Episode 9 Late Kick Off Midlands

Tonight, two title winners, two in play`off places, two

skin`of`the`teeth escapes from relegation. What a season for

Midlands teams! Welcome to Late Kick Off.

Bolton turns 50 Shades of Blue as Birmingham stay up.

A local boy makes good as Notts County survive, too.

Wolves and Leicester lift trophies and the Foxes celebrate their return

to the Premier League with a Civic Parade.

And helping us to tell the story of the season, the Late Kick Off

supporters crew from Leicester, Birmingham, Derby and a special

welcome to the Punjabi Wolves supporters. And Stan's back to give

his verdict on the season and to look ahead to the play`offs.

And we start with Birmingham City. In the 93rd minute, they were down,

but it seems, like our commentator, they were only warming up.

To reflect on a very stressful day and season for Blues fans, please

welcome a St Andrews hero, Michael Johnson. An amazing finish. 2`0 down

with 15 minutes left. When that second goal went in, I thought,

that's it, relegation. But the big man had an impact. Have you stopped

celebrating yet? Just about. What an incredible afternoon it turned out

to be. The supporters were magnificent. The boys left it late

but we got over that line. At 2`0 down, it was going to be difficult.

Rather than last week, losing at home to Wigan, is all for home

record, it was an away day. I really good header and they bombed loads of

players forward. It was always going to be asked. I don't think I have

ever seen Lee Clark run as fast as he did! It is not just staying in

the Championship. It is all about keeping Birmingham as a realistic

and attractive proposition who `` for whoever next buys it.

Absolutely. Thankfully, we are in the Championship now. By my last

count, 24 players could be released over the summer. What a huge few

months or weeks ahead. We don't know whether Lee Clark will be there to

oversee it. He probably needs a good nights sleep, and after that, take

stock of the players they have got. He needs to make a decision whether

he wants to stay. The most important thing for Birmingham, however many

players are bare, sell the club. Get rid of the...

We've seen what it was like on the pitch at Bolton but what was it like

being a Bluenose behind the goal when Paul Caddis scored THAT goal?

Tremendous afternoon. We've had lots of Blues fans with

us, one of whom, Alistair Frew, is a solicitor specialising in, amongst

other things, conflict resolution. Alistair, where are we, legally, now

with Birmingham City? The club is still owned in the Cayman Islands.

It is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange. The people who put that

?85 million M, that goal, we could play it again. That goal has given

us a chance because we are a championship club, worth buying. The

Hong Kong stock exchange says the company that owns us is relatively

solvent, so they will not be forced to sell, but they can sell now on.

Hopefully, they can do that soon. How things have changed! A few weeks

ago, you are talking about the club going to the wall. I was. The

chairman had just been put into prison. Stan said he was safe but I

didn't believe him. Now we are safe. The chairman has gone. It is

just a company listed on the stock exchange. The people who have bought

the club want their money back. If they have got any sense, now is the

time. Leicester City's promotion party has

continued today with a civic reception in the city. Natalie

Jackson has been on Parade and speaking with the club's owners.

It has been a bank holiday weekend. The city of Leicester will never

forget it. After ten years of frustration, this is Leicester

City's time. Crowned champions on over 100 points, they are in the

Premier League and have been parading around the city as heroes.

Today's open top bus tour, a special moment for the players, fans and the

Thai owners. I will remember everything today in my heart for

ever. They have written over ?100 million, brought back Nigel. This

season has been brilliant for the fans, team and me, as an owner. We

are very happy. Seeing the first game, we won it. I enjoyed every

minute. Even if we lose, we win. But it is a nice memory to remember.

They had not interfered in team affairs, have respected the club's

history and say it is not about money. We love football here and we

love the club, but for us, we have got the return already, not

moneywise. But we try to make the club a success and now we are a

success and now we enjoy watching a team that we own. What are your

plans for the Premier League? It is up to Nigel understaffed to decide.

`` to decide. He is a good guy. His family is also nice to stay with.

Outside the job, he is a good buy, too. Did you think about a

management change last season? Never thought about that and never

considered that we would change the management team. Since the first day

I met Nigel, I feel he is the right guy. I am delighted for them. They

have had a bit of a mixed time here in terms of what we have done, but

throughout it all, they have been very supportive. I am delighted to

have a beer! And give it back. We'll Nigel get a new contract? `` will.

Negotiations are ongoing. You will see more information soon. I cannot

say at the moment. In the next two or three weeks you will see more.

But I prefer and would like to stay. We have seen so many horror

stories of owners trying to get too involved and it has gone belly up,

but here, they seem very grounded. Exciting times ahead for Leicester.

They are trying to move forward and they have got big plans for the

club. Your message to the fans? Thank you for your support. I think

they deserve the cup. I will listen to everything that they want and

will try to make a team. Interesting couple of weeks ahead

for the foxes. Key players out of contract. The quicker this is all

sorted, the better? Yes. Our manager got us where we are. We have got to

sign a key players. It is a time to get a new contract signed and get

into the transfer market three or four quality players. Great stuff.

Well done. Well done to Derby. This is them at

the weekend. Key players rested. If we're looking at other players, the

most important thing is when you have got these two weeks and this

build`up to these play`off games. You need to keep momentum. Steve

McClaren will know exactly the players he wants to play against.

The Rams have done the double of the Brighton. You go into this in fine

form. Does it count for anything, though? Psychologically, yes, but I

don't think so. We can beat any team on our day. They are the bookies

favourites. I've heard on the radio the Derby are the favourites. If you

look at QPR and Wigan, they have won FA Cup finals, played in the U Roper

league and Premier League, so Steve McClaren will also need to do a job

in terms of keeping players on the ground. `` U Roper league. They do

score goals and create chances. In the Championship, you need to put

teams away. Look at Burton, their lack of goals. Derby can score

goals. Nottingham Forest ended the season with a home defeat to

Brighton. But they end the season with two wins in the last 16. Only

to fit defenders available. Almost a what was going wrong. `` almost

epitomises. They identified Stuart Pearce and spoke to Neil Warnock.

Get them in. They are still in a fantastic position. Perhaps they

should be in the promotion play`offs. They need to go away now,

Stuart Pearce is going to join the club on July first and look forward

to another season in the Championship, where they will be

expected to challenge and get into the top six positions. Midlands

football clubs have been involved in terrific stories. Wolves recorded

their latest wins. These three goals when they amassed more than 100

points, 103 to be precise, more than any other team in Europe. A diagonal

ball into plenty of space. He has it just outside the penalty area. He

shoots and it is in from the Wolves' skipper. What a great goal! His

second of the season. This celebration is casual but the strike

is phenominal. After five minutes, Wolves lead by

1`0. The cross in from the left hand side. There is Jacobs. Head it in!

2`0 up after 20 min. Saved! Into the top right`hand

corner. On the scoresheet, finally. He has had chance after chance. It

looks like 103 points, a record for the season. The League One champions

lead by 3`0 against Carlisle. So, Wolves and what has been a

memorable campaign for so many reasons. That was almost the perfect

end to a perfect season. It has been a sensational season. We have had

two consecutive relegations from the Premier League to League One, the

club have done exceptionally well in bringing in Kenny Jacket. He has

brought in players to get us out of League One at the first attempt. We

have broken up to six club and league records. We have had 30,000

on two occasions this season. We got out of League One with the highest

points total, 103. It has been a fantastic season. We won 17 of the

last 21 league games. In the run`in when other teams you are playing

against are scrapping for points, it is an unbelievable return. It is

fantastic! After Christmas, the team gelled and we went from strength to

strength. Great stuff. We have already heard about one great

escape, time for another. A quite remarkable late`season performance

has seen Notts County retain their League One status.

There was a point that they got. As it happened, they did not really

need it. They scored when things were against them. Alan Sheehan with

a penalty which is probably one of the most important he will ever

score. Shaun Derry has done an incredible job. He has had such a

fantastic career. He has shadowed Neil Warnock at several clubs.

He has learned from the very best and knows the lower leagues very

well. I was listening to Neil Warnock the other day and he said he

was on a train in Scotland and he was very nervous when the results

were going around. He wanted Shaun to do very well. He did not want him

to experience the negativity of relegation. They are not. They are

safe. I watched yourself on Saturday night, I was washing my hair.

I heard Shaun Derry saying, it was not just about the club and the

results from the players, it was about the community. He understands

the club. He can get together players in pre`season and hopefully

push them a little bit higher in the table this time next year. They are

calling Shaun legen`Derry. You were seven points adrift back in March.

You probably lost faith at that point? A lot of fans thought they

were down and out. Credit to Shaun Derry. He said, we're going to stay

up. Changed the formation and we have done really well to stay up.

Three players only on contract in the summer, it will be quite a

turnaround. I hope he will hang on to players like Sheehan, Jimmy

Spencer and Ronan Murray, to be the nucleus of next season's side. Thank

you very much. Resolute end we saw to Port Vale's season. Let's look at

the league table. Let's start with League One. They were ninth and now

have a chance of them getting into the play`off picture. But, Stan,

question marks over the future of Micky Adams. There are positive

signs to come from this. I do not think there should be any question

marks from the board. He has been there through thick and thin. Ninth

is extremely respectable for Port Vale. He has intimated he does want

to stay and I think he will help to push them on.

Goals are the problem for Walsall. Do we expect Mike Jackson to stay

on? I think Shrewsbury is a real catch for a promising young manager.

A fantastic stadium, great catchment area. A lovely part of the country

to live in. They will have plenty of applications should they open the

vacancy. For Walsall, it is simple. As the season went on, we had Dean

Smith in the studio. No problem with the creativity. Much higher next

season. In League Two, Mansfield, 11th. Not a bad placing. Anywhere

above that line of 23rd that when you come back into any league is

very good. The fact they are 11th at the end of the season is a cracking

job done. Let's focus on the team up in sixth. The season is not yet over

for them as they prepare for their play`off semifinal against Southend.

As it happens, they were playing Southend at the weekend. This is

when the manager rested a number of players, five in all, against

Southend, who were at full strength. Does that give him a psychological

edge? He is an experienced manager. As a former Shrimper, I need to be

careful what I say. I think the one thing for Burton is defensively they

are very good. They do not score lots of goals. I would not expect it

to be 2`1, 3`1 in terms of Southend, they do have a very good attacking

threat. Particularly in the first game. Keep a clean sheet and have a

big cup final at Roots Hall the following week. You have only won

three of the 11 going into the play`offs. Does that concern you?

We're interested in the play`offs and getting to Wembley. Hopefully

the resolute defence will stay firm for three games. It will be nice to

get to Wembley, definitely. For the last four weeks, we have been asking

you for new your nomination for Midlands Manager of the Year. By

monitoring Twitter and Facebook, we have been listening to what the

tweeters and viewers have to say. We have also received your nominations

by video. We have three clear leaders. In third place, Derby

County and Steve McClaren. I think Steve McClaren has to be

Midlands Manager of the Year. I just feel after Derby dropped out

of the Premier League, they never pushed again to get back up. And I

feel like, since Steve McClaren's taken over, they have had a

resurgence to become a great side. Since leaving QPR as a coach and

moving to Derby, he has done brilliantly. Since Steve arrived, it

has been so different. He has turned us into quite a force to be reckoned

with. I think that is why he is Manager of the Year. The team are

winning games, scoring a lot of goals. The team has a good

structure. He lifted them up. The future is looking well for McLaren

and his team. I enjoy being a Derby fan, for once!

Steve McClaren has helped Derby to their record points total but it is

not just statistics and stuff like that, it is the way they have got

them playing. I have spoken to people like Andre Wisdom, who is on

loan from Liverpool. Managers like Brendan Rodgers have trusted Steve

McClaren with the top quality talent. He is a very good coach.

Where Derby where when McLaren came into where they are now, it has been

an incredible turnaround. In second place, the Wolves manager, Kenny

Jacket. My Midlands Manager of the Year for football is Kenny Jacket

for Wolves. They have been promoted with a few

games to go and look like winning the league. Kenny Jacket deserves

Midlands Manager of the Year. Two successive relegations, a lot of

clearing out to do, and develop a team...

He has not sought the limelight like a lot of managers, he has got on

with his job. I think he has done a fantastic job and I hope he is with

them for years to come. So, hopefully, it is promotion next year

again. Kenny Jacket, well done, mate. You have done well. They did

well under Kenny Jacket. I hear from fans of other clubs and say, what do

you expect with the budget he has got and the fan base? That does not

necessarily guarantee success. Wolves have stripped everything back

to basics. What he has done is put through a fantastic crop of players,

a lot of them locally based, as we have talked about before. He has not

been tempted to get the odd player from the Championship and pay them

lots of money. They have stripped the wage bill right the way down. If

you look at where they were, which was a mess, to turning them around,

getting them competitive, getting the fans on board, he has ticked

every box. That goes down to good management from Kenny Jacket and

they will relish going back into the Championship. Time for our winner

and a different sort of drum roll. And the winner... Not surprisingly,

Leicester City's Nigel Pearson. The Midlands Manager of the Year for

me is Nigel Pearson at Leicester. Big Leicester fans. Do you know

what? At the beginning of the season, we were all going, you need

to get rid of him, he's rubbish. We're going to lose, it will be bad

and we weren't doing very well. Amazingly, he's kind of like rolled

it in and he has built up and built up.

It is nice to get Leicester City promoted, which they haven't managed

to get into the top flight in about ten years.

And he's done it on essentially a shoestring budget. The club isn't

well`known for pulling off heroics, recently, anyway. He's done a great

job to get them up. Some two and a half years ago, when

he returned back to the club, he worked incredibly hard to home the

squad of players on capable staff of doing the job. It is the most

successful Championship campaign in ages. He spent a few years

rebuilding the squad and it has been really successful. They had a really

good season. So, roll on the Premiership.

I bet his trophy will be at the very top of his mantelpiece. This is how

Nigel Pearson received the accolade when he got it from Natalie Jackson.

You have won the BBC Late Kick Off Manager of the Season. That's very

kind of you. Thank you very much. It is voted for by fans across the

Midlands. Is it nice to receive awards like that? I know you are not

normally a big fan but what do you think? Individual awards in team

sports are... It is not always nice to win them but you are part of a

team. I am very much part of a team, so, I think, what it does is it

shows recognition for the very positive job that so many people

have done. I'm delighted, thank you very much. He's rewarded the

loyalties of the owners by sticking with him. Like Kenny Jacket, he's a

very sensible, quiet`talking man. We all like sexiness in football and we

like managers like Jose Mourinho to come out and give sound bites. These

managers are worth their weight in gold. If you ask any Leicester

supporter before the season started that they would finish 20, 21 points

above QPR... I wouldn't have believed you. In a division

notorious for fickleness, he's built a good squad of players. Fantastic

achievement! My thanks for Stan Collimore and Michael Johnson. Give

him a round of applause. That is it, our very last offering. See you.

Good night. and the grand final with me,

Graham Norton. My fellow friends, it's time

to get your glad rags on, invite your friends over,

and bring out the hors d'oeuvres, because this is one party

you don't want to miss. Eurovision!

And the UK's 2014 entry, Molly! Catch the semifinals with

Scott Mills and Laura Whitmore, and the grand final with me,

Graham Norton. With Molly,

the UK could finally win.