:00:18. > :00:23.On tonight's Late Kick Off... In Carlisle we trust. We spend a
:00:23. > :00:25.memorable match day with the Blues' club chaplain. We pray that
:00:25. > :00:29.Francois Zoko scores the winning goal.
:00:29. > :00:34.Lead us not into temptation. How Sporting Chance guides our young
:00:34. > :00:36.footballers. And the Holy Grail.
:00:36. > :00:41.Middlesborough's battle for the Premier League, where Newcastle and
:00:41. > :00:47.Sunderland continue to impress. Good evening. Welcome to Late Kick
:00:47. > :00:49.Off. Fresh faces in the studio tonight. I am delighted to welcome,
:00:49. > :00:56.for his first appearance on the show, the former Sunderland
:00:56. > :00:58.midfielder Alex Rae. And finally, after three episodes worth of
:00:58. > :01:03.excuses and shameless skiving, Danny Mills is back, ladies and
:01:03. > :01:08.gentlemen. WOMAN: Yey! Only a slight whimper from our
:01:08. > :01:12.autocue lady. It is nice to be back. Yes. Welcome, Alex. What a
:01:12. > :01:16.significant period you were at Sunderland. Those five years when
:01:16. > :01:20.moved from Roker Park to the Stadium of Light. First time in the
:01:20. > :01:24.Premier League. The penalty shoot- out in 1998. Etched on your heart?
:01:24. > :01:28.Yes, without doubt, it was probably the highlight of my career. It was
:01:28. > :01:33.phenomenal. Peter Reid was an inspiration. He got the best out of
:01:33. > :01:36.everyone. And we tend to think of football in this area as a real
:01:36. > :01:40.hotbed. You have been involved right at the centre of Glasgow as
:01:40. > :01:45.well. Does it stand right up there? Without a doubt. I remember my time
:01:45. > :01:49.at Newcastle. When we won, we never got out of the stadium until
:01:49. > :01:53.midnight. There was so much carnage outside. The rivalry is unsurpassed.
:01:53. > :01:57.Yes. I do hope that you mean that was an evening kick-off and not a
:01:57. > :02:04.three o'clock one. Otherwise that was a very late start. No, it was a
:02:04. > :02:07.Monday evening. Good. I am glad we clarified that. More from Alex's
:02:07. > :02:11.Sunderland days and a certain iconic BBC documentary later on.
:02:11. > :02:15.First tonight, we are focusing on a charity of which he is a patron.
:02:15. > :02:19.Sporting Chance was started by Tony Adams 12 years ago. It was after
:02:19. > :02:22.his battle with alcoholism. It helps current and former players
:02:22. > :02:25.who are suffering from a variety of problems. These days, they are
:02:25. > :02:28.working hard on prevention by warning young players about the
:02:28. > :02:38.pitfalls of professional football. The modern-day footballer has it
:02:38. > :02:44.
:02:44. > :02:54.Something that might start relatively innocently can turn into
:02:54. > :03:00.
:03:00. > :03:06.Whether it is booze or the bookies, or some other vice, addictive
:03:06. > :03:11.behaviour can ruin careers and destroy families. It is my own
:03:11. > :03:21.stupidity that has put me there. And put myself in that line of fire
:03:21. > :03:22.
:03:22. > :03:29.to be shot at. I struggled during football with addiction. With
:03:29. > :03:33.regards to gambling, drink and drugs. I have no doubts that,
:03:33. > :03:40.without Sporting Chance, I would not be here. It saved my life. It
:03:40. > :03:48.saved my family. The pressure to succeed is enormous. That can cause
:03:48. > :03:53.real problems. I got catapulted from a young age, at 17, into the
:03:53. > :03:57.Premiership. And I did not really ask for help. I was struggling to
:03:57. > :04:00.deal with the pressures that came. I never really reached out. I dealt
:04:00. > :04:05.with that on my own through coping mechanisms and strategies I was
:04:05. > :04:10.used to using. That was drinking, gambling or taking drugs. These
:04:10. > :04:15.mechanisms were the wrong choices. Addicted to booze and betting, Andy
:04:16. > :04:19.was admitted to the Sporting Chance clinic for years ago. -- four years
:04:19. > :04:23.ago. He has completely recovered. He is now keen to warn others of
:04:23. > :04:28.the pitfalls of the game. Today, he is talking to youth team players at
:04:28. > :04:32.Hartlepool United. It is at a seminar run by Sporting Chance.
:04:32. > :04:36.Alcohol, although culturally accepted, is a very strong drug. We
:04:36. > :04:43.can create issues for ourselves which creates stress. So just
:04:43. > :04:47.become mindful of how alcohol might be affecting your sport.
:04:47. > :04:51.It is possible for perhaps young players, who might be 18 or 19, to
:04:51. > :04:55.be perhaps taken down the wrong path. So what we are trying to do
:04:55. > :05:03.is make them aware of those dangers. To use Sporting Chance really to
:05:03. > :05:07.educate them at this stage in their professional career.
:05:08. > :05:12.Football is a reflection of society. It brings with it its own unique
:05:12. > :05:16.pressure. It is a desperate place to find yourself. Acute mental
:05:16. > :05:23.health issues. Broken families. Financial ruin, particularly with
:05:23. > :05:27.the gamblers. It is serious stuff. What people fail to remember is
:05:27. > :05:31.that these are young guys fresh out of school. They have no experience
:05:32. > :05:38.of the wide world. They are thrown into an arena where they will
:05:38. > :05:42.probably have more money than last their age. -- lads. They will have
:05:42. > :05:46.more time on their hands than lads their age. And they are expected to
:05:47. > :05:50.use and spend that responsibly. It is not that we go out and say that
:05:50. > :05:53.drinking is bad, gambling is evil. It is about educating lads that
:05:53. > :05:56.what can happen when you do something to excess. Sporting
:05:56. > :06:01.Chance has taken its message to 40 Football League clubs this season,
:06:01. > :06:06.including Middlesbrough. The impact that the stories that are told can
:06:06. > :06:10.hopefully leave an impression on young footballers. I think some of
:06:10. > :06:14.the stories of how people got themselves into situations. How
:06:14. > :06:22.addiction can creep up on you and takeover your life. And the
:06:22. > :06:28.wreckage of your life, really. Very, very powerful messages.
:06:28. > :06:33.It is a good learning experience, really. We knew about the threat of
:06:33. > :06:36.gambling and drinking and drugs. Gambling, I think, was the main one.
:06:36. > :06:45.I think everyone was pretty surprised at how much it can take
:06:45. > :06:50.over people's lives. It has made us think about not getting into it.
:06:50. > :07:00.And not going with the wrong crowd. It can happen to anybody that quick.
:07:00. > :07:02.
:07:02. > :07:08.Alex, Clarke Carlisle said that Sporting Chance saved his life.
:07:08. > :07:14.What did it do for you? Pretty much the same. I agree with him. I went
:07:14. > :07:19.to a different place. It gave me a new lease of life. On the park as
:07:19. > :07:23.well as off. It was unbelievable. I managed to win a couple of titles
:07:23. > :07:27.once I pulled myself together. I was 29 and won the League Cup with
:07:27. > :07:31.Rangers as well. I am just pleased I got the opportunity towards the
:07:31. > :07:35.end of my career instead of saying afterwards what could have been.
:07:35. > :07:40.was alcohol with you. How did you slip from temptation right into the
:07:40. > :07:44.thick of it and realise you had a problem? It was just a progression.
:07:44. > :07:48.I was a young boy in Glasgow starting as a teenager. Getting a
:07:48. > :07:53.few quid into the playing days. Danny will tell you, the culture
:07:53. > :07:58.was to work hard and play hard. I think the best thing for football
:07:58. > :08:03.was for foreigners to come in. They did teach us about eating and
:08:03. > :08:06.living properly. So, in terms of alcohol, it is a problem that is
:08:06. > :08:11.likely to become more and more in the past? Simply because of the
:08:11. > :08:15.dynamics of modern sport? Without a doubt. It has moved on considerably.
:08:15. > :08:19.We were speaking earlier about how things have moved on. There are
:08:19. > :08:23.positives and negatives, but it has moved on to a far better level.
:08:23. > :08:29.Players are playing to 35-40 now. We were 30-32. Do not point at him,
:08:29. > :08:34.playing until he is 40! Injury, not alcohol did that. Fair enough. Tell
:08:34. > :08:37.us about Sporting Chance. It is actually a physical building or a
:08:37. > :08:42.philosophy across different facilities? There is a facility
:08:42. > :08:46.down south that players tend to go to. It is an amazing place. It
:08:46. > :08:51.gives people a chance to get their life back. Players who have
:08:51. > :08:56.finished as well, invited back down. They are open to that as well. The
:08:56. > :09:01.key thing from there was awareness. If you can get into the young boys
:09:01. > :09:05.early doors, you have the chance. It may not be now, it may be four,
:09:05. > :09:09.five years down the line. It is planting the seed and hopefully
:09:09. > :09:15.someone benefits further down the line. Danny, something that you had
:09:15. > :09:19.become increasingly aware of? The alumni, we could get a decent first
:09:19. > :09:22.11 of the people involved. Everybody assumes that Premier
:09:22. > :09:26.League footballers in general have a fantastic lifestyle. They have
:09:26. > :09:30.everything. They have nice houses, the cars, the fortune. There are a
:09:30. > :09:36.lot of problems and pressures that go with that. And footballers are
:09:36. > :09:40.no different. They cope with it in different ways. It has changed. The
:09:40. > :09:44.foreign aspect of players coming in is a lot more disciplined. We are a
:09:44. > :09:48.lot more European, if you like, in how the majority looks at alcohol.
:09:48. > :09:53.But it is tough at times. Everyone assumes that it is very easy and
:09:53. > :09:57.you have everything. And you shouldn't have problems. But you
:09:57. > :10:03.have seen this from great players. Those great players now have to go
:10:03. > :10:07.out and speak to the kids. Does the prevention seen to be working? Do
:10:07. > :10:10.you think the kids at a young age are taking it in when a former
:10:10. > :10:14.professional has had problems and talks to them? You have done a
:10:14. > :10:20.little yourself, haven't you? I was at Everton and Aston Villa
:10:20. > :10:25.over the festive period. I remember when I was 18 and I went to London.
:10:25. > :10:28.There were players warning me even then. But you think you know better.
:10:28. > :10:33.It is until you are on your knees that you address this. And there
:10:33. > :10:37.was none of this when I was there. It may have saved me earlier.
:10:37. > :10:42.think it was also kept under the radar. You were pushed to the side.
:10:42. > :10:46.People have to go back out there and start speaking about it.
:10:46. > :10:49.Some big news has broken on Twitter this weekend. Rio Ferdinand
:10:49. > :10:57.revealed that Jonny Evans passes wind a lot. Who says footballers
:10:57. > :11:00.used social media sites to impart to say, and it isn't associated
:11:00. > :11:06.with bodily functions, you can tweet us. We are also on Facebook.
:11:06. > :11:10.And you can send and male. -- an e- mail Still to come on tonight's
:11:10. > :11:14.show... Feels like heaven. We are with
:11:14. > :11:21.Carlisle's club chaplain. And is this the greatest goal of
:11:21. > :11:24.Back in 1996, just as Sunderland had been promoted to the Premier
:11:24. > :11:28.League and Alex signed for them, the BBC documentary cameras arrived.
:11:28. > :11:33.Bleep machines at the ready. Here is a little reminder of Premier
:11:33. > :11:39.passions. Look out for Alex's reaction.
:11:39. > :11:48.Get your... BLEEP! I don't give a... BLEEP!
:11:48. > :11:56.I give a... BLEEP! ..about losing! Not wanting to have a go!
:11:56. > :12:05.Not wanting to get up people's... BLEEP! Get it done! Get the ball!
:12:05. > :12:08.Why did it take half-an-hour to get going? BLEEP! Get it sorted out!
:12:08. > :12:13.LAUGHTER. What do you say to a comment like
:12:13. > :12:17.that? I have watched that three or four times. That is the first time
:12:17. > :12:22.I have seen it since it went live. There used to be a pillar in the
:12:22. > :12:26.dressing room. I used to sit behind it so I did not catch his eye. He
:12:26. > :12:29.was like that every week. It looks like you are bemused by his
:12:29. > :12:33.tactical prowess. There was no tactical prowess. Do you think in
:12:33. > :12:37.the end that, as brilliant as it was to watch, and it is great from
:12:37. > :12:41.a neutral's point of view to see that. Did it undermine Peter Reid a
:12:41. > :12:45.little to see him ranting and raving? We were on our toes and
:12:45. > :12:50.scared of Peter Reid. There was a lot of fear. And he got the results
:12:50. > :12:54.over a long period of time. Players seem to have a lot more power now
:12:54. > :12:59.because there is more money in the game. If someone did that today,
:12:59. > :13:02.players would laugh at them. It was effective at the time. Sunderland
:13:02. > :13:05.really put the cat amongst the pigeons in the Premier League at
:13:05. > :13:09.the weekend with that 3-3 draw with Man City. Particularly, Alex, after
:13:09. > :13:13.the disappointment of not making it through in the FA Cup semi-finals.
:13:13. > :13:16.They have bounced back well. Martin O'Neill has done a terrific job.
:13:16. > :13:22.There is a lot of togetherness in there. That is something Man City
:13:22. > :13:25.is lacking.. When you are out there as a Sunderland player, and you
:13:25. > :13:28.realise you are on the verge of that, and they had three points
:13:28. > :13:32.ripped away from them, it must be so fulfilling to be out there. And
:13:32. > :13:37.you take that kind of lead. Your chest must puff right up.
:13:37. > :13:40.Definitely. Remember, that would have been a record for Man City. 21
:13:40. > :13:44.straight wins at home. Martin O'Neill would have been aware of
:13:44. > :13:48.that. They have gone out there. Sunderland have been fantastic
:13:48. > :13:56.since Martin O'Neill came in. I think he has done a fantastic job.
:13:57. > :14:06.For next season, Sunderland fans And getting praise from Alan
:14:07. > :14:07.
:14:07. > :14:12.Shearer! Another fantastic day yesterday at the Stadium of Light.
:14:12. > :14:18.And so refreshing to see a player playing with such a smile on his
:14:18. > :14:28.face. Well a year ago at this time it people were concerned at
:14:28. > :14:32.Newcastle, it was a bit of doom and money to spend, how well would they
:14:32. > :14:37.do? Suddenly they have used that money from Andy Carroll very wisely.
:14:37. > :14:46.The people they have brought in have really added to their squad.
:14:46. > :14:52.Not a brilliant day for Newcastle's form. And his whole Swan Lake
:14:52. > :14:57.routine but we do not do him a fat lot of credit. No, it was a pretty
:14:58. > :15:06.poor effort to get a penalty, but I think Alan Pardew has done a
:15:06. > :15:14.terrific job there. I think most people thought that Newcastle would
:15:14. > :15:21.struggle this year, but I think they have done incredibly well.
:15:21. > :15:29.other two incidents where peppy Rainer's head-butt... There is a
:15:29. > :15:35.little bit of contact. He shouldn't have done it, but the reaction, I
:15:36. > :15:43.think he has sneezed harder than that. Well, what is the worst crime
:15:43. > :15:48.- to dive, to do a head butt, ought to fake a fall to the floor? Well
:15:48. > :15:55.commie -- well, for me the dive is the worst, followed by the fake
:15:55. > :16:01.Reaction and the head but last. was embarrassed by the reaction. I
:16:01. > :16:05.think he was frustrated, but I think he would get a lot of stick
:16:05. > :16:13.in the dressing room today. Middlesbrough are now six without a
:16:13. > :16:17.win. They drew their last four. They are still level on points with
:16:17. > :16:23.Birmingham in fourth, Blackpool in 5th and Brighton in 6th. They are
:16:23. > :16:30.limping towards the play-offs. have struggled of late, especially
:16:30. > :16:34.after the Leeds game. The two full- backs have just gone missing a
:16:34. > :16:40.little bit. The crosses have come in, they haven't defended
:16:40. > :16:47.particularly well. I think we all know Middlesbrough play good
:16:47. > :16:51.football, but if you keep conceding goals, you do not win games. And of
:16:51. > :16:56.late they have conceded a soft goals, preventable goals, and that
:16:56. > :17:03.her is what has been their downfall. I feel for Matthew Bates, the
:17:03. > :17:08.captain. His 5th cruciate ligament injury. To be now at tackling it
:17:08. > :17:13.rehabilitation after his 5th of those... Mentally it must be an
:17:13. > :17:22.absolute head freeze. In it will be soul-destroying, but we wish him
:17:22. > :17:25.well because it is a difficult time for him.
:17:25. > :17:28.From the battle to get out of the Championship, to the battle to get
:17:28. > :17:31.in it. And whether they're religious or not, I bet one or two
:17:31. > :17:34.Carlisle fans have been praying for promotion. Well, I'm not sure he
:17:34. > :17:39.uses his position to help on that score, but Carlisle's club chaplain,
:17:39. > :17:42.the Reverend Alun Jones, has a major role to play at the club. So
:17:42. > :17:52.we spent match day with him, as promotion rivals Huddersfield came
:17:52. > :18:03.
:18:03. > :18:07.I think my role as a chaplain for Carlisle United, which is a
:18:07. > :18:11.fantastic and passionate role, is more to be in the background. A bit
:18:11. > :18:17.like being a pressure release in certain situations. Everybody at
:18:17. > :18:22.the club are human beings, so I make sure I am always available if
:18:22. > :18:32.anybody wants to chat or if any situations arise at the club that
:18:32. > :18:38.
:18:38. > :18:43.they want me to deal with as the You can play a vital role in sport
:18:43. > :18:47.in bringing about discipline and self-respect. And I think they go
:18:47. > :18:57.hand in hand with the Christian message, about being the best you
:18:57. > :18:59.
:18:59. > :19:03.can be, raising yourself attainment. We pray that France was local
:19:03. > :19:10.scores a cracking goal. That all players leave the pitch without
:19:10. > :19:15.being injured and in good health. In Jesus's name, our man. -- are
:19:15. > :19:22.men. I am off to the match now. I think
:19:22. > :19:28.it is going to beat 2-1 to Carl you are united. -- 2-1 at Carlisle
:19:28. > :19:34.United. I think there is big growing force
:19:34. > :19:39.for Christianity and faith in sport. A lot of footballers, with the kind
:19:39. > :19:43.of intense pressures that they feel, may be turning towards God and
:19:43. > :19:49.towards faith for answers to those pressures, and finding it. But for
:19:49. > :19:57.me personally, God is showing them a way to live, not just in the
:19:57. > :20:02.disciplines of sport, but in that the society in which they live.
:20:02. > :20:12.He we are at the ground, ready for a big win against Huddersfield. --
:20:12. > :20:14.
:20:14. > :20:21.here we are. How are we doing today?
:20:21. > :20:28.What are you filming for, Crimewatch?
:20:28. > :20:34.Ago and bless the pitch, and the club, and the stands. And the inner
:20:34. > :20:40.sanctums of the club. Every Monday and every Friday I say a prayer for
:20:40. > :20:44.the club, inside the ground for the people who come to it.
:20:44. > :20:51.The pitch is looking in great nick. The ground staff have done a great
:20:51. > :21:00.job. Bless this ground in Jesus's name.
:21:00. > :21:06.I have predicted and prayed for two to one. -- 2-1.
:21:07. > :21:16.You have got a direct line... But to be fair, I would not want to
:21:17. > :21:27.
:21:27. > :21:32.It is a place of worship. They may not be worshipping the Christian
:21:32. > :21:37.God or our Lord Jesus Christ, but you cannot deny the passion for the
:21:37. > :21:45.work -- or the worship that goes on at football grounds. They are going
:21:45. > :21:48.there to sing hymns, or chant. It is a great meeting place. The
:21:48. > :21:56.people are living out their spiritual and emotional lives in
:21:56. > :22:00.the context of sport. So that is where I should be.
:22:00. > :22:05.When you get a player on their own and they are chatting to you, they
:22:05. > :22:15.will open up and say something that 90% of the time they would not say
:22:15. > :22:17.
:22:17. > :22:26.if the friends were around if -- or if their team mates were around.
:22:26. > :22:32.Well done, have a good one. The can just be there, and they
:22:32. > :22:42.know you are there for them. In a supportive environment. And just
:22:42. > :22:42.
:22:42. > :24:00.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 77 seconds
:24:00. > :24:06.being there is often what being a Upon the board where we put the
:24:06. > :24:13.hymns, I put 2-1. I wish it was just as simple as that. The
:24:13. > :24:17.emotions were higher at the end, but I was pleased for the players.
:24:17. > :24:25.We were in church praying for the result this morning, and a pot on
:24:25. > :24:31.the board 2-1. I also said Francois would score. Malone scored the
:24:32. > :24:38.winner. So too out of three is not bad. -- Miller. Got is looking
:24:38. > :24:45.after us. Come on, Carlisle. Gavin Peacock, former Newcastle
:24:45. > :24:51.player, is now a priest school in Canada. Have you ever confessed
:24:51. > :24:56.touch the chap -- to the club chaplain? I would have been in a
:24:56. > :25:00.confession book a long time ago. We had one at Manchester City. The
:25:00. > :25:05.Lord certainly does provide in mysterious ways sometimes. How are
:25:05. > :25:09.they viewed within a club? Be careful as you tell us about this.
:25:09. > :25:18.I can imagine one or two boys in the current year Robert say, what
:25:18. > :25:24.is all but about? And I think they help people when they -- with a
:25:24. > :25:29.bereavement, but I think I would have to get his number when I want
:25:29. > :25:34.to make a bet! And once issued -- interviewed the
:25:34. > :25:40.Archbishop of Canterbury, the previous one, and at Lambeth Palace
:25:41. > :25:47.he said he took his dog collar off, and parked his car up and they
:25:47. > :25:51.slipped in the Finsbury Tavern for a couple of pints!
:25:51. > :25:57.Greg Abbott said that James Barrett's goal was the best of his
:25:57. > :26:07.tenure. They haven't scored that many great ones in three or four
:26:07. > :26:12.jeers. But it is some slick passing, a good finish. Finally they are
:26:12. > :26:19.pushing back towards the play-offs. They are four points clear in does
:26:19. > :26:27.play-off positions, and they have that game in hand. Do you think
:26:27. > :26:33.they are going to sq -- staying -- staying there? Niemoller up front
:26:33. > :26:37.is a catalyst, they have socle, they will definitely be there in
:26:37. > :26:46.the shake-up. They could potentially meet your
:26:46. > :26:54.club. Yes, they beat us 2-1 last week at our Place. We have seen so
:26:54. > :26:57.many times that team that hits the run at the right time, often goes
:26:57. > :27:02.on to get promotion, and I think Carlisle fans will be hoping for
:27:03. > :27:08.that. Danny Wilson said that the pitch at
:27:08. > :27:12.Victoria Park was the worst he had seen in a long time. Which is
:27:12. > :27:17.juxtaposed to the fact that the groundsman at down there has been
:27:17. > :27:24.nominated for a groundsman of the year. It doesn't look that bad at
:27:24. > :27:28.all. We have played off plenty worse than that! But at the modern
:27:28. > :27:33.managers are coming up with all sorts of excuses blaming themselves,
:27:33. > :27:37.blaming lack of preparation. They are just tried to defect from a bad
:27:37. > :27:42.performance. A gentle meander to the end of the
:27:43. > :27:52.season for Hartlepool now. I think they are probably delighted to be
:27:52. > :27:57.still in the division. At last, a rational voice! I get all sorts of
:27:57. > :28:02.abuse from their fans. I have to keep it interesting for 15 episodes
:28:02. > :28:05.of Late Kick Off! We should also say well done to Newcastle United's
:28:05. > :28:12.women's team for winning the Northern combination Football
:28:12. > :28:19.League at the weekend. Danny, I know you worked under Alan Pardew
:28:19. > :28:25.before. He had Africa day on Friday, he had the chef cooked up a rather
:28:25. > :28:31.good curry. He did something similar at
:28:31. > :28:35.Charlton, we had Portuguese week, and sometimes it is thinking
:28:35. > :28:42.outside the box, doing something to relax the players. When it works,