Episode 1 Late Kick Off Midlands

Hello and welcome to a new series of the show which puts Midlands

A club on a life support machine? Can Coventry City pull through?

Does the colour of your skin make a difference to your chances of

becoming a club manager? One former Derby, Notts County and Birmingham

player thinks so. In lot of high- profile black players have tried it

and walk away. -- a lot. And have the Blues found a cure for their

away day blues? My guests this evening are the

Burton Albion defender Darren Moore and the former Coventry full-back

Marcus Hall. And we start in Coventry. Who'd be

a fan of the Sky Blues? It's now 11 years since the they were relegated

from the Premiership, but any thoughts of a return have long

since dimmed. Now, survival in the Championship is the only objective

on the field, and maybe survival as a professional football club is the

focus off it. So what has gone wrong and what will happen next?

Laura May McMullan has been trying to find out.

This season has been one of the most traumatic in Coventry city's

history. The Sky Blues are deep in the relegation zone and there is

little sign of investment. Fans won the owners out. They fit the

writing is on the wall. We are just sick of the lies and lack of

investment. Either start investing or get out. It will be operation

championship again next season. There is no hope at this club at

the moment and we need it. It has been the same for years, according

to one former manager. My journey to find out the owners of Coventry

City has brought me to Greece. You must have arrived at Coventry full

of hope. It was a sleeping giant, but it was not what it promised to

be. It came to nothing. We sold all our best players and not

reinvesting the money, which was difficult for us. What are Coventry

City like to deal with? I never ever met the top brass. Over the

course of my contract, which was three and a half years, �10 million

was spent on players. I got the feeling in the end that their

motives had to be questioned. men promised to turn Coventry

city's around. Three have already gone. The one man up fans want

answers from his Onye Igwe way. -- is Onye Igwe. I had a long list of

questions I wanted to put to Sisu, but he declined to comment as well.

Relationships with the fans have broken down. The one high-profile

Sky Blues fan is urging Sisu to sell. I do not know how we finance

the running of the club on a week- to-week basis. Debt are accruing at

a frightening rate and I do not understand why Sisu would wish to

continue in the ownership of the club. Were there no realistic

purchases, they have got a problem. There is, there was. Why they did

not do the deal in August when they had a chance I do not know. Sisu

did save the club from administration in 2007, but five

years on, fans fear that history could be repeating itself. The club

has been on a life-support machine for the best part of 15 years. It

has never been as bad as it is now bow and I think there is a more big

race on now for which comes first, administration or relegation.

Strong words there. Marcus, you have played for Coventry and seen

the highs and lows. What do you make of what is going on there?

is desperate yet -- it is desperate this year. You can understand the

frustration of the fans. They had a protest at the Southampton game

last week and it is understandable. There had been so many layers over

the last few years. Sisu has not changed anything. We need answers.

As a fan and a former player, there is nothing. No transparency. The

ball do not give any answers. It is just really difficult. The silence

is deafening from the boardroom. They have lost nine players over

the summer and I suppose the nail in the coffin is losing your top

scorer at two Middlesbrough. What do you make of that now? Andy Thorn

must be tearing his hair out, if he had any. It is ridiculous. They

needed to improve on goalscoring. Their defence isn't that bad. Now

they have sold their top goalscorer. It is ridiculous and I don't see

much light at the end of the tunnel. No-one will buy the club with so

many decks. It is heartbreaking. The fans deserve better than what

they are getting. From the fans' point of view, a lot of clubs are

spiralling down. If they are not careful, you are looking at the

allegations. It is a possibility, isn't it? Yes. We have had seasons

at Coventry where there had been on the brink of being relegated, but

we have been at the bottom most of the time. There is a real

possibility and it is a shame because there are a lot of good

young players in the squad. It can be demoralising if you are losing

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 51 seconds

every week. On Saturday the Sky Five wins for Derby County. They

are doing well. They are. The main thing for Derby is they have

conceded one in five. They have a steady back line bow and it is the

strength of the team. -- back line. They have reached the 40 point mark

quite early. Yes. They are knocking on the door of the play-offs and

that shows the tremendous work that has been done their.

Still to come - the rest of the weekend's goals from the

Championship, League One and League Two, including Nottingham Forest

drawing a blank again. They have only scored in one of their last

ten games. But first, as racism continues to

cast its ugly shadow over football, a former Premier League player has

told Late Kick Off that he believes the colour of his skin could be the

reason he can't get a job as a coach. The ex Derby, Birmingham and

Notts County defender Michael Johnson has strong words for those

in charge of the game and says English football's reputation HAS

been damaged by recent incidents of It is great to see the memories,

but I am at sad. I do not want the memories to stop as a player.

Michael Johnson feels let down by the sport he served as man and boy.

This is a game I have loved for the last 20 years. Football is all I

know. I would not say the game is racist, but there are elements of

racism in the game. He is scared to say it, but it seems the colour of

his skin is stopping him coaching. Just finishing the last part of the

professional licence now. With all that in place and a glowing CV,

Michael is left wondering. If you Goodenough, give me the job. If you

have a good CV, you would like to pin you had an opportunity.

have done everything, but coaching, a great CV. Yes, but it is not

happening. Has it left you wondering that it is down to the

colour of your skin? I'd do not want to make that any excuse. Do I

feel as if I had been kicked in the nuts because of it? Yes. He knows

it is a long journey, but he is disillusioned that he has applied

for 27 jobs in eight months and has not had one interview. A lot of

high-profile black players have tried it and walked away. Some have

not bothered because they realise that the opportunities are few and

far between. So, is their racism in football, especially after the

recent incidents which Terry, Suarez and Sepp Blatter? There is

racist abuse. Not banter, abuse. What about on the terraces? In 2012

police are treating these chance from Nottingham Forest fans as a

hate crime. In the context of the entire fabric of the game, Brendan

Batson says we have come a long way. He was part of the first trio of

black players in the Premier League. At least football is trying to deal

with it in a positive way. But his main concern is that players still

feel that their skin colour is hampering their way into coaching.

We do not have any proof, but we only have to black managers in hour

professional structure. The numbers do not live. Back in Nottingham,

Michael Johnson is volunteering as vice chairman of a non-League club.

If I do not get a coaching job I will find something else to do, but

I want to make sure my children get to do what they want, despite the

colour of their skin. If it means I have to come out and say what I

need to say, I might have to be a sacrifice so that youngsters across

the UK can become managers, in the boardroom because they are good

enough and there colour of their skin has nothing to do with it. --

become of their skin. He could have burn his bridges, but he has

applied for so many jobs and not got one. Is there racism at

boardroom level? If you have applied for so many jobs and you

have the qualifications, you are going to start thinking, is there

something going on behind the scenes why I am not getting an

interview? It is not as if he has come for top level jobs all the

time. He has gone for mentoring jobs, coaching the reserve team.

There must be something. You are doing your coaching badges. Does

this discourage you? I would not say it puts me off, but it is

worrying. Michael Johnson has had a wonderful career in the game. It is

worrying. There is only 1% of black managers and 30 % of ethnic players

in the game. The numbers do not add up. The fact that Michael has to

say that means he feels he is not been giving a chance. Do you think

we should have a raw where a quota of black candidates should at least

get an interview? Yes. They need to be able to at least get an

interview. The Wayne Rooney roar does work in the States. -- beat

Rooney and Raul does work in the States. If he is good enough then

he should get a chance. He is not saying, I am black, give me a

chance. If he is not good enough then fair enough. He has a

wonderful character, I know him well. He is a great person.

Do you think that recent accusations of racism have

tarnished the game? We'd love to hear from you here on Late Kick Off.

The conversation continues seven days a week on Facebook. And if

you're on Twitter you can continue the debate online now by using the

hashtag #lkomids. A Wembley Cup Final, relegation,

financial uncertainty - it's all happened to Birmingham City in the

last 12 months. So, what price a return to the elite for Birmingham?

Well, Blues' home form is rich in promotion promise - eight wins in

12 games with no defeats. But away from St Andrews, the picture has

been a good deal less promising with seven defeats in 12 games. For

Late Kick Off Laura May McMullan travelled with the Blues to

Millwall. Seven defeats on the road and just

nine points out of a possible 36. Birmingham City fans were hoping

the journey to Millwall was not going to be a blue one. The away

form has been poor.-Geek Week and turn it around. It is entirely a

confidence thing away from home. Yet confident at home is not a

problem. With two goals from the towering centre-forward Nicholas

Zigic, blues are only two points of a play-off place. And what a

difference the next 90 minutes made in the lion's den. Millwall were

the dominant side for the majority of the first half, but it was a

goal from Curtis Davis at that started Birmingham on their way to

it a fantastic victory. -- to a fantastic victory. It was never

going to beat Millwall's -- to beat Millwall's day. In the second half

things went from bad to worse for the home side. Another player was

sent off and Birmingham, well, they It is five! Marlon King! Is there

again. So an incredible 6-0 and Birmingham's biggest away win since

1988. It was a happy trip homes for the Blues. We have a fantastic

opportunity now. To win 6-0 at Millwall is amazing. It is great.

We are in the top six for the first time this season. It is a tough

place to come. Not everyone has got the money to spend on travelling

and coming down, so when the fans come down and they create such a

fantastic atmosphere, you enjoy it with them. We do appreciate them.

Chris Hughton's men are right on the heels of the promotion chasing

pack. Out of the lion's den and into the Wolves left. -- lair.

Birmingham's victory lifted them briefly in to the top six until

Reading's win at Watford on Saturday evening lifted the Royals

above them. But at the start of the season, many pundits thought

Leicester City would lead the Midlands' charge in the

Championship. Instead the Foxes are a disappointing 15th in the table

after a home defeat by Barnsley. A Leicester win would have given

them their first back-to-back league victories of the season, but

they were up against it from the moment Andy Gray gave Barnsley the

lead after 12 minutes. The Foxes responded quickly and Matt Mills'

pass was skillfully controlled and converted by Lloyd Dyer.

Enouragement for Nigel Pearson, but it was short-lived. Before half-

time Gray had scored his second, and the winner, for Barnsley.

Nottingham Forest continue to struggle after a fifth successive

Forest's task became significantly more difficult four minutes after

half time when Like Chambers was sent off for what referee Eddie

Ilderton decided was an elbow on A lot of space there. 3-0 to

Southampton. There was not a lot we could do. They are a good side. You

do not want to play the top-of-the- table team with 10 man. -- 10 men.

What has gone wrong at the City Ground? Steve Cottrell is probably

wondering himself, but we sat here last season talking about Forest.

Their season cannot get going at the moment. There is a lack of

confidence. The same players are making the same mistakes, week-in,

week-out. On paper that is a fabulous squat and even the players

will be the first to say that. Eight banks in nine. They have not

seen a goal at home for a while. Yes, and if you think about the

striker's they have. They are quality strikers, but for some

reason confidence in any sport plays a huge park and at Forest it

is lacking. They need a couple of wins. Nigel Pearson has said that

major rebuilding needs to be done. But that is not what you need to

hear after all beat signings. have spent a huge amount of money

and the pressure is on from the start, but they have not produced.

Sometimes if you have so much money to spend you think you can just buy

another player. Are too many individuals not making the team?

Exactly. If you are thinking, if I had a bad game, they will bring

someone else in, it is unsettling. There is another half of the season

to go and then need to step up their game. Nigel peer to knew what

he was coming into when he took the job and I think he can turn it

around. Freddie Mercury was riding high in

the charts with Living On My Own and Colin Jackson and Sally Gunnell

both set new world athletics records. It's August 1993, the

month that Jimmy Walker made his debut for Walsall after joining the

club from Notts County. On Saturday, he made a club record 530th

It isn't everyday you get a kiss before the game, but then this

wasn't an ordinary Saturday for Jimmy Walker. 19 years after making

his debut, he was overtaking Colin Harrison's appearance record for

the Saddlers. In truth, he won't have had many quieter games in the

previous 529. Jamie Patterson bore down on the

Brentford goal, but chances were few and far between. And when

Brentford did threaten to break through, Walker was on hand.

Notts County manager praised his team's efforts after their defeat

at Bournemouth, but bemoaned "little errors" at either end of

the pitch. Yet, the game started so Touched away by Nelson there. We

Cheltenham remain our top team in League Two after stretching their

unbeaten run to ten games by Into the back of the net for Luke

Cheltenham are second in the table, three places above Shrewsbury who

beat fellow promotion-chasers Gillingham, who certainly weren't

pretty in pink. Defender Shane Cansdell-Sherriff broke the

deadlock after half an hour. The Shrews manager Graham Turner

thought his side was worth more than the two goals they scored and

he and the supporters had to wait until three minutes from time

before Mark Wright made sure of the victory. The Hereford manager Jamie

Pitman declared that his team's performance at Dagenham and

Redbridge was the best of the season so far. And he has scored. A

lovely Pollitt header! -- Pollitt Burton's promotion ambitions

suffered a setback when they lost at Plymouth who had started the day

on the bottom of the table. more misery for Port Vale. They

lost at home to AFC Wimbledon, There is Mark Richards to Scott!

Wimbledon have turned this game And that's about it for this

evening. Next Monday, Leicester go to Southampton for a game which

will tell us much about the Foxes' hopes of gatecrashing the automatic

promotion party. Late Kick Off will be at St Mary's for the game. My

thanks to Marcus and Darren for their thoughts this evening and we

will leave you with two players who couldn't keep their feet. Aston

Villa's Shane Lowry, on loan at Millwall, won't want to see this