:00:00. > :00:08.Tonight: With Leicester chalpions are Derby also bound for thd Premier
:00:09. > :00:10.League? While Birmingham City's relegation fears have suddenly
:00:11. > :00:29.become very real. Welcome to Late Kick Off.
:00:30. > :00:32.Can Birmingham City avoid the drop? This goal against Leeds proved too
:00:33. > :00:36.little, too late as they fell into the bottom three. We have bden
:00:37. > :00:43.on`the`road with the Blue Noses Who knows what's going to happen today?
:00:44. > :00:46.And as Leicester celebrate the title, Derby look to win hole
:00:47. > :00:49.advantage for the first leg of the play`offs and Shrewsbury ard
:00:50. > :00:52.relegated. It's goodbye, Wolves, hello
:00:53. > :00:59.Dagenham. Godbye, Sheffield United, hello, Mansfield.
:01:00. > :01:03.As you can see they've packdd into the Late Kick Off terraces `gain.
:01:04. > :01:07.Welcome to our very own Supporters' Crew. And if anyone has the answers
:01:08. > :01:10.to the promotion and relegation mysteries it's a man in the thick of
:01:11. > :01:13.it, Bromsgrove born Burton lanager, who also played for the Brewers as
:01:14. > :01:22.well as Derby, Blues and Lehcester ` Gary Rowett! Naturally our lascot
:01:23. > :01:31.this week had to be Leicestdr's finest. Welcome Filbert the Fox
:01:32. > :01:34.And we start with Leicester, as they clinched the title last week with
:01:35. > :01:45.this goal at Bolton from Lloyd Dyer which was a cue for massive
:01:46. > :01:48.celebrations. And after winning yet again on the
:01:49. > :01:51.road at Huddersfield this wdekend with goals from Gary Taylor`Fletcher
:01:52. > :01:58.and Wes Morgan, they're on ` club record 99 points for the se`son
:01:59. > :02:02.Gary, hard to imagine the sdason to have gone much better?
:02:03. > :02:06.After last season there was speculation that he might not be the
:02:07. > :02:13.boss to take them forward and the owners realised the continuhty would
:02:14. > :02:19.be better for them. He has been brilliant. He is experienced. He has
:02:20. > :02:25.sorted the team out. Some vdry good foreign players. Some good xoung
:02:26. > :02:30.British players as well. In his four seasons, he won two
:02:31. > :02:34.titles and two play`offs. Hd has a winning percentage of over 40%. As a
:02:35. > :02:37.fellow manager, how impresshve is that?
:02:38. > :02:41.It is astonishing to do it over that period of time. To do it for a
:02:42. > :02:47.season, that can be done, btt to do it four years in a row, he has done
:02:48. > :02:52.a brilliant job. The club h`s benefited from that continuhty and
:02:53. > :02:56.having faith in the manager. Wholesale changes or stick to what
:02:57. > :03:01.they have got? I think they will stick to what they have got. Nigel
:03:02. > :03:04.has alluded to that already. They will want to add little bits to
:03:05. > :03:08.improve again because you c`nnot stand still. They have the core of a
:03:09. > :03:12.side that could do well in the Premier League.
:03:13. > :03:17.At the other end of the table Birmingham City fans have bden
:03:18. > :03:25.watching in horror. Their whnless home run has been extended to 1 .
:03:26. > :03:42.They have got some defending to do here. The crisis could be growing. A
:03:43. > :03:45.free kick. It is 2`0. It is typical of Birmingham City in recent home
:03:46. > :03:58.games that if they concede one they concede two. Will he try and create
:03:59. > :04:06.for himself? It is an own goal. They are going to be in the bottom three
:04:07. > :04:19.as things stand. Switched flanks. Good ball. Good finish. Too little
:04:20. > :04:25.too late. A vital match against Wigan
:04:26. > :04:28.tomorrow. Thanks to goal difference the Blues need four points from
:04:29. > :04:33.their final two games to be sure of survival. If they recreated their
:04:34. > :04:36.away form at St Andrews. Thdy would've been just outside the
:04:37. > :04:43.play`offs. As a result the atmosphere on the road couldnt be
:04:44. > :04:46.more different. And Davo, a Blues fanatic, takes his video calera to
:04:47. > :04:49.most if not all away games so, if you've never understood the passion
:04:50. > :05:05.of being an away fan, you mhght after watching this.
:05:06. > :05:23.Here we are at the world falous Shepherd's Bush market. How much is
:05:24. > :05:27.this? ?2. ?1 in Birmingham. This man is about to be famous. He doesn t
:05:28. > :05:34.know anything about the Chalpionship but he's going to give us a
:05:35. > :05:47.prediction. 2`0 to Millwall. Let's go.
:05:48. > :05:53.What an end of a fantastic night. Fantastic performance. Let's hope we
:05:54. > :06:07.repeat it at home on Saturd`y. Come on. Fantastic. We done a job. Good
:06:08. > :06:22.victory. I do not want to swim in there. I do not know where Wigan are
:06:23. > :06:50.in the table. What do you rdckon today? Too many draws for mx liking.
:06:51. > :07:00.An away day win again. Here we are in Leeds. What do you reckon today?
:07:01. > :07:16.Leeds needs the result rathdr than the performance. Kenny is hdre. What
:07:17. > :07:36.is the score going to be? 4`1. My mother`in`law did this for le. The
:07:37. > :07:59.best thing she did for me. Best fish and chips. Come on, Blues. Half`time
:08:00. > :08:01.at Barnsley, winning 3`0. It is like when Jesus came back to lifd. 3`0 at
:08:02. > :09:10.half`time. do We love you, Davo we do... # Who
:09:11. > :09:19.knows what's going to happen today? You can never predict it.
:09:20. > :09:22.Davo is here with us today. It looks like the atmosphere between home
:09:23. > :09:33.games and away games could not be more different. There have been some
:09:34. > :09:38.great days. Two games left. How fearful are you that you might not
:09:39. > :09:44.get that win? We have not won at home since October. For any club in
:09:45. > :09:49.any division that is an app`lling record. With that sort of rdcord you
:09:50. > :09:56.deserve to go down. Maybe that's what we need to rebuild. Do you
:09:57. > :10:03.really mean that? We've got Wigan at home tomorrow. I can maybe see a
:10:04. > :10:09.point at Derby. It is dependent on other results. I can't see three
:10:10. > :10:16.points coming out of the last two games. Do you agree? I'm not
:10:17. > :10:27.confident at all. There's a man here we'd like as our next managdr.
:10:28. > :10:35.You're talking about him. G`ry. Let him in. Looking at Lee Clark, has it
:10:36. > :10:46.got to the point there are ` lot of fans questioning team selection Is
:10:47. > :10:53.it a case of not being able to see the wood from the trees when you are
:10:54. > :10:59.under intense pressure? It hs difficult to judge someone tnless
:11:00. > :11:02.you are in their shoes. By changing the team a lot sometimes it is
:11:03. > :11:08.desperation to try to find ` winner formula. Sometimes the more you
:11:09. > :11:20.change it the further you are away from what you are looking for.
:11:21. > :11:24.Sometimes the more you change it the more the players think, are you sure
:11:25. > :11:27.what the best team is? And the more uncertainty that creates. A little
:11:28. > :11:31.bit of stability is needed hn the last two games. I hope they can get
:11:32. > :11:35.the club over the line becatse it is an amazing club. It is a terrific
:11:36. > :11:42.club. Huge club, could be. Whether it will be in the next few xears we
:11:43. > :11:45.wait and see. Fingers crossdd. So to Derby and a semifinal place
:11:46. > :11:54.coming up in the play`offs. They played Watford this weekend. They
:11:55. > :11:57.actually went behind, but a Jeff Hendrick equaliser meant thdy were
:11:58. > :12:00.level at half time and thred second half goals first from Craig Forsyth
:12:01. > :12:04.then this one from Chris Martin and another from Hendrick clinched a 4`1
:12:05. > :12:10.home win. They mean business. They do. They
:12:11. > :12:13.have a good balance. They p`ss the ball well. That is their big
:12:14. > :12:20.strength. A lot of the goals come from the midfield trio. Thex have
:12:21. > :12:25.got good attacking options. Their manager has the experience of being
:12:26. > :12:30.in these situations. They c`n be positive in these play`off games.
:12:31. > :12:34.They have equalled the club's record points total. Few would havd
:12:35. > :12:37.predicted that could happen at the start of the season. Since the
:12:38. > :12:40.American owners have restructured the management on and off the pitch,
:12:41. > :12:44.Derby have been the surprisd package of the campaign and are potdntially
:12:45. > :12:58.three games away from Wembldy. How have they done it?
:12:59. > :13:14.points in Derbyshire to talk about the rise of the Rams, which seems
:13:15. > :13:17.appropriate. It has been a very good season. The people who have
:13:18. > :13:28.contributed deserve huge crddit particularly Steve and the players.
:13:29. > :13:36.They run Derby County. I am not sure that this weather is getting better
:13:37. > :13:40.or worse. This is one of thd most dramatic viewpoints in the Peak
:13:41. > :13:45.District. Like the Rams this season, a wonder of the East Midlands. But
:13:46. > :13:53.how have they steered Derby up the table and will they and us reach the
:13:54. > :13:57.top? It is no fluke the fans have been more engaged. You have done a
:13:58. > :14:16.lot of work to talk to the fan base again. The gates were dropphng. We
:14:17. > :14:22.had one scare that we might even drop below 20,000. How will it feel
:14:23. > :14:31.if Derby reached the top and get to the play`offs? Absolutely htge for
:14:32. > :14:37.the football club, Derby and the sit at the County of Derbyshire. When
:14:38. > :14:42.you watch a game from afar, you think it is all about the football
:14:43. > :14:46.on the pitch. But this season has highlighted something. Thosd clubs
:14:47. > :14:49.that have issues off the pitch, they can't perform on the pitch. So if
:14:50. > :14:52.you can get it sorted off the pitch, you give yourself a chance. Do you
:14:53. > :14:56.feel protective of the owners? Unlike other owners, they h`ve not
:14:57. > :14:59.run away when things were not going well or they were getting brickbats.
:15:00. > :15:06.And they deserve a huge amotnt of credit. To dry out, we headdd back
:15:07. > :15:15.down to check out the impact of McClaren and the key players.
:15:16. > :15:21.Derby have consistently been in the top four since November. Only
:15:22. > :15:46.champions Leicester have scored more goals this season. We have had five
:15:47. > :15:49.very difficult and very disappointing years on and off the
:15:50. > :15:52.pitch. And we knew that somdthing needed to give, something ndeded to
:15:53. > :15:55.change. They brought Sam in to be effectively the catalyst for that
:15:56. > :15:58.change. Sam looked after thd football and made the changd last
:15:59. > :16:06.September and I looked at other areas of the business and wd
:16:07. > :16:08.effected some changes there. At Championship level, the
:16:09. > :16:12.establishment of relationshhps with bigger clubs is key. And thd quality
:16:13. > :16:16.of the loans has been huge. People like Andre, Patrick and George have
:16:17. > :16:20.made a huge difference to the team and are now looking to move forward
:16:21. > :16:25.and to be one of the elite clubs in British football again. `` we are
:16:26. > :16:29.now looking forward. They are on their way, and so are we. After a
:16:30. > :16:35.great day undeterred by the wet and rain and if this bedraggled lot can
:16:36. > :16:42.reach the top, surely Derby can Whose idea was this? I blamd the
:16:43. > :16:46.producer! So if you are celdbrating at the end of May, you come back up
:16:47. > :16:56.here with us in better weather. Check the forecast. In the summer! I
:16:57. > :17:01.thought it was the summer. So did I. Thanks to Natalie Jackson for that
:17:02. > :17:07.report. Nice inaight to what goes on in the boardroom. You are a big
:17:08. > :17:11.Derby fan. Sam Rush and John Vickers and the other CEO, they went to the
:17:12. > :17:14.pub in order to talk to the fans. What you make of that? Fant`stic.
:17:15. > :17:20.Very approachable guys. Gre`t to get out there. To go to the Derby fans
:17:21. > :17:24.and have a pint. You have sdcured third place now and clearly you are
:17:25. > :17:29.a team not to face in play`offs now. Nobody frightens us. We can beat
:17:30. > :17:33.anybody. We're on form, we `re scoring for fun. No reason why we
:17:34. > :17:37.should not get promoted. Jack, how confident are you about getting to
:17:38. > :17:41.the play`offs? Pretty confident The way we score and we are solhd at the
:17:42. > :17:45.back. It is not just the amount of goals, it is the way we are playing.
:17:46. > :17:49.We had the opportunity to score more goals. Against Watford, we scored
:17:50. > :17:53.four, but we could have scored seven or eight. OK, thanks very mtch. All
:17:54. > :17:55.the very best for the play`offs Nottingham Forest's season
:17:56. > :18:01.story`line has seen more twhsts and turns than a TV soap. Having been in
:18:02. > :18:04.the play`off places, the latest is that a play`off place is now out of
:18:05. > :18:08.reach. The weekend defeat at Bournemouth was the final n`il in
:18:09. > :18:14.the coffin. This was the consolation goal from Greg Halford. Thex were
:18:15. > :18:17.two down by then. Gary ` what a disappointment. The
:18:18. > :18:22.way their season has just f`llen flat. I think it has been a very
:18:23. > :18:25.strange end to the season for Forest. To the point the appointment
:18:26. > :18:32.of the manager and then Stu`rt taking the reins. `` to appoint
:18:33. > :18:37.Stuart Pearce and then Stew`rt not take the reins. The sea he had his
:18:38. > :18:41.reasons, That must have cre`ted instability. But Amongst current
:18:42. > :18:44.staff there, knowing they whll not necessarily be in the same job next
:18:45. > :18:47.season. I don't think that has been a good move for the club.
:18:48. > :18:50.All right, staying in the chty, Notts County, famous for ond recent
:18:51. > :18:55.great escape, may well be staging another.
:18:56. > :19:00.Bottom with just 31 points ` few weeks back, but six points from the
:19:01. > :19:09.last eight games, the latest against Swindon. `` they have won shx of the
:19:10. > :19:18.last eight games. It has bedn a sensational effort. It has. When he
:19:19. > :19:23.got the job, I don't think there are too many people who would h`ve
:19:24. > :19:27.envied them too much. `` envied him too much. Another big club that
:19:28. > :19:29.needs to rekindle the past ` little bit. I think they started qtite
:19:30. > :19:33.poorly. They lost something like five out of the first seven games.
:19:34. > :19:36.They looked dead and buried. But he has retained his belief. He has kept
:19:37. > :19:41.positive. Some of the players, he has got them back playing rdally,
:19:42. > :19:44.really well. Jimmy Spencer, again, some of those players have been
:19:45. > :19:51.really, really good for thel these last six games. It just shows that
:19:52. > :19:54.you can create a little bit of momentum, a little bit of bdlief in
:19:55. > :20:05.the fans, in the players, it's really kept them on the way. `` they
:20:06. > :20:09.have kept on that waiver. They only need to draw at Oldham. It just goes
:20:10. > :20:12.to show what happens if you stick by your manager. I think that the fight
:20:13. > :20:16.and commitment that they have shown, I hope they will get there. What you
:20:17. > :20:19.would say is that if Shaun Derry can get through the season, as ` young
:20:20. > :20:22.manager, that'll be a massive learning curve for him to t`ke
:20:23. > :20:26.forward. And as you know, bdcause you recently became a managdr, that
:20:27. > :20:31.is the last thing you want on your CV on your first job, is relegation.
:20:32. > :20:35.That's it. Your career is over. You have to make your first job a
:20:36. > :20:44.success. Nine times out of ten, first`time managers who do not
:20:45. > :20:48.succeed, do not get back in. It is a harsh situation but everybody knows
:20:49. > :20:51.it. Everybody has to make the best of that first opportunity.
:20:52. > :20:53.Elsewhere in League 1, Shrewsbury's defeat against Peterborough doomed
:20:54. > :20:56.them to relegation. They took the lead after six minutes with a Jon
:20:57. > :21:00.Taylor goal, before a Tom Bradshaw second but the Shrews back hn it
:21:01. > :21:06.only for a fourth Peterborotgh goal to clinch the three points. How sad
:21:07. > :21:21.does commentator Stuart Dunn sound? A chance for a fourthl. It hs `` it
:21:22. > :21:28.is for `2 to Peterborough. Relegation is confirmed now. It is
:21:29. > :21:30.good by Wolves, hello Dagenham. Goodbye Sheffield United, hdllo
:21:31. > :21:34.Mansfield. Shrewsbury two, Peterborough four.
:21:35. > :21:37.A sad day for the Shrewsburx faithful. We have a family of Shrews
:21:38. > :21:42.here, including Kian. Great to have you in. Thank you. How did xou feel
:21:43. > :21:46.on Saturday ` it was a struggle Was it goals, the major problem? Yeah.
:21:47. > :21:52.OK, well good luck with next season in League 2. Nigel, what happens now
:21:53. > :21:57.in the summer? Is it all about wholesale changes or giving Mike
:21:58. > :22:00.Jackson a second bite of thd cherry? In his interview after the latch, he
:22:01. > :22:06.was saying he doesn't know who was gauged takeover. `` he didn't know
:22:07. > :22:10.who was going to take over. He is talking as if he knows he isn't
:22:11. > :22:13.going to be there. Bill wholesale changes. Too many loan playdrs. 20
:22:14. > :22:21.this season. Some of them h`ve been OK, some of them mediocre. Xou just
:22:22. > :22:27.feel shades of grey in turn at Hereford. `` shades of Grah`m
:22:28. > :22:30.Turner. Hope you bounce back soon. So to Walsall a disappointing result
:22:31. > :22:32.at already relegated Steven`ge. These are the Walsall goals from
:22:33. > :22:36.full`back Mal Benning that put the sides level and Craig Westc`rr put
:22:37. > :22:41.them ahead before two goals from already relegated Stevenage sent the
:22:42. > :22:46.Saddlers home unhappy. Their season disintegrated hn the
:22:47. > :22:54.final third, didn't it. Yeah, but you would have to ask why. With
:22:55. > :22:58.their budget, first and fordmost, the manager has done a decent job
:22:59. > :23:01.over two seasons. A lot of players have not done brilliantly wdll at
:23:02. > :23:05.least to level and he has brought them in and got the best out of
:23:06. > :23:09.them. They have played to rdvoke football. `` they have playdd a
:23:10. > :23:12.terrific football. And you lay be think that it is just that lack of
:23:13. > :23:15.funds which stop them getting over the line or getting into thd
:23:16. > :23:20.play`offs. I think they shotld be really positive about the sdason.
:23:21. > :23:24.And so to the final game at the final push to get into the top ten.
:23:25. > :23:30.Absolutely. That is what he will be saying to the players. It whll be a
:23:31. > :23:33.good achievement for them. Hf Walsall stay in Division 1. Sounds
:23:34. > :23:40.like a lack of ambition, but if they stay in League 1, that is wdll done.
:23:41. > :23:43.It just shows the high standards they have set for themselves.
:23:44. > :23:44.There was a local affair at Sixfields, as Coventry and Wolves
:23:45. > :24:00.played out a West Midlands Derby. What a hot streak David Woods has
:24:01. > :24:05.been on. He is pushing them on to promotion. Still adding to ht. Free
:24:06. > :24:12.kick from Marshall and it ddserved equaliser! A glancing finish through
:24:13. > :24:18.to the goalkeeper. `` from right in front of the goalkeeper. A flick of
:24:19. > :24:23.the forehead makes it 1`1. William and Liam are both Coventry
:24:24. > :24:32.City fans. The results meant you were safe anyway, but it was
:24:33. > :24:38.concerning? `` job done as far as Steven Pressley is confirmed. That
:24:39. > :24:41.is concerned. It was a huge sense of relief for me personally by saying
:24:42. > :24:47.that since our last away win we have looked lacklustre and I was starting
:24:48. > :24:51.to fear relegation. But ever since we lost Leon Clarke... We wdre
:24:52. > :25:01.looking good and even with ` ten point deduction we were looking OK.
:25:02. > :25:05.Ever since he left, he was pushing Calum Wilson upfront to go on front
:25:06. > :25:14.on his own and ever since then the goals have dried up. And so have the
:25:15. > :25:27.points. So a huge sense of relief. Full credit. To Pressley and his
:25:28. > :25:40.players. Incidentally, credht to Wilson for getting into the Player
:25:41. > :25:43.of the Year `` the team of the year. Port Vale played on Friday night and
:25:44. > :25:47.lost to Sheffield United. Port Vale will be happy with a comfortable
:25:48. > :25:50.mid`table finish? Yes, I thhnk they well. Having come up last sdason,
:25:51. > :25:54.you always worry you are gohng to able to mix it in that division and
:25:55. > :26:00.stay there. That is the priority I'm sure. But they have done is
:26:01. > :26:03.excellent. `` what they havd done is excellent. They have been around the
:26:04. > :26:06.top ten, pushing into the top half of the table. With all the
:26:07. > :26:09.instability at that club, over the manager's contract, that hasn't
:26:10. > :26:12.helped. I think they have done really well. We will continte to
:26:13. > :26:26.monitor your suggestions for Midland Manager of the Year. On our last
:26:27. > :26:29.Late Kick Off, we will be s`ying who we have selected on the bashs of
:26:30. > :26:34.your suggestions. No doubt who Midland team of the year is with us
:26:35. > :26:42.are denied the play`offs. That place was cemented a while ago. `` Their
:26:43. > :26:45.next game against Southend. Who are now in the play`offs. Now that you
:26:46. > :26:48.are in the play`offs, does the expense of 12 months ago help,
:26:49. > :26:51.Gary? I think it does. We ldarned from last season we had a tough
:26:52. > :26:54.play`off game against Bradford. We are stronger throughout this year.
:26:55. > :26:58.We have five or six players who are part of this team and we got another
:26:59. > :27:01.five or six with experience and have had success in play`offs and
:27:02. > :27:05.promotions. I think it is one thing that we have learned from. Various
:27:06. > :27:09.ways of approaching the gamd. We are in a better position than l`st year.
:27:10. > :27:13.Good luck. Let's round up on League 2 with the
:27:14. > :27:16.goals from Cheltenham and M`nsfield. Mansfield beaten at home to Torquay,
:27:17. > :27:20.Matt Rhead scoring this consolation ` Torquay still relegated after that
:27:21. > :27:24.result, by the way. And a dhsmal day for Cheltenham, beaten by these two
:27:25. > :27:28.Rochdale goals. I think for both of them safety
:27:29. > :27:36.assured by a long way but a bit of disappointment in the process? For
:27:37. > :27:42.Cheltenham? May be for Mansfield as well. Both teams, different
:27:43. > :27:45.seasons. Mansfield Started well and there was a bit of talk of them
:27:46. > :27:51.gaining promotion and maybe they got carried away. Cheltenham were polar
:27:52. > :27:53.opposites. After two good sdasons where they made the pair ``
:27:54. > :27:56.play`offs, started poorly and sometimes found hard to get out
:27:57. > :28:02.They kicked on a little bit and Mark showed his frustration sometimes. He
:28:03. > :28:09.said, I just want the season to be over. I think the players h`ve taken
:28:10. > :28:16.it literally. I think there will be relieved that the final puzzle goes.
:28:17. > :28:21.`` when the final whistle goes. That's it from us. Congratulations
:28:22. > :28:23.to Telford, by the way, proloted from the Conference North as
:28:24. > :28:27.champions and to Hereford, who we featured on Late Kick Off a few
:28:28. > :28:30.weeks back, they survived off the pitch and on the pitch this weekend,
:28:31. > :28:33.they maintained their status on goal difference and thanks to an 88th
:28:34. > :28:36.minute goal ` talk about cutting it fine. Commiserations to Tamworth who
:28:37. > :28:40.were relegated from the Nathonal Conference. My thanks to Gary. And
:28:41. > :28:47.our Supporters Crew. This is how to get hold of us.
:28:48. > :28:53.And if you want to re`live tonight's magic ` we're on the iPlayer all
:28:54. > :28:54.week. We'll be back at the same time next Monday. From all of us,
:28:55. > :29:17.goodbye! THIS PROGRAMME CONTAINS
:29:18. > :30:03.SOME STRONG LANGUAGE. Three hot Hollywood stars
:30:04. > :30:05.on the show tonight, all with their own fans.
:30:06. > :30:09.Where are the Matt LeBlanc fans