:00:29. > :00:35.The last couple of games have been huge and we need to get the three
:00:36. > :00:40.points. The fans who own Wycombe and their gaffer on the big decision
:00:41. > :00:47.looming. It's the perfect thing because the fans stay on but I think
:00:48. > :00:52.the lack of money does hold teams back. We look at the serious
:00:53. > :00:58.problems facing the grassroots game. It is getting worse and worse
:00:59. > :01:08.and worse. And we need to QPR fan more than happy to celebrate a
:01:09. > :01:13.favourite anniversary. All of that and joining me a man who had many
:01:14. > :01:21.happy times as a player and manager at Charlton.
:01:22. > :01:29.It was the greatest 45 minutes of my life. Just a fantastic day for all
:01:30. > :01:46.my players, my supporters, for our football club.
:01:47. > :01:54.Welcome to the show. Some fabulous memories for you there. I'm not
:01:55. > :01:58.wearing the same suit I've got on now but great memories for me.
:01:59. > :02:03.Obviously three great years there as manager and a number of years as a
:02:04. > :02:08.player but time moves on. Or your England caps, all five of them, but
:02:09. > :02:15.three weeks ago it came to an end. How did you find out you had lost a
:02:16. > :02:18.job? I was actually... I took my son to football training. I just got a
:02:19. > :02:25.phone call on Monday evening saying it was coming to an end so I had
:02:26. > :02:30.just realised that it had been a tough time for myself with the
:02:31. > :02:34.takeover and what was going on so there's not much you can do. You've
:02:35. > :02:39.just got to dust yourself down and speak to all the relevant people,
:02:40. > :02:45.especially family. I spoke to my wife's straightaway. And obviously a
:02:46. > :02:48.number of other people. But it was just one of those things that sadly
:02:49. > :02:53.came to an end. I really wanted to carry on the good work that I had
:02:54. > :02:58.done with my staff and the players but it wasn't to be. We will hear
:02:59. > :03:02.plenty more from Chris on Charlton later and from Mark as well. There's
:03:03. > :03:05.possibly only one thing worse than playing for a team bottom of the
:03:06. > :03:09.table and that's not playing for a team bottom of the table. Danny
:03:10. > :03:15.Shittu has been ruled out for the rest of the season with an Achilles
:03:16. > :03:16.injury. His team went in search of three much`needed points against
:03:17. > :03:27.Blackburn. A terrible road. This time last
:03:28. > :03:34.season, Millwall preparing for a cup semifinal. Fast forward a year and
:03:35. > :03:39.they are bottom of the Championship. They have it all to do again. To
:03:40. > :03:49.make matters worse, they are going to have do try to survive without
:03:50. > :03:57.last season's Captain Marvel. It is one of the hardest things. You
:03:58. > :04:01.want to play football as a professional footballer, that is why
:04:02. > :04:08.we are in this game. To not be able to train, it is hard to take. But
:04:09. > :04:16.I'm here to support my team. Our you doing? `` how are you doing? The
:04:17. > :04:21.guys are looking forward to the game which is the way they are meant to
:04:22. > :04:32.be. We are the best. Every game we needed to play, it has been huge.
:04:33. > :04:36.But today is more important. McDonald weatherhead! `` with the
:04:37. > :05:05.header. Morrison, running from an onside
:05:06. > :05:20.position. He needs some physicality. It is still Morrison. Come on! Come
:05:21. > :05:40.on! It's going to be read. You can't give him a yellow. Yes! Come on!
:05:41. > :05:48.Blackburn Rovers with the corner. And Blackburn Rovers pull themselves
:05:49. > :05:55.back on level terms. Jackson goes into the penalty area. Another
:05:56. > :06:03.penalty. Come on, come on! Please, come on!
:06:04. > :06:18.Yes! Yes! Into the danger area, King has a chance. It has been poked in
:06:19. > :06:26.biking. I can't believe it. `` poked in my king. One more chance. The
:06:27. > :06:33.guys that played out there did well it was `` but it wasn't Jeannette.
:06:34. > :06:41.`` was unfortunate. I'd have to look forward to the next game but I'm
:06:42. > :06:47.gutted I did not play. Danny Shittu owes us a microphone. It was a cruel
:06:48. > :06:50.end for Millwall, so close to a win that they so desperately needed.
:06:51. > :06:55.Also a difficult day for another team battling to avoid relegation.
:06:56. > :07:03.Chris's former club, Charlton, lost 3`0 at Derby. Jose Riga APPLAUSE
:07:04. > :07:08.side went behind in the 18th minute. That was Derby's first meaningful
:07:09. > :07:11.attack. Then Chelsea loanee Patrick Bamford capitalised on Johnnie
:07:12. > :07:20.Jackson's ever to make it to kneel before the break. `` error. The
:07:21. > :07:22.third game in six minutes from time. Charlton were unable to follow up
:07:23. > :07:27.last Tuesday's fine win at Nottingham Forest.
:07:28. > :07:35.So this is how the bottom of the Championship looked right now.
:07:36. > :07:39.Millwall's point lifted them from the bottom but they are still only
:07:40. > :07:43.two points adrift from safety. Charlton, only two places above the
:07:44. > :07:49.bottom three on board this prince. Charlton's situation looking
:07:50. > :07:52.precarious. `` on goal difference. A number of players came in from
:07:53. > :07:57.Standard Liege, another club that Charlton's owners own. And you have
:07:58. > :08:04.any say in those players being brought in? Are disgusted at the
:08:05. > :08:08.time. `` I discussed it at the time. A number came in and a new one of
:08:09. > :08:15.them really well from my time at Leicester. And you know, it was a
:08:16. > :08:26.balancing act because Kermit Gant and Dale Stephens were sold. ``
:08:27. > :08:32.Kermorgant. They were coming towards the end of their contracts, and we
:08:33. > :08:38.could lose them for almost no money, or cash in. So they made the
:08:39. > :08:44.decision that they would rather financially see the players move
:08:45. > :08:47.on. But when you are trying to stay up and stay in the division, two
:08:48. > :08:52.players that know the Championship well and are key to the side, you
:08:53. > :08:58.really want them to stay. As I have always done, you carry on with your
:08:59. > :09:02.job and deal with the squad you have. Were you told to play certain
:09:03. > :09:10.players? Aura you completely allowed to pick whatever side you wanted? I
:09:11. > :09:16.was not. I'm sure a lot of players are talking about the FA Cup game.
:09:17. > :09:19.I'd never played any of the players. But it was the team I've felt was
:09:20. > :09:24.right. Sometimes it goes for you and other times it does not. People were
:09:25. > :09:28.talking about it, saying I was told to do this and that. Of course, I
:09:29. > :09:32.was trying to build up a new relationship with someone did not
:09:33. > :09:38.know, and I was trying to speak about the Championship and what it
:09:39. > :09:44.is like. It is always tough, because it was a tough season. I knew it
:09:45. > :09:48.would be from the summer. At all the number of fans that we were in for a
:09:49. > :09:53.tough ride, because we were not able to build on the momentum of the
:09:54. > :09:56.previous seasons. `` I told a number. At the end of the last
:09:57. > :10:03.season, you had such a poor start. Why? Because we lost four strikers.
:10:04. > :10:06.And we did not replace them. And you would know better than anyone, you
:10:07. > :10:10.need strikers, people to score goals. That was the big problem. If
:10:11. > :10:18.you take calls out of any team, you're going to struggle. Kermorgant
:10:19. > :10:22.and a couple of other young players had not played in the Championship
:10:23. > :10:32.before. It was a big stumbling block for myself. Mixed fortunes for our
:10:33. > :10:35.other three Championship teams. Here are Emma Jones and Jimmy Reid to run
:10:36. > :10:44.us through a draw, a defeat and a decent day for Watford. QPR could
:10:45. > :10:48.only close the gap to Burnley by a point and are now nine points off
:10:49. > :10:54.the automatic promotion spots. It took Blackpool ten minutes to take
:10:55. > :10:57.the lead. David Goodwillie got past Robert Green. The coaching staff are
:10:58. > :11:00.unhappy with the tempo of the side but there was no lack of pace on
:11:01. > :11:08.junior high let's 78 minute equaliser. Five of the next seven
:11:09. > :11:11.games are against topsides. If you win against Burnley, it is still
:11:12. > :11:17.difficult. It will give us a better chance but sure, we have to keep
:11:18. > :11:20.going and see what happens. Brighton have fallen four points off the
:11:21. > :11:25.play`off places following a second consecutive 2`0 home defeat. They
:11:26. > :11:29.were booed off at the break having failed to convert several chances.
:11:30. > :11:33.Middlesbrough had only one one of their previous 12 matches up to the
:11:34. > :11:39.break when Danny Graham picked up a loose ball. Oscar Garcia says his
:11:40. > :11:45.side are punishing their opposition. Evident when this march was brought
:11:46. > :11:49.down. But the penalty was put over. Graham Roberts of assault in. Right
:11:50. > :11:55.and left without a win in three ahead of a trip to Brighton. ``
:11:56. > :11:57.robbed the salt in. Watford go into this match looking for a third away
:11:58. > :12:01.win. And they got it in style. This
:12:02. > :12:05.fortunate have been set them on their way after five minutes. The
:12:06. > :12:10.boss praised the passing and movement of his players but it was
:12:11. > :12:16.this header on the end of a Route one move that made its two. To my
:12:17. > :12:25.goals for Troy Deeney in two minutes stole the show. `` two goals. The
:12:26. > :12:29.second attempt came back off the upright, and was then powered in. A
:12:30. > :12:33.consolation for Wednesday made it a repeat of the 4`1 scoreline when the
:12:34. > :12:39.sides met at Hillsborough last season.
:12:40. > :12:46.Troy Deeney in the goals again. What, specifically, apart from the
:12:47. > :12:48.goals, is it? 20 goals last year and this year. Half of them away from
:12:49. > :12:57.home, which is really important. Last year, he got 20, and the
:12:58. > :13:05.nearest competitor was 23. They are not so good away from home. Well
:13:06. > :13:08.done to Troy Deeney. A similar setup in the Watford as to Charlton, with
:13:09. > :13:13.foreign ownership and a man brought in from their own country managing
:13:14. > :13:17.them. Is that a model that works in English football? Obviously, they
:13:18. > :13:21.were successful with it last year. Almost to the point where they got
:13:22. > :13:24.out of the Championship, but it is a new model and people are not used to
:13:25. > :13:28.it. The supporters and people at home, they are not used to it.
:13:29. > :13:37.Whether it is something that will be followed, I'm not sure. Talking of
:13:38. > :13:41.ownership, in Germany nearly every football club is majority owned by
:13:42. > :13:46.fans. It is a model adopted by Wycombe in 2012 but, as Ian Ramsdell
:13:47. > :13:49.has been finding out, the structure that has brought success in the
:13:50. > :13:56.Bundesliga has its challenges in Buckinghamshire.
:13:57. > :14:00.There is a fan zone club riding high at the top of European football.
:14:01. > :14:07.Bayern Munich. But the four highest fan owned clubs in England linger at
:14:08. > :14:09.the lower end of league two. One of them is Wycombe. Having stabilised
:14:10. > :14:13.the club in the last two years of ownership, they have a big decision
:14:14. > :14:19.on their hands. With possible new investors on the horizon, they could
:14:20. > :14:24.gamble that stability and sell up for success. There will be more
:14:25. > :14:28.money around which would allow investment in the marketing and
:14:29. > :14:35.infrastructure of the club. Any extra investment will do a world of
:14:36. > :14:40.good. Money is not always the roots route to successful stop fans around
:14:41. > :14:42.the company country dream of taking over themselves but realistically,
:14:43. > :14:49.once that happens, is big`time excess possible? In the romantic
:14:50. > :14:51.world, it is fantastic but in the crazy world of football, which is
:14:52. > :14:59.different to any other business, and money talks. And probably the lack
:15:00. > :15:02.of money will hold a team back. The trust has reduced the debt and
:15:03. > :15:07.losses under close to breaking even. The choice to take the club further
:15:08. > :15:14.is to either raise ?2 million themselves or sell up. We do not
:15:15. > :15:18.have a lot of money and we will not be in a position where we can chase
:15:19. > :15:23.a dreamy even with a community share scheme. It would be continuing to
:15:24. > :15:27.survive and do the best that we can at the level we are at. The macro we
:15:28. > :15:32.are struggling as we were in January, looking for somebody to
:15:33. > :15:34.bring in. `` we are struggling as we were in January, looking for
:15:35. > :15:38.somebody to bring in. This is what we're looking to do. Three
:15:39. > :15:43.interested parties have contacted us, saying that they would be
:15:44. > :15:46.interested in investing in the club and taking the club forward. We
:15:47. > :15:51.would own the ground and be debt free. And we would have somebody
:15:52. > :16:00.investing in the club and being involved. We see that as the perfect
:16:01. > :16:05.scenario. The fans are sure to ponder it carefully, burned by
:16:06. > :16:09.previous experience. Any new owner would need the approval of 75% of
:16:10. > :16:12.the Court trust members. I would like to keep it in the community but
:16:13. > :16:19.we know that football is an expensive game. The more we get, the
:16:20. > :16:22.better it will be for us. It would be nice to be able to be really
:16:23. > :16:29.competitive and have money to get players in. It depends on the on
:16:30. > :16:34.air. He is somebody who is Wycombe at heart. Otherwise, you could go
:16:35. > :16:40.backwards. `` it depends on who the owner is. We would like to get a
:16:41. > :16:45.deal done or no deal done with our own supporters, so that during April
:16:46. > :16:50.we could say to the manager, right, this is your budget, let's get on
:16:51. > :16:54.with it. The trust hopes that a preferred bidder will be ready to
:16:55. > :17:00.present to members soon although the longer the wait goes on, the less
:17:01. > :17:03.likely the new owner may be. Sounds like potential buyers are
:17:04. > :17:10.waiting to see if Wycombe stay up. Are they singing for their supper?
:17:11. > :17:16.Yes. Pressure is all with not to get relegated for Gareth `` Gareth
:17:17. > :17:19.Ainsworth. Even more so knowing that they could come in, and the ground
:17:20. > :17:24.debt free with funds available for the manager and that is how every
:17:25. > :17:28.club wants to be. That's the scenario. They want new investment
:17:29. > :17:33.but it could come at a cost. What is it like being a manager knowing
:17:34. > :17:38.there is a question mark over you? That is the difficult thing for any
:17:39. > :17:42.manager because with takeovers comes change in the managerial... Does
:17:43. > :17:48.it?! Really?! Who would have thought that! So they would just like to
:17:49. > :17:52.have some semblance on where the club is going.
:17:53. > :17:56.There weren't many goals for our teams in Leagues One and Two. In
:17:57. > :18:00.fact, it was all zeroes and ones. Here are Emma and Jamie again, with
:18:01. > :18:07.what you might wish to call our first ever binary goals round`up.
:18:08. > :18:12.After their midweek defeat at Rotherham, Brentford lost more
:18:13. > :18:17.ground as they were held at Oldham. The hosts had a few first of
:18:18. > :18:23.chances, including this. At the other end, they came close to
:18:24. > :18:31.putting the bees ahead. James dating missed a one`on`one opportunity
:18:32. > :18:37.later on. `` James detente. Now they must focus on Tuesday's trip to
:18:38. > :18:41.Sheffield United. Leyton Orient are now four points
:18:42. > :18:44.behind second placed Brentford after a fourth game without a win. The
:18:45. > :18:52.visitors got the only goal when this was volleyed in from the corner. But
:18:53. > :18:58.they then had the chance to get back into the match from a penalty shot.
:18:59. > :19:00.The referee insisted he had blown far time and the situation led to
:19:01. > :19:07.disagreements on the pitch and off it. The manager and assistant boss
:19:08. > :19:11.will both into the stands. The results elsewhere no Oriente know at
:19:12. > :19:17.the very least, their play`off place is secure, with six dates to spare.
:19:18. > :19:27.`` Leyton Orient. This was crawly's third sets `` successive defeat.
:19:28. > :19:31.This would also be a third successive match in which John
:19:32. > :19:37.Gregory's side would fail to score. Mike Jones had a chance to level but
:19:38. > :19:42.was denied. On Tuesday, six points above the allegations own but still
:19:43. > :19:54.with games in hand. `` relegation zone. No team has
:19:55. > :20:02.beaten a Scunthorpe side yet. Wanderers went ahead but then across
:20:03. > :20:07.hit the bar. The Wycombe boss has thanked everyone who stood by him
:20:08. > :20:13.with his side just three points above the drop zone.
:20:14. > :20:18.In a physical encounter, Neil Ardley says his team lacked quality when
:20:19. > :20:23.they had their chances. Adam Murray took his. 30 yards out with a free
:20:24. > :20:27.kick. That goal enough to give them the victory, and it means Mansfield
:20:28. > :20:34.move above the dons and 16th in the table.
:20:35. > :20:39.It was a bizarre late goal that saw Dagenham play their first victory at
:20:40. > :20:46.home. This has been credited to Luke but it went in from Matt Bevins.
:20:47. > :20:53.They finish march unbeaten and are now five points of the play`off
:20:54. > :20:57.places. `` March. That ridiculous goal has now gone down as an own
:20:58. > :21:02.goal the Matt Bevins. What a poor chap! Most of your goals
:21:03. > :21:07.were a bit like that, when they? There's no such thing as a bad goal!
:21:08. > :21:11.But, listen, that was three points, six points of the play`offs. Doing
:21:12. > :21:18.ever so well for Dagenham. And in with a good chance. I think they
:21:19. > :21:23.played four teams. Bottom four in the running. Have you been doing
:21:24. > :21:28.your homework or something?! What's going on?! What about own goals? I'm
:21:29. > :21:33.sure you've been on the pitch when a few have been scored! To be fair,
:21:34. > :21:38.there was an infamous game, really, for Charlton, away at Sunderland and
:21:39. > :21:44.we won 3`1, and all three were own goals. One of them was mine. I
:21:45. > :21:49.claimed it. All three goals were own goals. Which is very unusual!
:21:50. > :21:53.If you want to watch that goal again, or any other parts of the
:21:54. > :22:02.programme, Late Kick Off is on the iPlayer all week, as are the other
:22:03. > :22:06.six regional variations of the show. Now to the crisis in grassroots
:22:07. > :22:09.football. A famous London boys club is struggling to survive, along with
:22:10. > :22:12.many others. As Kevin Kilbane reports, the fightback has started
:22:13. > :22:16.with a campaign launched at Woolton FC in the north`west of the country.
:22:17. > :22:21.Unbelievably, football is no longer the top participating sport in the
:22:22. > :22:26.country. More people nowadays prefer to run, swim or cycle. Player
:22:27. > :22:31.numbers are in decline and in many places, facilities are shocking.
:22:32. > :22:38.Junior football still has an ongoing issue and many question the way we
:22:39. > :22:44.pressure our young kids. The grassroots game is in big trouble.
:22:45. > :22:51.Make no mistake. Kenny Saunders is the manager of Walton SC, which has
:22:52. > :22:55.62 junior teams. He has launched a campaign to save grassroots
:22:56. > :22:59.football. It is in massive danger of folding in the next five, ten
:23:00. > :23:03.years. There are massive, massive problems out there, right from
:23:04. > :23:12.grassroots coaching, respect campaigns, parents. There are many
:23:13. > :23:17.issues out there. Not everybody else has addressed the issue of pushy
:23:18. > :23:22.parents on the touchline. That's a yellow card! Yellow card! Ease owl!
:23:23. > :23:30.Give him a yellow card! He deserves the card! Constantly shouting
:23:31. > :23:35.instruction is counter`productive. A parent wouldn't shout at their child
:23:36. > :23:39.during the piano lessons. Black Key, white key! So we're trying to get
:23:40. > :23:42.the right level of support for those young people. There are similar
:23:43. > :23:51.concerns around the football club which runs clubs for ages five to 17
:23:52. > :23:55.in London. We have parents who are abusive. We deal with them. They get
:23:56. > :24:01.a warning and then the second time we throw them out because we cannot
:24:02. > :24:05.have them in the club. It is an issue about the standard coaching
:24:06. > :24:09.but the FA insists that is changing. What we're doing now is providing
:24:10. > :24:12.the right level of coaching for the right coach in the right
:24:13. > :24:19.environment, to make sure the coaching they receive is the right
:24:20. > :24:25.thing for that player's develop and. We are being priced out. We need
:24:26. > :24:29.grassroots volunteers. We need more coaches and more qualified coaches.
:24:30. > :24:32.It is a ten year journey and I believe we are well onto the way to
:24:33. > :24:37.delivering a world`class coaching system and I believe we will see the
:24:38. > :24:40.fruits of that. Though the culture of the grassroots game may be
:24:41. > :24:46.playing `` changing, there is still a dark cloud on the horizon `
:24:47. > :24:54.funding. Amateur clubs need to know who's going to help them survive
:24:55. > :25:01.with the cutback in funding. We have had to pay money out where we've
:25:02. > :25:08.been... For the pictures. They have gone up 38% this year. Some are
:25:09. > :25:11.going up 400%. Everyone is responsible for grassroots football
:25:12. > :25:20.and can improve it. We need them around the table and we need them
:25:21. > :25:23.now. Is worrying for those clubs. And we know they have produced some
:25:24. > :25:29.very good players over the years. How important is them `` is it for
:25:30. > :25:34.them to provide the league with rich resources? It is a stream of
:25:35. > :25:38.talent. Sol Campbell, Ledley King, it John Terry, Jermain Defoe, they
:25:39. > :25:44.all came from those grassroots levels. The academy players. And you
:25:45. > :25:49.can see they are being priced out. 400% increase! It's frightening,
:25:50. > :25:53.isn't it? We have had quite a few tweets asking you questions, as
:25:54. > :26:02.expected. One says, when does Chris think you'll be back in management?
:26:03. > :26:07.Good question. `` think he will be? I'm just going to relax,
:26:08. > :26:11.stress`free, watch some games, continue my learning, and then
:26:12. > :26:24.hopefully in the summer, see where I go from there. Mickey has asked, how
:26:25. > :26:31.can `` how good can Gus Poyet's son and his team`mate be? Two players
:26:32. > :26:36.from the Charlton academy who produce players year in, year out,
:26:37. > :26:41.who I feel will have good careers. What are Charlton's chances of
:26:42. > :26:45.staying up? Good, not only because of the goal difference, but the
:26:46. > :26:47.games in hand, they have a really important game tomorrow. I've always
:26:48. > :26:53.been confident that the club could stay up so I'm sure they will be
:26:54. > :26:58.fine. Let's hope so. Benjamin says, would you have liked to have the
:26:59. > :27:01.chance to say goodbye to the fans? Because you didn't get that. I'm
:27:02. > :27:08.sure I will somewhere along the line. It normally happens. They know
:27:09. > :27:13.what I think of them and what their support means to me throughout my
:27:14. > :27:18.career. They have made it three clear what they think of you
:27:19. > :27:24.tonight. Sir Chris Powell! Not you! Thank you both. 28 years to the day
:27:25. > :27:29.since QPR met Chelsea in a West London derby and ran out 6` nil
:27:30. > :27:35.winners. Needless to say, it's a match Rangers fans will never
:27:36. > :27:39.forget. Good night. I'm Andy Evans and I've been supporting QPR since I
:27:40. > :27:49.was four years old, which is 40 years worth of support! Is a family
:27:50. > :27:56.day! Everyone's here. I'm now a Chief Executive of the club's
:27:57. > :27:59.charitable arm and Trust. I love match day. Going around and having a
:28:00. > :28:05.chat with everyone, whether it is the guys on the gate, the door, the
:28:06. > :28:11.programme sellers. Looking smart! The football club is full of people
:28:12. > :28:15.and that's what I love about it. Today is interesting in that we have
:28:16. > :28:18.some visitors from Singapore and Malaysia. And today they are our
:28:19. > :28:21.guests of honour, so they will form the Guard of Honour when the teams
:28:22. > :28:26.come out just before kick`off and we have some excited young people on
:28:27. > :28:30.our hands as well. There's a number of memory that stick out. Being a
:28:31. > :28:35.fan of any club is about rivalries. I'll was end up thinking back to
:28:36. > :28:40.that 6`0 victory on Easter Monday. `` I always end up thinking. I
:28:41. > :28:43.remember it clearly and it was in those days when we played on the
:28:44. > :28:46.Astroturf and the visitors always looked a bit unsure on their feet
:28:47. > :28:53.and our players always looked so much more confident and comfortable,
:28:54. > :28:59.and he just wove his way through the players. Great moments.