Episode 5 Late Kick Off Midlands

Tonight, Kenny Jacket shows why he's a perfect fit the Wolves and Stan

Collymore on who he thinks should be the next manager at Forest. Welcome

to Late Kick Off. Coming up tonight Leicester edging

closer to becoming the first team in any league to clinch promotion after

their victory over promotion rivals Burnley. Get the blue and white

ribbons on the trophy! It belongs to Leicester City! And the man who has

brought a light to the end of the tunnel at Wolves. If we can write

our own small piece of history to add to a fantastic tradition at that

club, that would be a fantastic achievement.

We'll be hearing from the Late Kick Off Supporters' Crew as we have our

Question Time for fans. If you want to be in our audience, email or

tweet us and we'll reserve you a place. With us tonight, perhaps the

finest goalkeeping`coach this country has produced. His number 1s

include Peter Schmeichel, Kasper Schmeichel and current England

keeper, Joe Hart. And he's also helping mastermind the resurgent

Rams at Derby County. Eric Steele. And Cannock's finest, the man who

knows Midlands footie better than most, Stan Collymore. You can't miss

them, but every week we have a mascot in the studio. So today,

please welcome Sammy the Stag from Mansfield! Tonight we're on a stag

do of sorts. But we start with the Midlands team whose performances

this season are a cut above the rest in the Championship, Leicester City.

But in League One, Wolverhampton Wanderers are sitting pretty at the

top after two horrendous seasons. Leading the pack at Wolves is Kenny

Jacket who invited the Late Kick Off cameras into the training ground

ahead of his side's game at MK Dons. One minute you're in the Premier

League, the Championshio, and the next, League One. Being a Wolves fan

hasn't been easy. We have a couple of dark seasons here at Wolves. But

there is a light at the end of the tunnel. And a motto you can't miss

for a club that can make the day, the week or even the year for its

fans. It is a one club town. You only see Wolverhampton shirts around

and that's fantastic. The potential and the tradition of the club is a

big one. A very recent Premier League history. Mick McCarthy took

them into the Premier League and kept them there for three years

which is a terrific achievement. We know it's there and that's a big

attraction for me. The potential is there. With that comes a high

expectation, you know that but you can't have it all ways. I'm happy to

accept the responsibility and there is terrific potential, it is not

something that frightens me. A fantastic club, first`class

facilities. Down on its knees after successive relegations, I think

coming out of the Premier League was a blow but nobody expected them to

then fall straight through to League One. It has been a tough period for

the supporters of the club in particular to see that happen over

the two years. I felt I needed to change things around, the connection

between the supporters and the players wasn't there. It was the

first thing that we did set about trying to change. And with average

crowds around 20,000, Kenny and his men knew exactly what they had to do

to keep the fans happy. Get out of League One. It's been our aim from

day one to get promoted. And I'm sure that they'll be, two thirds of

the division, when you come back from preseason, with the play`offs,

would say, we want to try and get promotion and get one of those three

places. We've been no different, from day one our aim has been to get

back into the Championship. Jacket was the fourth manager

appointed by Wolves in three years. With a risky import from Norway and

another from a lower division club having backfired, it was time to

turn to a man who knew a route map for success. Jacket had begun the

Swansea revolution and done sterling work at Millwall. He was the best

signing at Molineux. It was a Division 1 knew well, I knew if you

did not get your fitness and attitude right, names on the team

sheet and a Premier League history wouldn't be enough. We needed a

fresh group of players, that didn't carry that baggage of the double

relegation. As for tricks of the trade, Kenny Jacket doesn't exactly

try and blind you with science. It is hard work and doing what the fans

want you to do, keep the ball. He calls it creating a Wolves ethos. A

lot of people turn up at Wolves for the games both home and away and it

is our responsibility to put on a performance that gets our supporters

going. If we do take that responsibility and put good

performances on, it has to be player led. Then we know that we have a

fantastic club and a great crowd to back us. As long as we respect those

things, identify them and make sure we work hard at those basics. Some

of the club's top earners, dating back to the Premier League days of

three years ago, have gone. Whilst others like Jamie O'Hara have

learned to fall in with the Jacket style and philosophy or stay on the

sidelines. And it's worth it. He's a boss who is clearly getting results.

He is a man manager, he's very calm, he never loses his rag. He knows

what he wants, experienced now, he's a good manager to play for. Wolves

probably couldn't believe their luck that they managed to get someone of

Kenny's experience of the lower leagues, but also the ability to

perform in the Championship as well. You can't beat that winning feeling.

Obviously we're in the division lower, hopefully going up this time.

But like I say, winning is winning and we are certainly hoping to do

that again this season and that is definitely the aim. If he told me to

jump off this roof, I'd jump off this roof. I've got that much belief

in him and I trust him and what he says goes. So, the darkness behind

them, it's time for a brighter future for the Wolves. If we can

just write our own small piece of history to add to a fantastic

tradition that is at the club, that would be a fantastic achievement.

Eric, great to have you on the programme tonight. You started your

coaching career interestingly enough at Wolves, but you were with Kenny

at Watford and Manchester City. What is it about him that's got the best

out of what he's got at Wolves? He's a good coach, first and foremost, so

his work on the training ground Monday to Friday, that is so vital.

He puts aside the other duties because he knows where his

priorities are going to be. I thought what he did was perfect, he

moved the old brigade out, he knew he had to get youth, vitality into

that team to regenerate what is a fantastic club. He knows how to win,

he knows to get out of that division and no one would be more delighted

for the Wolves fans behind me here and Kenny if they get those wins

required. It would keep this man next to me happy. This was the

all`important goal that won it at MK Dons in front of 9000 away fans,

another Cannock boy. It is, delightful, we've got a rich history

of producing players, my little town. Here's the next one in Liam

McAlinden. I know his dad Jimmy very well, he will be very proud of him,

to score in front of 9000 Wolves fans. He's been brought through the

youth system which has got a good track record in history of producing

youth players but not giving them ahead in the youth team. From the

youth team into the first team. But Kenny Jacket will now and long may

it continue. Let's hear from two Wolves fans, Terry, you've been

there for 40 years almost, maybe even more. How happy are you with

what Kenny has done? Great team spirit, got the fans behind him.

Absolutely brilliant. We're in a good position to go up. David, three

wins away now. Yeah, so far, so good. It will be interesting to see

how the king of League One does next season for us. I think promotion is

on the cards now, it will be interesting into next season, so far

so good. Very happy. Thanks for now. So to the match of the weekend.

Potentially the Chamionship decider at Turf Moor. He has got one

defender to beat, has to curtail his run, he didn't get a good touch,

Nugent takes it on, left footed into the back of the net! David Nugent

loves a goal against Burnley, and he gets another. The Foxes are back

into their stride in the Championship! Burnley nil, Leicester

one. He launches it long, looks for Chris Wood, he has won this, he has

got two defenders. There it is, Chris Wood! It's a

beauty, they're on their feet in the dugout, they're on the feet on our

right hand side! Get the blue and white ribbons on the trophy, it

belongs to Leicester City. Burnley nil, Leicester two.

Ian Stringer of Radio Leicester getting a bit excited, and why not,

six points clear at the summit. Seven points more needed and they're

back in the Premier League. Is the title on its way as a result of that

one win? Virtually, you mentioned the stats above Burnley, but 15

points above QPR. If you had asked Nigel Pearson about that at the

start of the season, he would have said you were crazy. They have

addressed the consistency issues. We just saw in that games a snapshot of

the difference between Leicester and Burnley. No Ings for Burnley, Sam

Vokes went off injured, Leicester have the luxury of being able to

bring on Chris Wood and score a cracker. I think that they will be

Championship winners and going to the Premier League, looking forward

to Old Trafford, Emirates. Don't get carried away! We're still chasing

you! As far as you're concerned, you're still within a shout with the

top ten? No, we would be delighted to finish where we are now.

Leicester deserve to be where they are. That league table doesn't lie

and credit to Nigel Pearson. Stan has made a good point, they've got

four strikers to call upon. The depth they've had, he's learned a

lot from last year, the campaign they had. He's kept the people

together and he has built it around a great goalkeeper and back four.

And those two midfield players, Drinkwater and James, they don't

miss games. Their team in terms of saying who's in there week in week

out, they've had the same eight, nine players. That consistency over

46 games is fantastic, they deserve to be where they are. Lack of

injuries has been key for them. This season, only a handful of

Premiership and Championship games have been postponed due to bad

weather. But in parts of the Midlands, nearly 60% of clubs

playing at grassroots level have seen their games called off because

of buckling pitches. We've been taking a look at a game of two

halves. The rich at the top, the poor at the bottom.

Unbelievably, football is no longer the top participant sport in this

country. More people nowadays prefer to run, swim or cycle. Player

numbers are in decline and in many places, facilities are shocking.

Junior football still has the ongoing issue of over`aggressive

parents and many still question the way we coach our kids. Make no

mistake, the grassroots game is in big trouble. Enjoy that game, boys?

Good, played well. Kenny Saunders is the manager of Walton FC which has

62 junior teams. He's launched a campaign to save grassroots

football. Grassroots football is in massive danger of folding within the

next five to ten years. There's massive problems out there. Right

from funding to grassroots coaching to parents, respect campaigns,

there's many issues out there at the moment. Although Woolton have

addressed the issue of pushy parents on the touchline, not everyone else

has. That's a yellow card, ref, card him, yellow card him, ref! He's an

animal, give him a yellow card. You're an animal, he deserves a

yellow card. Constantly shouting instruction is counter`protective.

We do want that noise and support, that's why young people want to be

there. A parent wouldn't shout at their child during a piano lesson,

white key, black key, so we're trying to work out a right level of

support for those young people. There's also an issue about the

standard of coaching but the FA insist that's all changing. What

we're doing now is providing the right level of coaching for the

right coach in the right environment to make sure the coaching they

receive is the right thing for that young player's development. Coaching

badges, it's extreme, the money they're charging for grassroots

volunteers. We're being priced out. We need to have better coaches, we

need more coaches, more qualified coaches. It's a ten`year journey and

I believe we're well on the way to delivering a world`class coaching

system and I feel within ten years we'll be seeing the fruits of that

labour. While the culture of the grassroots game could be changing,

there is still one huge cloud on the horizon, funding. With council

cutbacks and even Sport England cutting its financial support,

amateur clubs need to know who's going to help them survive. We've

got to get the Premier League, the football league, we've got to get

governments, councils, everyone who is responsible for grassroots

football and can improve grassroots football. We need them round the

table and we need them now. The numbers playing in grassroots

football and the funding both down. Almost epitomised by your story,

Stan, where you started kicking a ball about is now a supermarket.

Yeah, the three main places that I played football in Cannock, one's

now a supermarket, and the other two, one's a school field, two

thirds of that field, there's still a pitch on there but there's seven

or eight or nine pitches that are now houses. I went down to speak to

Greg Dyke, I was invited down by the Football Association to offer ideas.

I think there should be cheaper coaching badges. A levy on the

Premier league, football league to be able to cipher off some of the

extraordinary wealth that goes down to grassroots, but fundamentally

it's not good enough. It's a shambles at the moment.

A levy on the Premier League and the Football League, to be able to

siphon off some of the extreme wealth, so it goes down to the

grassroots. Fundamentally, it is not good

enough. It is a shambles. I know the Football Foundation Stan

has hit on a few of the problems there. I am from Wallsend Boys Club,

where the Beardsleys, the Carricks, the Shearers came from. We begged,

stole and borrowed. It has got to be very quickly reversed and you have

to get people like the Premier League, the FA, your major sponsors,

instead of putting money into players, divert it to the grass

roots. If we don't do it and reverse it... We wonder why there is no

English players coming through. Where do they practise?

Let us get a different point of view. Stef Knight is here, the

general Secretary of Birmingham's Festival League. When you started I

do not think you were a football fan, but it is a league which has

brought through the likes of Zat Knight and Paul Devlin, but you find

yourself very much at the sharp end, with regard to rising costs and poor

facilities? Yes, we have. I run four teams, but

the Festival League teams are also struggling with rising costs. 30%

for next season, possibly 50%. We cannot get the money in. Where are

we going to get the money to raise money to pay for the pitches? It is

ridiculous. I know Birmingham city Council

subsidise the pitches cost, but it is still a prohibitive cost for

teams such as yourself. Richard, you are at Yardley Warriors. Sorry,

Dynamos. You have had to go private. Because the council`run pitches are

not good enough for you? Yes, that is right. The vast

majority of my squad travel about ten miles across Birmingham to play

at the Pavilion at Moor Lane, just because it is an independently run,

private facility. They look after the pitches a bit better, so it is

very rare that we get a game called off due to a waterlogged pitch or

even a frozen pitch. There are nice changing and shower facilities there

and these are few and far between in Sunday morning and amateur football.

Keith, your teams play in Staffordshire. You have had to go

off on your own and raise funds of your own back. It is more of

pro`active approach? Yes, it is. We realised a while ago

that we needed a home for our teams. There are 43 teams, so it would be

difficult to find one base to cater for everyone. But we have got 13

teams play at our own base. It cost is ?1.3 million. The Football

Foundation funded ?920,000 of that and the balance, we have to find

that ourselves over the course of ten years.

That is a great effort. And thank you very much for coming in, guys.

Back to the professional game and the McLaren machine at Derby County

is positively purring. 3`0 they won against Charlton.

Hendrick controls and turns. Bamford get in, gives it to Russell, he

takes a touch. Russell, left`footed, shoots and scores! Johnny Russell

took his time in the penalty area. We have played 18 minutes ` Derby

one, Charlton zero. Left`footed chip to the back post.

In goes Bamford, ball is dropping. Bamford has a chance to put it in

and has. Shocking defending from Charlton. A gift, if ever there was

one,. Six minutes to half time and Derby go 2`0 up.

An outswinger for Bryson to take. A flat one to the near post. Martin!

It's gone in! Chris Martin with the header at the near post and he

deserves that. His first goal for a couple of weeks. With six minutes to

play, it is game over. Derby County three, Charlton Athletic zero.

The perfect reaction after the late Ipswich defeat in midweek? Yes, we

knew it would be difficult, with the game is chairing the course of the

week. There are no easy games in this league. On the back of the

great win against our local rivals. Steve stresses every re`, it is

about the 17 and 18 players in the squad. It puts is a great position.

Next to a very worrying slide from Birmingham

things are looking good off the pitch as well. I know you have

announced losses, but there has been a lot of sheer issues of the pitch.

What has been the secret? You have all hit the ground running. I think

you have mentioned is one of the key factors that when Steve was

appointed, the other people heat brought with him knew exactly what

the club was about. Often, when a new manager is, they media do not

know very much about the club. I watched the club many times last

season. We had the feel for the club. We had to to work. Steve has

been left with the coaching and everything else has been left to the

other people. We had a great run through November of which catapulted

us up through the leak. The work that has been done during the week,

there is a great belief in the players and it is a collective job

between the work of the players and the management. They come to a very

worrying slide for Birmingham. They have got the worst home record in

Europe. They were four down when they began a fightback.

It is now no wins in 15 at St Andrews. It is worrying, Stan? Yes,

there has also been demonstrations about the Carson Yeung situation and

you can see all the empty seats. You get into the play`offs by being

strong home and making the odd victory away from home. But it is a

bit strange, Macheda came on and scored and you wonder why he has not

been starting games. But it will just take one victory and that could

change everything. Five points off the relegation zone. It is run on

teams. We need to pick up points. We simply have to get this victory at

home. As Stan said, why Macheda did not start. I have no idea, you would

have to ask the manager. What did you think at the start of the

season. I did not have a lot of expectation, I would have been

pretty happy if we had just stayed up.

No doubt who made all the headlines last week ` and for the wrong

reasons. Nottingham Forest sacked their manager and then lost at home

to Charlton, but a battling game at Portman Road produced a point

apiece. Encouraging signs?

Yes, my understanding is they are going to go back to Stuart Pearce. I

am worried from the ownership perspective. There are all sorts of

rumours flying about. There are these stories about players and

tactics being inflicted on the management. I think they should go

back to Stuart Pearce this time, a man imbued in Nottingham Forest.

They need to say, the is the money to spend in the summer and move

everything forward. But I am not a fan of or not getting involved with

playing matters. If that is the case, it needs to stop right now.

But they cannot bring some of them just for a handful of games. As Stan

said, if Stuart Pearce takes the job, he will know what it is all

about. It is a fantastic football club. There are three clubs just

below them who are going to be scrapping for that final play`off

place. But the one good thing is that we saw that the use players

were given a chance? Yes, we saw a few of them getting played. That is

the one good thing. But a massive injection of confidence is needed at

Nottingham Forest. Something like that could see them propelling

themselves into the play`offs. Into League One and it is looking

very promising, all of They are just two points off the

play`off places after their weekend win.

Ball in from low to Sawyer, steers it back to Westcarr. Westcarr turns

and scores himself in the corner! Westcarr's shot seemed to take the

Shrewsbury goalkeeper by surprise and it snuck in low to his right and

it is Walsall one, Shrewsbury zero. A gentle afternoon. Yes, I still

think we will make the play`offs, but it is going to be a hard job

because a few teams around us have games in hand. It B have the edge.

But we have had a good season, because we were favourites for

relegation. I think we need an out and out striker. Your top

goal`scorer from last season is coming back to haunt you. We have

got a couple, it would be great if we could get him for another season.

Girls have a problem for shoes Shrewsbury. They have been for the

past couple of seasons. But wilfully, we can pool off the great

escape. I think it will come down to the last game of the season against

Chillingham. If we could get one or two wins, look great it would take

us. Notts County's 2`0 win at the

weekend means they are out of the bottom four. A few weeks ago, they

were rock`bottom. What a turn around under Shaun Derry? As I said,

momentum is everything. Three wins on the bounce. The previous nine

games they had not got that. Shaun Derry has given the players

confidence to go out and express themselves. But look at the teams

below them. Still plenty of work left to do.

Coventry's win away, by the way, sees them clear of relegation

worries and actually, without the ten`point ban, they would be in the

play`off places. That Calum Wilson winner makes him the league's top

scorer. 21 league goals. Yes, I think everybody involved at

Coventry, it has been a traumatic season. Having to play at

Northampton. Consolidation was what this season was all about. They will

hope the off field structure is put into place to get them back to

Coventry as soon as possible. Playing every game away from home,

it has been remarkable how well they have done. All credit to the players

and management. In League Two, Burton's point at

York keeps them in the mix for a play`off place. And well done to

Cheltenham for their win at Hartlepool. Jermaine McGlashan with

the only goal of the game. Curled into the back post towards

Jermaine McGlashan and Jermaine McGlashan has turned it in!

Hartlepool zero. Cheltenham one. Burton still in the hunt, but top

three out of the question? Yes, you do wonder. They did not score enough

goals. I think if they stay in the play`offs, it will represent

success. Gary Rowett has done a great job

there. If he could just get someone who would guarantee him seven or

eight goals in the final weeks of the season, they could be the team

to watch. Our mascot this week is Sammy the

Stag. Pleased after the weekend, Sammy? He is a man or woman of few

words. Mansfield won courtesy of Adam

Murray's early strike. One defeat in eight.

And well done to Port Vale's after their draw at Stevenage.

Mansfield are getting a bit of momentum momentum.

They still have got a chance. We have got a couple of games in hand

above teams in front of them. I talked Barry Fry to yesterday. Great

day for them yesterday. Getting a trophy. I think he is still Barry

Fry celebrating, ! So, that is it for another Late Kick

Off. My thanks to Eric and Stan. Thanks

also to our Supporters' Crew. Sammy the Stag, please do the

honours. You can see how to get hold of us?

@lkomids or on facebook.com/lkomids. That is for telling us if you would

like to join us in the studio, too. We will be back at the same time

next Monday. Goodnight.