home to Leeds still in with a chance of automatic

promotion. So the scenario was, well, I'll let our match-day

The result would be enough to take the Hornets back to the top flight

for the 4th time in their history. John Taylor masterminded the club

was what was second triumph in 1999, through the play-off Plummer. Aidy

Boothroyd led the club to the Premier League in 2006 in his first

full year in charge restored seven years on there is a more

continental flavour to the class of 2013. But none as famous as their

manager maestro. Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola, on the brink of

writing himself into Watford fought law. The Hornets are the leading

scorers in at the Championship. But perhaps the most special of the

season was reserved for last weekend. One more like that today,

might just be the difference between Championship football and

Premier League football in August. Remember, Hull City still have the

advantage. It is in their hands as they face champions, Cardiff. We

will keep you posted with what is happening there, because any slip

ups could allow the Hornets to deliver a very nasty sting. We are

now under way. The penalty is not given, which you believe? A sicking

-- a sickening collision. There is huge concern over Jonathan Bond.

Manuel Almunia was injured in the warm-up. We are going to have some

stoppage time. Jonathan Poleon scores for Leeds! Advantage, Hull

City. And what would her back on level terms. Five minutes into

stoppage time and it is came on. -- Watford are. It has been tense and

dramatic and controversial and news is coming through, and Cardiff have

taken the lead, would you believe? It is Hull City 0, Cardiff City 1.

Watford will need to win, Year, and there hopes remain the same. We are

under way at the start of the second half. There has been another

goal at the KC Stadium, Hull City leading 2-1. Throw-in as tenacious

as always, ditty cash Michael Brown? And Troy Deeney his wing to

be sent off. He was booked in the first half, and Watford are reduced

to ten men. For what I save from Paddy Kenny! Hull City 2, Cardiff

City to, in the last seconds. Watford need a goal, 10 minutes to

go. Good save by Paddy Kenny and defied by Kenny again. McCormick

attacking the edge of the box, and he cannot keep it out and Hull City

are promoted to the Premier League, and Watford sink to their knees.

They will be in the play-offs, from third place. Watford have been

beaten and Hull City will be playing Premier League football

next season. That is not ideal but we will just try again. That

probably wasn't going to happen today, but we will make it happen

in the play-offs. We don't fear anybody this season so we will just

hope for the best. It is a play-off campaign for Watford, heading to

Leicester City on Thursday night before coming back here next Sunday

lunchtime for the second leg. For the chance to clinch promotion at

the chance to clinch promotion at Wembley, at the end of May. That

was an absolute killer. Top scorers in the Championship and just one

more goal would have done it. If was a great opportunity. It was in

their own hands. The tension was fantastic. It was just like last

week at Brentford and Doncaster. Just needed a goal. It has been a

good season for them. Everything conspired to go against them on the

day, with Manuel Almunia getting injured in the warm-up, and then

Jack Bonham coming on, he has never played the professional game and he

has thrown on in the most important game of the season for the club,

and I felt sorry for him in the first goal, the second goal, he got

caught off his line a little bit too much, but it is all to play for.

They honest Troy Deeney for the first game, but it is exciting --

they will miss Troy Deeney. They have to pick themselves up, like

Brentford last week. How do you pick yourself up now? We lost in

the final and you have to wait all summer to pick yourself up for the

start of the season. As you said, they have got goals in them and

hopefully, they can do it. Fingers crossed. They might have got

another opportunity, unlike While Watford have been trying to

avoid the play-offs, one team who went into the final day desperate

to stay in the top six were Crystal Palace. The Eagles needed a draw at

home to Peterborough, who themselves needed to win to be sure

of avoiding relegation. Here's the is a brilliant goal from a Lee

Tomlin. It merits being the decisive goal. Was that a miss-

challenge? Zakuane on Gabbidon. In stoppage time at the end of the

first half, looking to equalise through Glenn Murray, can he put

them level? There is your answer. That is why we reveal to biting our

nails when the tension in reaches the levels that it is currently

reaching. Some very anxious supporters. And it's in the corner

of the net! Sensational! Where did that come from? Stephen Dobbie

takes. It is stumped away by Grant McCann, gathered by Stephen Dobbie.

Still, Crystal Palace in possession, and Kevin Phillips! There is nobody

quite like him. Almost a toe-poke from Kevin Philips, but however it

was caught, it means an awful lot Palace 2, Peterborough 2. And

Palace may well have won it and sent Peterborough down, coming from

behind twice. Palace get into the play-offs and Peter Bragg going to

League 1, it seems. It would have been an absolute disaster if we had

fallen there, but we have been a fantastic side. It is a great

feeling in that dressing room. That is three draws and one victory that

could easily have been it three victories and one draw. You have to

keep believing that, and start Good momentum for Crystal Palace

going into the play-offs? Yes, the expectation from the fans has been

Lord a little bit. But to score three goals, Glenn Murray, 30

League goals in the season, and I think everybody is a little bit

Just to go into the play-offs with something. They have had to wait a

long time. That man Kevin Phillips, he is a heartbreaker to so many

defences around the summer. He will be 40 in the summer. How much has

he done for the game? He has been a great player for Crystal Palace. He

is just a constant threat. If you are playing against a man you see

him coming on, you know that he will get chances if they gets

service to him in and around the box. So Watford are coming to terms

with the play-offs and Palace are celebrating being there. Brighton

had fourth place wrapped up before yesterday's match at home to Wolves.

We sent Richard Adams to the South Coast where the Seagulls are

celebrating their highest League being a Brighton fan, after being

homeless for so many years, but now, the Seagulls are soaring. I never

thought I would see this they come. After going to Gillingham for two

years and backwards and forwards to the Withdean Stadium. How far can

this club go? Can he get to the Premier League? Can we operate and

holder only Swansea and Norwich? I believe we can. We have got the

stadium and the facilities and it is a good place to be, to attract

players. Everything is good. It has been a remarkable journey from

being almost, playing from athletics stadium, to the next

stadium where were Wynter 30,000 people here for the first time.

Credit to the fans and directors of the club for getting us this far.

Having already claimed a play-off place, Brighton insured they

remained unbeaten in the league at home this year with a victory over

relegated opponents, Wills. -- setting up a tantalising play-off

encounter with that arrivals, Crystal Palace. -- with bitter

rivals. You they are in this beautiful stadium on the verge of

the Premier League. Do the fans make you aware of that? There is a

little bit of history and now, we need to make sure that we do

everything to help the team and insure that the club goes up to the

Premier League and make everything goal more sweetly. The academy, the

reserves, everything seems to be different, he wants to do things in

his own way, and it is working. far can this club go? It is up to

us, to keep calm and maintain the standards of working on the

football side and on the club side. Two very different worlds. We have

a team that belongs in the Premiership, and when you realise

you go down through the divisions, it can happen to anyone, so we need

to make sure that we are realistic and we do not try to think that

Well done Brighton, and here is confirmation of the play-offs.

Watford go to Leicester on Thursday before the return leg on Sunday.

And get ready for the biggest Palace-Brighton derby games of all

time. Selhurst Park on Friday and the Amex next Monday. Commentary of

all four Championship play-off matches on BBC local radio. Who do

you fancy for the play-offs? fancy it to the Watford against

Brighton. I know that Gus Poyet and Gianfranco Zola are good friends.

Who do you think will go up? think Watford, they have been

unlucky this year not to finish third, and they should go up.

is the pressure slightly off Crystal Palace? It is a huge game

against Brighton. It has been a remarkable journey from Brighton,

to get to the new ground. It is going to be a very hard fought and

well contested game. Palace have got a better home record, Brighton

are a better way. But on the day, anything can happen. I just think

it will be Crystal Palace. I am telling you! I am going with gut

feeling. We shall see. Relegation- threatened Millwall needed a draw

at Derby County to avoid having to worry about results elsewhere. By

the time Conor Sammon scored the goal for Derby County, other

results have started to go in their favour and Millwall were save by

the skin of their teeth. Kenny Jackett left the media duties to

his assistant, Kilgallon. We're 10 games in the last 30 days, it has

been very competitive this year. We got to the semi-final of the FA Cup,

so we did OK. Union Kenny Jackett. He was the assistant to Ian Ollie

and that match 10 years ago. He has done a great job of keeping them up.

How does he move them on from here? He has done magnificently. He took

over at second bottom of League 1, and he has just built things, you

on near. I keep expecting him to get linked to bigger jobs, but

nothing comes of it. He's going to have a tough season. The Watford

game was a massive win for them. They won that game 1-0. That was

the victory that kept them up. But Kenny Jackett and Joe Gallen have

done brilliantly this year. Cup semi-final and staying up, a good

season. 10 games in 33 days. I think they played nine games in

April. They have got a small squad. They got to an FA Cup semi-final

and survived. I think they finished 9th the first season be Mike

Gillard, 16th then and 20 next, so the warning signs are there. They

might need to strengthen. They made a bigger squad and need someone who

can put the ball in the net. they can get some good players in

on-loan, they will move on because they do not have the money to keep

them. What did you make of Charlton? Winning the last four at

home, after a poor run. It was a great second that of the season for

Chris Powell. We had him in here. He has swung things around. Three

points off the play-offss is a fantastic for them. If they can

strengthen in the summer there is no reason why they cannot have a

realistic chance of getting to the play-offs. We have seen what he has

done on the budget he has had. These players believe in themselves,

after beating, -- after beating Cardiff, Watford and Leicester. So

very pleased for them. They took 14 out of 18 points in so they are top

of the form table. Just did not have enough games. Three points of

the play-offs. It is a case of what could have been for the fans. Chris

Powell has a former team-mate of mine and he has done ever so well,

there. It is the first season back in the Championship for them and

they have got it right, and the fans need to be patient for them.

What do you make of the job he has done there? He has done

magnificently well. To go Opera Division and not get a budget for

new players is a big ask. -- to roll up a division. The match

started winning games, Johnnie Jackson came on to form. But when

you get running in that league, you think, other teams are no better

than us. And I think next year if they can strengthen they have got a

good chance. It wasn't all about the Championship yesterday. A week

after Marcello Trotta's penalty miss condemned Brentford to the

League One play-offs, they headed to Swindon for the first leg.

This is promising for Swindon. Luongo! Massimo Luongo, with his

first goal for Swindon. Super run, to Sam Saunders. In goes the cross.

And it's a penalty! Luongo, who scored the goal, has made the foul.

A penalty all day long, in any language. The Bees and penalties

again. O'Connor! If only he had done that a weak earlier, Kevin

O'Connor. They were fantastic, the players. I said to them when I came

over here I could not hope for a better squad of players to work

with. Fantastic. Young and energetic, was a experienced

players playing a very important part. They just have to go out and

grab their chance as well as they can. That penalty from Kevin

O'Connor, that was supposed to be happening last week, or we would

not be talking about this! That was an excellent penalty. He did not

seem to be suffering from a hangover. Good result. I fancy them

at home. Uwe has a full squad to choose from. Best home for mentally,

but they have shown they might have got the drive and determination to

win this next leg. Sheffield United lead Yeovil 1-0 after the first leg

of the other semi-final - chances of Brentford making it to the

I was so pleased for Kevin when he scored that penalty. He is a

Brentford legend. With the budget they have got, from how well they

might have done, I think Brentford will go up. And a nice little west

London derby for you Boys! Chelsea are well-off out of that! You, it

will be a Derby, we normally have a good record against them. Harry

Redknapp talk about making sure that you do not do a Wolves next

year. Are you worried about what is happening -- about that happening?

I think that if anybody can turn it round, then hurry can do it. --

Harry can. If the gaffer can get in there are players that he wants,

and build his squad, as I said, as a manager, if he can do that, you

never know. You are a fan, you work for the club, who played for the

club. How did you feel when you sort all slipping away? -- saw it

all. Devastated. It killed me. It is devastating. We waited 15 years

to get back up and just for one season, to survive, and then to

have another one, and cut down. We have been in this position before

and we can do it again. You are a massive QPR fan. It hurt you, did

it hurt some of those players? would have to ask them. The players

do care but they showed in different ways. We have got a

talented bunch of players and we are bottom of the league. I think

that says it all. I spoke to Harry Redknapp after the game against

Arsenal and he said it was impossible to move some of those

players are out on those contracts. It is going to be a big job that he

has got the summer. If anybody can do it, Harry can do it. If we can

start next season well, then it gives you hope, and as you know,

and if you don't, it can all come apart. You are involved with the

youth team, the younger players at QPR. Any of them that can feature

strongly in the Championship? don't know until they might get a

goal in the team. But we have got a couple of games this season were

one or two of them might get a chance. That is probably coming a

couple of years too early for some of them. We have sent them out on

loan to get them experience of league football. Hopefully, some of

them can get the chance. That's it from Late Kick Off for this year.

Good luck to Brentford tomorrow. Good luck to Watford, Brighton and

Crystal Palace in the Championship play-offs. May the best team win.

Thanks to all 13 of our teams for playing their part in a dramatic

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 51 seconds

Oh, my word! Penalty! Here comes Yeah! There is the final whistle.

Looks like they will be playing Conference football next season.