Episode 7 Late Kick Off Midlands

#ColourWhite Tonight, they're up `Wolverhampton Wanderers become the

second Midlands team to win promotion.

And, what it's like to be a Coventry fan? The side with 46 away games in

a season. Welcome to Late Khck Off. Coming up tonight: Wolves are

leaving League One for a better place and they are already planning

for the Premier League... ALL CHANT #ColourYellow We are going tp, I say

we are going up! #ColourCyan Now we want to build on

this, firstly by getting thd championship if we can, and then by

really being excited about going in next year.

#ColourWhite And Notts County are closer to the great escape, they are

out of the bottom four. #ColourCyan It is all over at the Countx ground,

a big win for Notts County. #ColourWhite CHEERING AND APPLAUSE.

#ColourWhite We're joined as always by the Late Kick Off Supporters

Crew. Also with us tonight, the Brummie whose plying his managerial

trade in the Cotswolds ` a warm welcome to the Cheltenham m`nager,

Mark Yates! CHEERING AND APPLAUSE. And with him, the biggest tweet in

Football ` well, he HAS got half a million followers, ex`strikdr, Stan

Collymore! CHEERING AND APPLAUSE. And it's party time for this week's

mascots, you seen them alre`dy, helping us celebrate Wolves's

promotion are Wolfie and Wendy! CHEERING AND APPLAUSE. So, `fter two

seasons of relegation miserx, Wolves can finally go wild. The long

journey back to the Premier League may well have begun at Crewd.

Ricketts slides a pass in towards Lee Evans, right hand side of the

area, back to McDonald, corner of the box, deflection, goal!

Ricketts slides a pass in towards Lee Evans, right hand side Kevin

McDonald with a deflected shot puts Wolves in front in the last minute

of the first half. McDonald forward, Edwards tries a short and oh, it has

crept in, Dave Edwards has lade it 2`0 and Wolves on the verge now and

they know it, one or two Wolves fans are breaking ranks but Edwards

driving the ball in from thd edge of the box, surely sends Wolves to the

Championship. They lead Crewe 2`0. The referee, I think, yes, he blows

the whistle, Wolverhampton Wanderers are promoted. Wolves fans invading

the field from all directions, embracing and lifting up thd players

who have seen this immediatd recovery from the calamity of a

second successive relegation last season. Wolves, with four g`mes to

spare are promoted after be`ting Crewe Alexandra 2`0.

So, a great day then for all Wolves fans and our reporter Nick Clitheroe

was there to watch the celebrations. This was the day when their fortunes

were finally going to changd. Successive relegations had knocked

the stuffing out of these Wolves fans but now they knew a win would

guarantee promotion and thex were determined to be there to cdlebrate.

Everybody is here and we believe we are going up. Very confident, today,

promotion. How confident ard you? Never been confident, it's Wolves.

Nine months and 41 games have all come down to this momentous day

Now, can these Wolves players take that final step? But Crewe @lexandra

are also fighting hard to strvive in League One and the tension was

obvious both on and off the pitch. Then with half`time approaching

Kevin MacDonald's goal finally released that all that emothon.

Surely now nothing could go wrong? But when you have suffered so much,

it is hard to banish that ltrking fear of glory slipping throtgh your

fingers. Nothing would ruin this day though, and David Edwards m`de sure

the fans would get their party. The Wolves are going up!

They were determined to soak up every moment of it. I have not

missed a game for five and ` half years home and away. Kenny Jackett

has restored pride in my cltb. Many of these players are local lads no

wonder promotion means so mtch. The owners have put a lot of money in to

develop an academy which can produce players who can win the club

promotion and it is great for the fans to see home`grown playdrs come

through and playing like thdy have done this season. We have to build

on this, it is an exciting time for Wolves, and that is what I want it

to be like, I don't want anxone to sit back, we have got to trx and win

the league, if we can finish first, that is our aim. If you are not

happy with this, then you are not going to be happy with anything At

the end of the day we shouldn't have really been in this league, but at

least it has been put right this season and we have been proloted and

hopefully we will never see ourselves back in this division ever

again. Amazing, absolutely `mazing. To sort of drag everyone up from

where we finished at the end of last season and to put a young shde

together, get rid of some of the dross that we had before, hd has

done an absolutely tremendots job. The Championship will present a

tougher challenge next season, but worrying about that can wait for

another day. So, very many congratulations to Wolves f`ns. The

manager, of course. Stan, promotion has been on the cards for a while at

Molineux, but this is about the rebirth of a newly`built Wolves

Yes, I was at Molineux when they lost 5`1 against West Brom `nd the

trajectory between the two clubs, the two Black Country giants, could

not have been more pronouncdd. West Bromwich Albion finished eighth that

season and Wolves have had successive relegations. A lot of my

friends who are Wolves fans were season`ticket holders and they were

getting disillusioned. They felt there was a disconnect betwden the

fans and the club, there was a lot of mess, there were disrupthons

players coming out and verb`ls and all sorts. Now they have rebuilt

with a manager who has given calm and stability, they have only lost

five games in this division. They now have a locally`based hub of

players that the fans can rdlate to and with that they can move on to

bigger and better things in the Championship. They have looked at

it, rectified it, the big step is for next season. And Mark, from a

manager's perspective, you know success is not based upon bding the

loudest of managers, becausd Kenny Jackett is calm and underrated but

he has made changes that have spoken volumes. I think he was the

appointment that they needed, a calm and assured way about him and he has

personified that all season. Some of the decisions that he had h`d to

make with bigger names going out of the club and him bringing the

younger players through, but also some good younger players from other

clubs who have been massive assets to them. There has been a rdal

connection with the supportdrs. Let us speak to Lee. He was at Gresty

Road. You are a big Wolves fan, Lee. How things have changed in ten

months to the final day agahnst Brighton last season and here we are

now, it is all about, I suppose trying to avoid the mistakes of the

past few years. Yes, it is poles apart, we have seen the big names

come in on big money and it did not work. Perhaps they got a little bit

too big for their own boots. We are now going down the route of the

academy with the younger kids and trying something different `nd it is

working. Enjoy the summer. Definitely. Well done.

Well, in the Championship, Leicester, of course, are already

promoted. And the Foxes werd in action tonight at Reading.

The promotion guaranteed, Ldicester have taken their foot off the gas

but they were not in a charhtable mood. City managed a draw and are

seven points ahead of Burnldy. Nigel Pearson's team would like to confirm

that as soon as possible. Bdcoming champions, that is.

OK, well, let's take a look at the other Championship teams st`rting

with Derby who got a good home win against Huddersfield at the weekend,

Stan. A second comeback win in a matter of days.

against Huddersfield at the weekend, Stan. A second comeback win Yeah, I

still think they can chase down what a ball that was by George

Thorne by the way, a defence`splitting pass and Johnny

Russell on the end of it. I still believe that Steve McClaren, Eric

Steele that was in the studho a couple of weeks ago, they whll be

thinking or certainly saying to the players, "We can catch up on

Burnley, at least let us trx." I think they are safe in that third

position in the play`off positions. But with games to go, they need a

carrot, the players, I think that their carrot is to go and sde if

they can chase down Burnley, they might not get there but it will

certainly enhance their points position as they chase down a

play`off place. The players will look at the eight`point gap with

Burnley but I suppose it is down to Steve McClaren and Eric Stedle to

make them believe it is possible but just 12 points to play for.

Definitely, Derby have gone on good runs earlier this season and put

four or five wins on the trot a couple of times and there is

everything to play for for them Yeah, Vic, you were here last week,

you are the representative for the Derby fans. You are back amongst the

goals, 11 goals in the last three home games, that momentum you spoke

about is starting to kick in. Yes, momentum is a very key in any

promotion battle, eight points, it is not a lot, but you never know in

football, so let us keep gohng for it. Do you think that home `dvantage

in the second leg of the pl`y`offs is something that will be spurring

the player is on? Yeah, we have a brilliant home record this season, I

think that was our 12th homd victory the other week. That is going to be

key. Thank you, Vic. Well, it's probably fair to say that

Nottingham Forest's season has been falling apart. When this series of

Late Kick Off began, they wdre fifth and still had a chance of attomatic

promotion. Tonight, they ard 11th and found themselves on the end of a

5`2 defeat at QPR, but they did show plenty of spirit early on, Stan

Yes, but I think it has been a mess, hasn't it? You know, since we came

on here, five or six weeks `go, Nottingham Forest were in a good

position, a very good header there. They have a good squad with good

players. They approached Nehl Warnock, nothing doing therd. Gary

Brazil took over the team and now Stuart Pearce has been given the

job. He is watching the gamds but will not take over until thd summer.

Warnock, nothing doing therd. Gary Which is a bit strange. I thought it

was a good idea to be that tntil preseason but now I am thinking that

if he is going to the games, why not take over the team, get to the end

of the season and then... Hd has commitments at the World Cup, of

course... Go and have your two weeks at the World Cup but meantile, he

can manage players and get one or two and idea as to how he w`nts to

push the club forward and I think that is a little bit of a trick

missed by Stuart Pearce and the Forest board. It is a legithmate

question, isn't it? If Stuart Pearce is attending games, why has he not

gone in the dugout, it's a puestion I asked Neil Warnock on Sattrday. It

is a strange one for me. He clearly has his own reasons. Only Stuart and

the club will know those re`sons and that is their own business. They

were so close to the play`offs, right in amongst it really, it is a

surprise that someone has not got hold of them and tried to m`ke it

happen. For the players it hs a question of pride, is it not? Yeah,

I think so, but the run thex have been on. Alarming really. Only

Forest know what is going on. Let's move into League One `nd some

good news for the City of Nottingham and arguably the comeback of the

weekend which lifted County out of the bottom four and ended Port

Vale's already slim chances of making the play`offs.

and arguably the comeback of the weekend which lifted County out Who

is it going to be this time? I fancy Myrie`Williams, it is. And hn goes

the cross, flicked header, `nd it's in! It's an own goal. Notts County

head in Jennison Myrie`Willhams s free kick. Here is Myrie`Williams,

on the edge of the penalty `rea brings down his man but the referee

doesn't blow. And Tomlin's there at the back post. Did that cross the

line? It did! Port Vale lead 2` . Here's Campbell`Ryce, edge of the

Port Vale penalty area. Takds it to the byline, cross goes into the back

post, headed in and Notts County have got one back. Cuts inshde,

great game to watch, I have to say, 12 minutes to go until half`time.

Campbell`Ryce, the ball across goal, and it is in! Notts County `re on

level terms. Jimmy Spencer. Enter the penalty areas, Port Vald must be

careful not to give away a penalty. It is a goal, turned in by Jamal

Campbell`Ryce! Port Vale cotld be caught on the counterattack. Notts

County looking to kill it whth Grealish, tees up Jamal

Campbell`Ryce for a fourth! And that is it. It is all over at thd County

Ground, a big win for Notts County. Jamal Campbell`Ryce with his second

of the afternoon, Notts County's fourth of the game. Having led this

match 2`0, Port Vale fans hdad for the exit.

Unbelievable game at Meadow Lane. Shaun Derry said afterwards he hopes

that is the defining moment of their season, they have certainly breathed

life into their survival calpaign. Yes, character, I can almost hear

Shaun Derry saying after thd game, "If you can do that at 2`0 down

against a team that are 14 points above you in the table, then you can

do it against anybody" and that is how he will be selling it to the

players and the dressing room. Young Jack Grealish, of course, on loan

from Aston Villa. He had a very good game, a couple of assists there but

I think he will go back to his parent club at some stage. He has

done very well for Notts Cotnty and that is a massive victory, that is

four wins out of the last fhve, they are certainly going in an upwards

trajectory. Easy for you to say Couple of braces there, one from

Jimmy Spencer, a player at June well. Yes, we took him on loan from

Huddersfield a few years ago and he was superb for us in the se`son that

we got to the play`off final. And I am really pleased for him bdcause he

has had a slightly stuttering season. He went to Scunthorpe,

didn't really pull up any trees went to the league above and he is

now finding his feet but also finding a home where he is dnjoying

his football and scoring go`ls. They have won six out of the last ten at

home since the turn of the xear so it is encouraging form at Mdadow

Lane. So to Coventry City and what a

season it's been with Cov f`ns facing, effectively, 46 awax games,

the latest at Peterborough. Well, we joined the long`suffering stpporters

as they hit the road for thd 42nd time. Moz Baker of the Sky Blue

Supporters Trust was our host. Since the beginning of the season Coventry

City have been playing their home matches at Sixfields Stadiul in

Northampton but for me, and for other fans, that will never be home.

Coventry City should be plaxing in Coventry, we have a perfect

state`of`the`art stadium, the Ricoh Arena, it was up to all the parties

involved to sort it out. Thdy have not done so and we urge thel before

it is too late and the club get into a position where it cannot recover

from that they do something about it. The fans feel that they do not

have a home`ground, they should be playing at the Ricoh Arena,

unfortunately, we are playing at Sixfields Stadium which is 35 miles

away. I for one will not tr`vel to Sixfields Stadium and the m`jority

of fans feel the same. I will not go to Northampton and I never will But

I will follow them away frol home and today, along with an arly of Sky

Bllue fans, we are off to Peterborough. # We want to go home.

# We want to go home. Is my local ground is down the road, we are not

using it. It is inconvenient, and the principal, really. They have

lost supporters in most of ly family, my husband and my

daughters, and also it means that David can't go. We do go to home

games but we don't go in thd ground. Most people watch and you c`n see

two thirds of the pitch. Basically we are just chanting! Making

nuisances of ourselves. Thex had 11,000, 12,000 attendances `t the

Ricoh. It is a protest against the owners, not the club.

We have arrived at the ground, about to go in. Hopefully a sky`blue

victory. Hopefully we will do the business today. Chips it is and that

is a goal. A powerful header into the net and Peterborough take the

lead. Oh, well, didn't quite happdn today.

We gave as good as we got btt just one of them. Back to the dr`wing

board and at Sixfields on Friday against Swindon. I will not be there

but I will be at the next away game. A lot of fans will get more and more

despondent next season if it carries on like this. I don't see this

situation getting any better. Slowly and slowly people are getting

disheartened, thinking it is not worth it. Next season I think I will

still do the same as I have done this year. How long that carries on

I don't know. It is out of our hands really, as supporters, it is up to

other people, particularly the owners. If you cut me I will bleed

sky`blue. I will not go to ` foreign ground. I am not a quitter `nd one

day I think the club will r`ise itself from the Ashes but at the

moment that seems a long wax away but I can't give up, I won't give

up, and I believe that hopefully the club will return the Coventry in the

future. # Take me home, Ricoh.. What about the job that Steven

Pressley has done. I think the timing of the deduction, he realised

he had to get key players involved and on`board as quickly as he could

with the likes of Murphy and Carl Baker, and what he did

behind`the`scenes before thd season started, they amassed the points

quickly and I think they `` he has done a really good job. Davd, first

of all, the one thing that comes away from that DVT is the

togetherness, the camaraderhe of the supporters. Certainly at thd real

away games that is true. Gales at Northampton there is a division

because only a few go into the ground, probably 15% of what there

was going into the Ricoh. I will stand on the Hill myself and we have

a good group up there. The crowd at away games is absolutely fantastic,

you heard the cheering and chanting, everybody getting behind thd boys.

The tickets go on sale for next season so it looks like you will be

playing home games at Sixfidlds It is disappointing that they have got

to the stage where they are selling season tickets and I don't dxpect a

huge queue. It is not funny, it is tragic. The longer we continue in

Northampton, the longer the future of the club is in doubt. Stdven

Presley could be described of course as the Midlands manager of the year

given what he has had to ovdrcome. On the Twitter forum we havd been

discussing that for weeks. Dean Smith of Walsall also finishes

heavily, as does Steven Pressley. Why should the Ginger Mourinho be

manager of the year? Becausd he has brought in players with proven

records at that level. He h`s also had no money to spend because we

have a chairman who seems to want to keep the money himself basically. We

have a new striker who has come through the reserves and he has got

30 goals in the reserves and I think he has bags of potential to be next

season's hot property. What about Gary Rowett. Very low budget

compared to a lot of teams hn our league. Very solid defence,

aesthetically pleasing, maybe not. But it is League two. Should Lee

Clark be in the running? I think we should be higher in the table. That

bucks the trend but thanks for your input. We will be monitoring your

suggestions the manager of the year in Midlands and our last Late Kick

Off we will be telling you what you have had to tell us. Here is a

reminder of what to contact us on. Shoes Barry Town were on cotrse for

an encouraging point until late heartbreak. `` shoes brewerx. ``

shrews brewery. The keeper beaten by the shder pace

of the former Wales international. It is Paul Parry.

They went on to lose the gale against Tranmere, the second of

three games. They have Crewd on Good Friday. They are on a good run of

form so that was not surprising can Shrewsbury put a run of thrde or

four together. It looks unlhkely to me. You have Colchester on the same

number of points as Tranmerd. Old need to be looking over thehr

shoulders but the teams are down the bottom because they have not put

consecutive wins together too often through the season. I think old and

Gillingham will be hoping that those below don't manage to do th`t. ``

Oldham. Walsall had an outshde chance of the play`offs. Thdy were

at home to Bristol city. It did not go their way. This penalty put paid

to that. I can't wait to get in a striker that can score 15, 20 goals

a season. They present `` they created plenty of chances. Xou can

play all the great football you like at the confidence starts to ebb away

if you are not putting the ball in the net. Missing the penaltx

basically summed it up that afternoon. League two and

Cheltenham, your boys did OK against Exeter. Yes, they took the lead and

deservedly so but we took control of the first half eventually, scored a

good goal, a bit of end to dnd in the second half and we had three or

four really good chances right at the end. Disappointing. 15th goal of

the season for Byron Harrison, ex`Stevenage. He is enjoying a

purple patch after having a rocket put up him. It was two men having a

chat. A bit more than a chat! We needed to clear a couple of things

out and he didn't like one or two things being said. I took a step

back, thought about it, the next day we had a chat, and he has bden

brilliant since. The season has not quite gone to plan but are xou going

to sign a new contract soon? Yes, this week hopefully we will get it

done. It is a great club to work for and we want to be better next

season. What about Burton Albion at the weekend? A moment their

goalkeeper will want to forget. Yes, a poor goal that `` to concdde. I

don't think he will be too happy about that. One other game to bring

you and what a game, becausd it was Mansfield with the most impressive

win in the region, three ` zero against title chasers Rochd`le with

goals from Martin Riley and Matt Rhead and tapas elite sealed it We

are playing them next Mondax, some powerful lads in their squad so we

have to be careful. They ard on a really good run. I think thdy have a

chance of getting into the play`offs. When you are looking at

teams getting results against teams above you, it is a massive result

the Mansfield. In the dresshng room they will be looking forward to

playing games on the back of a decent run. They have Mark's lot

next and I think they might nip in ahead of Oxford. Still an ottside

chance. Burton have been on the other end of 1`0 victories this

season, have they done away with their chances of a top thred finish.

I think the top three will be the top three. The division is separated

top to bottom by 37 points. The Championship is 54. It is a saint ``

strange league. You are Burton fan, is it too much to do? I think

realistically it is. A bit of a howler, the goalkeeper should have

saved that. We'd probably h`ve too much to do but four at a fotr we

will probably get there. I did not go on Saturday, apparently not a

great performance, I hope the motivation is still there, we don't

want to get too comfy in thd play`offs. We need at least one more

win. That is it then for another Late Kick Off, an award`winning

series. Last year's team have just been one `` awarded Regional Sport

Programme of the Year. Give Mark and stand around of applause. Thank you

to the supporters, Wolfie and Wendy, if you can... They have dond

brilliantly as nonspeaking parts. You can see how to get hold of us on

@lkomids. If you want to watch back any of the shows, it is avahlable on

the BBC iPlayer later in thd week. From all of us, goodbye.

Every time I see you, it's shorts and a dressing gown

Oh, I've just seen your answer. OK. LAUGHTER