:00:28. > :00:36.Coming up. Party time as Port Vale end a 19-year wait for promotion.
:00:36. > :00:43.This must be a sweet day for you. am a bit over, to be honest.
:00:43. > :00:46.Wood you believe it - Chris has got the Foxes firing. It is a dream to
:00:46. > :00:54.play in the Premier League. And Saturday's not just about Pride
:00:54. > :00:57.And joining me to reflect on another nerve-jangling weekend for clubs
:00:57. > :01:00.right across our region are Steve Froggatt and Michael Johnson. Now we
:01:00. > :01:04.like to be accurate, so we shouldn't really say Port Vale have been
:01:04. > :01:06.promoted for the first time in 19 years. But it would take a
:01:06. > :01:10.monumental 28-goal swing next Saturday to stop them. So let's run
:01:10. > :01:20.the risk and say Port Vale have been promoted for the first time in 19
:01:20. > :01:30.
:01:30. > :01:40.years. Laura May McMullan spent an fans could only dream of. I have
:01:40. > :01:40.
:01:40. > :01:47.followed them for 60 years and this is the icing on the cake. They faced
:01:47. > :01:54.a determined Northampton side fighting for a play-off place. A
:01:54. > :02:04.sell out crowd turned up to back the boys. I have travelled from Dallas,
:02:04. > :02:04.
:02:04. > :02:11.Texas. What would promotion mean to you? It would be massive. I was in
:02:11. > :02:17.the team that last got promotion. It would be fantastic for the fans here
:02:17. > :02:23.who have suffered over the years. Port Vale have actually come from
:02:23. > :02:27.administration to celebration. This time last year they had been
:02:27. > :02:37.deducted ten points and staff had not been paid. All this within 12
:02:37. > :02:39.
:02:39. > :02:44.months. So promotion was in their grasp. Just 90 minutes to seal their
:02:44. > :02:51.fate and write themselves into the history books. But it was a fight
:02:51. > :02:57.from two minutes then. That is turned on at the back post and
:02:57. > :03:07.Northampton have scored. frustration was clear to see. Liam
:03:07. > :03:10.
:03:10. > :03:15.Chilvers got at idle equaliser. -- a vital equaliser. A tense promotion
:03:16. > :03:25.battle and it was a late goal from Lee Collins is sealed Port Vale's
:03:26. > :03:28.
:03:28. > :03:32.destiny. They'll our back on level terms! In front of the biggest home
:03:32. > :03:40.crowd of the season, Port Vale when promotion for the first time in
:03:40. > :03:50.nearly 20 years. The final whistle healed years of torment. For some,
:03:50. > :04:15.
:04:15. > :04:21.a bit emotional. I am. It is my fourth promotion, I have been a
:04:21. > :04:26.lucky man. They get better and better. I just think of the people
:04:26. > :04:31.who have been here, all the players who have come through this system
:04:31. > :04:38.and have played their part in this, and also the people who have put me
:04:38. > :04:45.on this earth. My late dad would be so proud. It was a victory that also
:04:45. > :04:49.meant the world to Tom Pope, a lifelong Port Vale fun I will look
:04:49. > :04:58.back on this day with a great deal of pride. I have achieved everything
:04:58. > :05:00.I can achieve in the game. It is unbelievable. I was here when we
:05:00. > :05:08.weren't getting paid in Administration. Did come through
:05:08. > :05:14.these times and get promotion is unbelievable. The gaffer is a big
:05:14. > :05:24.part of what we have done today. I'll crowd are you of your dad?
:05:24. > :05:28.
:05:28. > :05:37.very proud, he worked very hard. This must be a sweet day for you.
:05:37. > :05:40.Yeah, it is. I am a bit overcome, to be honest. If you had said this
:05:41. > :05:45.would happen to us at the start of the season I would have thought you
:05:45. > :05:50.were mad. All the trials and tribulations, it is testament to my
:05:50. > :05:57.players will stop they have been fantastic. This showed that spirit
:05:57. > :06:06.today. They have waited 20 years for something and finally it has
:06:06. > :06:16.happened. A big outpouring of at -- emotion. It was absolutely amazing.
:06:16. > :06:20.I don't know what else the city today. So Port Vale have made
:06:20. > :06:28.destiny and achieved their goal, testament to the loyalty and
:06:28. > :06:34.dedication of the team of two -- of 2013.
:06:34. > :06:39.Officially they might not have that P by the name but they are all but
:06:39. > :06:46.promoted. And a five-minute montage of yesterday's fantastic footage is
:06:46. > :06:54.on our Facebook page for Vale fans to keep forever. What a story. I
:06:54. > :06:59.know you're feeling the motion. feeling the love. It is amazing what
:06:59. > :07:05.Micky Adams has done. Had no players registered the week before the
:07:05. > :07:11.season, no training kit. It is a remarkable story, you can see how
:07:11. > :07:17.emotional Mickey was stopped for them to be promoted as a great
:07:17. > :07:22.story. I am sure they have good support and that am sure they will
:07:22. > :07:27.do well next term. For those who were there at the start of the
:07:27. > :07:35.season, and also he has a personal touch with his father, they have had
:07:35. > :07:39.to pay a heavy price. They're often the seal -- off the field have been
:07:39. > :07:43.well documented. He has now delivered something back to the Port
:07:43. > :07:53.Vale fans and I hope they click on next year. When that places fool
:07:53. > :08:01.
:08:01. > :08:05.then it is bouncing. It is a great next season, hasn't he? If you have
:08:05. > :08:11.the players have experience in their higher leagues and that will count
:08:11. > :08:16.for a lot. It is an exciting time for Port Vale. They are very well
:08:16. > :08:22.supported and they have big crowds and it will not be an easy way -- an
:08:22. > :08:28.easy place to go to. Is this feeling relief more than anything? They will
:08:28. > :08:34.be ecstatic, the celebrations will go on long until the morning. If you
:08:34. > :08:40.go in the town centre, there will be flax. It is a great time to be a
:08:40. > :08:50.Port Vale fan. Well done to everybody at Port Vale football
:08:50. > :08:50.
:08:50. > :08:53.club. What a difference a week makes for Leicester City. After nine games
:08:53. > :08:55.without a win, the Foxes have suddenly picked up four points from
:08:55. > :08:58.two vital promotion games against play-off rivals Bolton and Crystal
:08:58. > :09:02.Palace. It leaves them seventh, one place ahead of Nottingham Forest,
:09:02. > :09:12.who are without a win in six after a luckless game against Barnsley.
:09:12. > :09:21.
:09:21. > :09:30.is in! It is headed in to the bottom scores what could be the winner for
:09:30. > :09:39.Crystal Palace. Chris Wade scores it. Nigel Pearson punches the air in
:09:39. > :09:49.daylight. We played pretty well today. We had to show a bit of
:09:49. > :09:51.
:09:51. > :09:57.resilience. He heads on to the top of the crossbar. These players gave
:09:57. > :10:03.us absolutely everything. We had the Barclays, the post twice. They gave
:10:03. > :10:13.us everything. If they give us what became us today then I'm sure we
:10:13. > :10:20.
:10:20. > :10:26.Wood score earlier. He had a �1 million move in January from West
:10:26. > :10:36.Bromwich. He only has one target and he has been talking to Natalie
:10:36. > :10:38.
:10:38. > :10:42.Jackson. We need to make sure we are on form every single game. We need
:10:42. > :10:49.to show everything and it is not always going to be easy days but you
:10:49. > :10:53.have to graft hard. We need to focus on doing the business on the park in
:10:54. > :10:59.these last games and make sure we are in the mix for the play-offs.
:10:59. > :11:05.Chris Wood says it is that time of season when every player needs to
:11:05. > :11:15.look at himself in the mirror. have confidence in the lads in the
:11:15. > :11:16.
:11:16. > :11:26.team, we have great ability here and I'm sure we will be there. Chris
:11:26. > :11:33.
:11:33. > :11:40.started his Leicester career in hat-trick in his first two games.
:11:40. > :11:43.You had a dream start, didn't you? It was a very good start for me.
:11:44. > :11:51.Hopefully I can carry that on and make a great career here at
:11:51. > :11:54.Leicester. At 21, the New Zealand international striker had already
:11:54. > :12:03.played for six English clubs before he made his million pounds move to
:12:03. > :12:07.Leicester. I love the place here, it is a big club and Apex city. I just
:12:07. > :12:13.wanted to settle in her quickly and play for football for a great club
:12:13. > :12:20.like Leicester. He has come a long way from putting up the nets as an
:12:20. > :12:27.apprentice at West Bromwich Albion. It is a dream I have had since I was
:12:27. > :12:32.a kid to play regularly in the Premier League. It is a dream
:12:32. > :12:39.tantalisingly close but after being in the top two in January, he and
:12:39. > :12:49.Leicester have left it late. It is terrible defending, no
:12:49. > :12:51.
:12:52. > :13:00.communication. Leicester's lead is snuffed out. Chris has been at the
:13:00. > :13:05.centre of a timely comeback. Leicester are starting to show the
:13:05. > :13:12.fight and heart that get them in the top six earlier in the season, but
:13:12. > :13:17.will it be enough? Automatic promotion has gone so what is at
:13:17. > :13:23.stake? To get back into the play-offs where we have been all
:13:23. > :13:29.season. We have not dropped out of there 456 months and so we need to
:13:29. > :13:36.get back into there. Is it a lot about mental strength at this stage
:13:36. > :13:43.of the season? Yes, it plays a big part. We all know we can hope with
:13:43. > :13:51.it because we have great players. We need to make sure we apply ourselves
:13:51. > :14:01.right and focus on the game. So from the ashes left of the season, can
:14:01. > :14:08.
:14:08. > :14:18.worked hard. We have got in a position where we can control our
:14:18. > :14:21.
:14:21. > :14:27.own fate. I have got that fight in me and the hunger. So Chris would
:14:27. > :14:37.love a promotion that with two games to go, it all hangs on the Barents
:14:37. > :14:39.
:14:39. > :14:46.Midlands need a bit of inspiration for how to pick themselves up from
:14:46. > :14:51.the play-offs, it is perfectly expressed by our viewer who tweeted.
:14:51. > :15:01.We need to put an ice cube down the back of terror. Let's see where our
:15:01. > :15:07.
:15:07. > :15:16.the East Midlands will be biting their nails until the end. Bolton
:15:16. > :15:20.have a tough game away to Cardiff. Even when you look at Brighton, they
:15:20. > :15:30.have leads and an interesting game against walls. They looked like they
:15:30. > :15:31.
:15:31. > :15:36.can progress in this. -- against wayside for some time but for
:15:36. > :15:46.Forest, they could not have done any more against Barnsley yesterday and
:15:46. > :15:48.
:15:48. > :15:54.now they find themselves without a win in five games. The expectations
:15:54. > :15:59.have soared since Chris has come back. He has done incredibly. But
:15:59. > :16:03.now they are riding the crest of something big. And if you are
:16:03. > :16:10.manager and you are looking at how they are playing, I would rather my
:16:10. > :16:18.team be going into the final few games in the state they are in.
:16:18. > :16:23.Momentum, is it overplayed going into the play-offs? No, you want the
:16:23. > :16:28.momentum going in there. Leicester are of form and jaded. It does not
:16:28. > :16:35.look good. Last week we pondered the threat of relegation to league one
:16:35. > :16:40.for Wolves and it was fair to say there was not much hope being
:16:40. > :16:50.offered but then Dean Saunders' side one midweek. A chink of light may
:16:50. > :17:08.
:17:08. > :17:11.And Wolves level. In comes the cross. Oh no! No! It was not our day
:17:11. > :17:21.today. We are running out of games now but always not lost next week.
:17:21. > :17:31.Burnley at home. We have to win. COMMENTATOR: A chance on the
:17:31. > :17:35.rebound! It is very frustrating, September, November, was really bad
:17:35. > :17:45.for us in terms of not picking up enough points. But since just before
:17:45. > :17:48.
:17:48. > :17:51.Christmas, we have played like a to look away now, Wolves fans. This
:17:51. > :17:57.is the perilous state they find themselves in and it was this
:17:57. > :18:04.weekend 12 months ago that a defeat to Manchester City consigned them to
:18:04. > :18:06.relegation from the Premier League. Wolves at home to Burnley and a to
:18:07. > :18:15.Brighton. Surely they have to win both those games to have any chance
:18:16. > :18:20.of staying up. They will need at least four points. Nobody thought
:18:20. > :18:30.they were going to beat whole last week. They did. Charlton was always
:18:30. > :18:32.going to be a difficult game. It is do or die now. They had nine
:18:32. > :18:38.first-team players out with injury or suspension at the weekend. They
:18:39. > :18:43.just have to fight their way to the results now. The Burnley game, it is
:18:43. > :18:47.massive. But also look at their form. They are in no great shakes at
:18:48. > :18:53.the moment. Despite smiling and Wolves, because results went their
:18:53. > :18:58.way as well? I certainly hope so. It would the tragedy to see them drop
:18:58. > :19:01.out of the league. It is just fighting tooth and nail to retain
:19:01. > :19:05.their Championship status and that is all they can do. And what about
:19:05. > :19:14.your club, Blues the Mack considering their horrendous start
:19:14. > :19:23.to the season do you think they will be safe with a few games left?
:19:23. > :19:26.worried that you cannot take away the great job that Lee Clark and the
:19:26. > :19:29.team have done. Hopefully we can start looking forward and getting
:19:29. > :19:35.this club moving in the right direction. And some ahead at St
:19:35. > :19:40.Andrews, they have 19 players out of contract plus six players to go back
:19:40. > :19:47.to their parent clubs. It will be starting from scratch again. Lee
:19:47. > :19:52.Mack it is difficult, isn't it? There is no ownership upstairs.
:19:52. > :19:57.need someone to take control of the club and invest in it. It is young
:19:57. > :20:05.players we are looking forward to starting the season with. Unlike
:20:05. > :20:06.Wolves, Derby County are safe. They ended Peter Boro's unbeaten run
:20:06. > :20:12.yesterday to maintain their Championship status for another
:20:12. > :20:18.year. It is the morning of the match day
:20:18. > :20:22.at Pride Park but like father, like son. Nigel is with the youngsters at
:20:22. > :20:28.the Academy. When we were growing up, on a Saturday morning I dad used
:20:28. > :20:32.to watch the youth team at Forest before the first team game. Trevor
:20:32. > :20:38.Francis made his debut on Saturday morning, down at the University of
:20:38. > :20:45.Sunderland. Unbeaten in eight. Make sure we keep this going to the end
:20:46. > :20:52.of the season. We have talked about this all week. Darren Wassall played
:20:52. > :20:58.under Brian at Nottingham Forest and four matter years ago came to work
:20:58. > :21:01.with Nigel as the Academy boss. cannot compete financially with
:21:01. > :21:05.Cardiff and Blackburn and Forrest said we have to try to do it another
:21:05. > :21:09.way. Everybody at the football club wants to be in the Premier League.
:21:09. > :21:14.It may take a bit longer but it will be more satisfying when we get
:21:14. > :21:19.there. Their academy has a growing reputation as one of the best in the
:21:19. > :21:27.country but the problem for Nigel is the Championship derby are heading
:21:27. > :21:36.for another meet table finish. Not all fans are patient. Points,
:21:36. > :21:43.ultimately, is where you will be judged. Big as it is for the club as
:21:43. > :21:51.well as the team on a Saturday afternoon. Is passion for building
:21:51. > :21:56.youth is already reaping rewards. Will Hughes join the Academy at 13
:21:56. > :22:02.and is now catching the eye of the Premier League, reportedly worth
:22:02. > :22:05.seven to �10 million. He turned 18 this week and has already made 35
:22:05. > :22:12.first-team starts this season. How inspiring is it for you as a young
:22:12. > :22:15.player to see a real pathway to the first-team? Yes, it is a real family
:22:15. > :22:20.environment and you can tell from the likes of those who have come
:22:20. > :22:26.through. It is good work going on behind-the-scenes and it is not just
:22:26. > :22:31.coincidence that people are coming through. Well, there are three
:22:31. > :22:34.products of the youth academy in the Derby County squad today. One of
:22:34. > :22:41.them the first 11, and they are going to have to be at their
:22:41. > :22:45.energetic best because the Rams are not safe from relegation just yet.
:22:45. > :22:49.At Pride Park they have made great progress this season with one of the
:22:49. > :22:59.best home record in the division. It was clear from a commanding first
:22:59. > :23:09.half that this would be their 11th win here in this campaign. In the
:23:09. > :23:11.
:23:11. > :23:20.second half, two quick goals put the game beyond doubt. Over the top of
:23:20. > :23:29.the keeper! And Derby are three up. With 28 minutes to go, the
:23:29. > :23:34.goalkeeper fielding was sent off. And the resulting penalty was
:23:34. > :23:39.successful. But Derby were always in charge. So, Derby are safe for
:23:39. > :23:46.another season. They gun bans have played a huge part and 90 chief
:23:46. > :23:51.executive is promising Nigel Clough six more players in the summer.
:23:51. > :23:55.have young players that are the envy of the country but also we need more
:23:55. > :23:58.senior players with more experience. But I honestly believe we are not
:23:58. > :24:08.very far away. If we can get the right players in the summer we have
:24:08. > :24:11.
:24:11. > :24:16.a very excited next season ahead at There is so much to admire about the
:24:16. > :24:21.way Derby have gone about their business. No academy products have
:24:22. > :24:26.played first-team football, six at Derby, three elsewhere on loan. --
:24:26. > :24:33.nine Academy products. But the patience of the fans is growing
:24:33. > :24:41.thinner by the season. Yes, the fans have to write in to what Nigel is
:24:41. > :24:46.doing. He is trying to ring the youth in, reduce the wage bill. But
:24:46. > :24:51.he is doing a good job with the budget that he has. And you speak to
:24:51. > :24:55.a lot of Derby fans so you know what the general consensus is. Yes, when
:24:55. > :25:02.you go back to the European Cup winning days and they have been
:25:02. > :25:07.spoiled over the years with success and they want but back -- that back.
:25:07. > :25:16.They are like the crew of the Championship, the way they have
:25:16. > :25:20.developed their Academy. The Derby youth team this year have got to the
:25:20. > :25:26.finals of their cup. It just shows you how strong they are at Academy
:25:26. > :25:32.level. They have good people working there. You have just seen wassail.
:25:32. > :25:36.They have strong backroom staff bringing the youth through. But we
:25:36. > :25:45.have heard that they will hopefully keep on for next season. Because
:25:45. > :25:48.that is what the fans ultimately desire. We heard them saying they
:25:48. > :25:55.need to invest in a bit more experience and that is obviously a
:25:55. > :26:03.missing ingredient. The fans want to get back up there competing at the
:26:03. > :26:11.top level, in the top six. The last few finishes have been mid-table.
:26:11. > :26:15.Made to Love, yes. The fans have been incredibly patient but... --
:26:15. > :26:24.mid-table to load table, yes. The fans will start demanding from next
:26:25. > :26:34.term. The rest of Saturday's goal action. Walsall's fantastic run to
:26:35. > :26:51.
:26:51. > :27:01.the league one play-offs finally ran given the goal. A shot from Brandy!
:27:01. > :27:01.
:27:02. > :27:07.He gives Walsall the lead. It hits the bar! In the end it is Sodje.
:27:07. > :27:17.Somehow it has gone in. Bury have equalised with seconds to go.
:27:17. > :27:20.a game we wanted to win and win comfortably. The pH did not allow us
:27:20. > :27:30.to win but I am not excusing the players because they can play a lot
:27:30. > :27:40.better. -- the pitch. It was a good victory for us. We played very well
:27:40. > :27:41.
:27:41. > :27:51.today. COMMENTATOR: row would you believe it? After so much dominance
:27:51. > :28:01.
:28:01. > :28:06.from the Sky Blues. I think we must at Shrewsbury, who saw his team
:28:06. > :28:09.finally secured their League one satyrs after promotion last May. His
:28:09. > :28:17.men are now four points clear of Scunthorpe and who knows, he could
:28:17. > :28:25.well making -- he could well be making a return to Molineux next
:28:25. > :28:29.season if his old team, Wolves got into League one. Back next week. We
:28:29. > :28:34.leave you with some fantastic scenes from Mansfield with the Stags