Episode 13 Late Kick Off North East and Cumbria

On tonight's Late Kick Off, at the grass is greener. Medals are's

Grossman is an award winner. -- Middlesbrough's groundsman. We meet

at talented crop of youngsters. Art Carlisle's play-off hopes dead and

buried? Newcastle are Champions Welcome to Late Kick Off. We arrive

at this stage of the season when they headlines come thick and fast.

Carlisle's American defender Frank Simek joins us. You are proof that

that we never knew where life will take us. Who would have thought up

by from sanely -- St Louis would be plying his trade in the North of

England? It is crazy, but I am enjoying it. Does that mean there

are Carlisle supporters in America? Not too many. They could still

swell the crowd. Whilst medals are up's play-off hopes are in the

balance, there are grounds men has been named as the groundsman of the

year. He would be preparing it for I have been here for 15 years. I

started in 1997 at the training grounds. I brought it up through

that, in 2002 I came to the stadium. It is over 10 years since I have

been here. We start at 8:00am. It is strange because it is a big

empty stadium. You get used to it. It has been a pleasure to work here.

The job is to provide the best facilities for these guys to do

their profession, professional football. We take a huge amount of

pride in producing the best possible picture. -- pitch. There

is no secret. You keep up with technology. Make sure the pet gets

the nutrients it requires. -- pitch. We just had a very heavy downpour.

Very heavy showers. The grass has taken it well. This is about the

Three hundredth time I have done this. I am used to it now.

Sometimes I get to work early or leave late and there is always a

groundsman. I know the hours these guys put in. They are very

dedicated. It used to just be cutting the grass. Big game today.

We will try to spoil Southampton's party. Things could be decided

before kick-off. Fingers crossed. They work through all weather. You

should see their job in the winter. He has a great dedication and it is

reward for many years of hard work. Obviously it is a massive honour.

It is not just for me, I had a team of six. We work flat out. They did

Rickie Lambert squares up, Southampton have taken the lead.

Billy Sharp is a cut above the rest Into the back of the net from

The weather helps. It swells the Into the back of their neck! That

is it. Medals -- the play-off chances are still alive.

Congratulations. Carlisle also won a prize in that competition. There

is an unwritten respect for groundsmen around stadiums. You

need to barter with them to be allowed near the pitch. They are

very protective. I always ask him before I take my family on it. He

has done wonders there on the Budget he has. I am always getting

in trouble with them. I ask for their permission and the minute I

Against all the arts, the reverse side might be prepared one more

time for the play-offs. I cannot call this. They need to beat

Watford. I could see any combination of results. He did

really well. Getting into the play- offs would be a massive achievement.

It fell apart a little bet against Doncaster last week. The odds are

against them, but fingers crossed. Tony Mowbray says there is still a

chance. Have a look at this, this was a tackle. I get the impression

you think he should have gone. the referee gives a Val... Is that

a file? -- foul? We have looked at We still cannot quite see if he got

the players. There must have been contact for end to go down. When

the referee makes that decision, it has to be a yellow card.

Finally, some football analysis on Late Kick Off. Joey Barton's

Twitter boycott continues. We are still embracing social media. The

Twitter address is @LKONEC. We are Still to come, we meet Hartlepool's

young talent and examine the future of youth football.

Newcastle United have qualified for Europe, but they are in the box

seat for the Champions League. They must be on the verge of being

disappointed if they do not see this through. It is so excited, we

did think they would qualify for Europe, but this extra dimension of

getting to the Champions League is off the radar. Nobody expected this.

Three games to go. It is not a certainty. Wigan had just beaten

Arsenal. Manchester City are going for the title. They are a strong

side, great confidence, you would expect them to win Wigan. They hope

Chelsea beat Barcelona, then the emphasis will be on the Champions

League. They will hold but Manchester United beat Manchester

City. If things go their way, they might win those games. I love the

rotation of contribution. Earlier it was Cheik Tiote, then it was

Demba Ba. Now it is Papiss Demba Cisse Jack Perschke Yohan Cabaye,

Alan Pardew must be excited. the players keep talking about the

contribution from squad players. People like James Perch. He became

a hero. Everybody has contributed. When they have the first denied

like this weekend, they are top class. I have not seen them play

this well for 10 years. It is a real treat to watch them. When we

see a striker in such form as Papiss Demba Cisse, some of his

career -- some of the goals, they must be talking about him every

week. It is a ridiculous record. Long may it continue. It is

unbelievable. They are doing so well. The goals they score are up

there with all the teams. It is a pleasure to watch. It is a pleasure

for Newcastle fans. This made YouTube last week... Papiss Demba

Cisse coming out of their hairdressers. He paid �6 for the

It can't be that good, he has got a cap on. Just looking at that, thank

you for putting that online. 40,000 hits, Alan Pardew says he pays �55

for a haircut. He said that was a �50 tip. Some very special hair.

From Papiss Cisse, to Sunderland. No goals at all in four. Great

motivational skills as a match- winner -- manager to get the squad

going, but he will now look at next season. He must look at next season,

he said for the last three games he wants to look at other players who

have not got into the team. We will see players come back in, looking

at the summer there is a big deal to be done. Do we expect the Danish

striker to say and Stephen Fletcher from Wolverhampton Wanderers has

been mentioned. I think there will be some big changes at Sunderland,

every manager wants to change it, he will want to make big changes.

We were talking about goalscorers, including Papiss Cisse. What a blow

to lose your top scorer, Frank. Lose in him for the season when

chasing the play-offs is a big blow. Losing against job old club,

Sheffield Wednesday. Off the back of playing Stevenage and Charlton

Athletic to clinch promotion. What a bloke, to get back into it and

then to get spanked so hard, it must really sting. 5th minute of

injury-time. It was tough to take. Tufted takes so we are making the

Watchet. Last minute of the game, I was lucky to be on my feet. They

was lucky to be on my feet. They are a very strong team physically.

are a very strong team physically. What are the boys are saying about

it. We are going to have to win our last games. We were in a very good

position two weeks ago. We have had a tough run of games. But, if we

can win our last two games I hope they will slip up.

It still will have been a very good season. For a while Hartlepool

United have only been playing for pride, but one positive they can

take from this season is the UK system. First-team debuts for five

teenagers. It is fair that the new elite player performance plan could

seriously hit youth development at clubs like Hartlepool.

Another day at college for Hartlepool's rising star, but you

cannot teach this. I'm Luke James, a centre-forward and I am 17. I am

busy doing my school work. I come to college on a full day on

Thursday and a half day on Friday. I would rather be training but here

I am. I think he has got the potential for a very big future. He

has not got there yet, he has to practise in some areas but he does

practise every day. He does a bit extra after training. He has got

the right attitude and the right tools to be a good footballer. He

is not the tallest but he is strong, powerful and quick. It is sack his

touch and awareness of other players. His goalscoring threat. He

has adapted really well to first team life. When the manager first

came in he said it does not matter how old you are if you are good

enough. You will play. He has been true to his word and I have to

thank him for that. It has paid off for me because I am loving football

at the minute. The first Banksy I scored, I thought I was dreaming at

first. I did not know what to do, I did not have a celebration. I was

just running around going mad. -- the first goal. My target now is to

get into the first-team spot. It has been a whirlwind year for me.

Luke is part of a youth revolution at Hartlepool. The number of

teenage first-team debuts this season there is standing at six and

last week the club offered professional contracts to no less

than five of the youth team. the future of the club it is very

important to have a good youth system and for the young boys to

come through and progress towards the first team. I have always said

if they are good enough they will We have had to Jack Baldwin,

playing in numerous positions. was hoping to make my debut this

season, but to get the number of games I have, 10, or 11. A massive

jump up. We have had a two, three, or possibly for pushing to get into

the first team. If not this year then the next year. Pushing for a

start. I am Josh, 18 and centre midfield. I had a good deal last

year. Scored a lot of goals in the reserves and youth team. I think I

have been close but I just want to get the chance again. It is great

for me, I am a senior player and a lovely for the young lads to come

in and keep me on my toes. Nice with my experience to nurture them

In future, lower league teams like Hartlepool United might find it a

little more difficult to develop talented youngsters. The new elite

player performance plan means that clubs with top-ranked Academy's can

cherry-pick the top talent from an early age. It no longer matters how

far away a young player lives and worse still clubs will not receive

beat my for the young players they do develop. The reservations are,

will it work? Will it produce more youngsters? We have many coming

through with this system, will this produce more? I don't think so.

Despite those misgivings, Hartlepool were one of 46 out of 92

to vote in favour. If the Football league had voted against it, the �5

million a year they received from the Premier League would have been

withheld. We looked at it quite quickly, along with the other clubs.

We did not have a long time to digest the fact. When you start

looking at it and analysing everything in detail, maybe we

would not have voted for it. Premier League is keen to stress

the new proposals will increase the youth development payments for all

clubs over the next four years. Hartlepool United is strongly

committed to developing the youth team, but the worry is that it mean

some smaller clubs may mean it is not worth spending time and effort

on youth development. I feel many other clubs in our division will

drop down to category four, because of the finances. You will get

similar-sized clubs to this, without any use. Whatever happened

in the brave new world of elite plans and Academy categories,

Hartlepool United are confident that their new kids will continue

to make the grade. Positives first, three home-grown

teenager started the game at Prenton Park. Jordan Richards made

his full debut, plus Darren Holden came on. I am sorry to keep going

over these bad memories, Frank, but you did get murdered by Luke James.

He played really well against us. We had a man sent off that day and

they took full advantage. He ran riot. You saw a couple of goals he

scored against us. A very good player. To a large extent, this is

a great business model. A perfect a vestige, doing what they should be,

bringing through local boys. To get three or four in the town to make

their debuts, that is fantastic. Fans want to see local home-grown

players playing for the club and being the core, then you bring

other people into work around them. That is what brings the fans back

every year. Develop your talent in those levels, in Leagues One and

Two, not players from Belgium and Holland. Careful, careful, we have

an American on the sofa. They can be just as good at developing their

own kids. The hazard for the a lead player performance plan is...

will not get the money they are used to, if they have a really good

19 year old, a great striker who they could get millions for, under

the new system he could be poached for �200,000, maximum, at a lower

age. This has been the lifeblood for these clubs. Selling players

for a couple of million pounds. compensation is pretty naff, if you

have been in an academy, a couple only get �3,000 per year for the

Academy for a 12-16 year-olds, they are four different academy groups.

This is the counter argument, 46 clubs voted in favour of it and

they did because �5 million gets divided between the Football League

clubs and they don't have the confidence in their own youth set-

ups that they will get a bit return and they take the pennies instead.

You have to question it, a bit of a bullying tactics from the Premier

League to get it through. Threatening to withdraw the �5

million if they withdrew was tough talking tactics from the Premier

League and they knew what they were doing. Danny, I think it was part

of a number of measures, synergy between the Football League and

Premier Li, including media presentation and how many things

were done. I think it was pushed through quickly for fear of losing

money. Give us some positives. -- Premiere league. He it goes back to

when I was an apprentice, I was in Norwich, we had players from

Cornwall, Bristol, from all over the country. If you made it into an

academy, into the junior section of a football club, you were elite.

They had 12 or 15 players, no shadow squads. No satellite

academies. At the moment, for me, Premier League clubs spread far too

wide. They will take kids on the off chance that one of them is good.

These elite centres will mean they take the very best of the best and

will concentrate on them. Other good players will come through it

and those who do not quite make it will drop in at 19, 20. Stuff like

that. You are saying it is for the better good, is that what it is

about? Academies have not changed players coming through, we do not

develop any more players than when I was a young lad. The coaching

time has got less. The us will make it better? You need 10,000 hours to

become a expert at anything, we are far behind in this country.

Barcelona have done it for years, they produce much better quality

than us. If we are going to end up with a quality national side, we

need only two players and we do not have that at the moment. Not enough

focus on the elite. It is the wastage that worries me, Frank, you

were schooled by Arsenal from age 12 but only played one game in be

league Cup. Still a great career, but picking yourself up after being

squirted out, because it does not work that grew there. There were 15

to 20 of us at Arsenal, only one or two are still in the game. The

drop-out rate is incredible. If you had more coaching and time on De Ed

Balls did have made a difference? For all me, probably not. Academies,

whether it be Manchester United or Carlisle, they normally bank on

getting on average one player out of the Under 18 team into a first

team. That statistic has not changed. That his success. Until we

get three or four the English game will not get better. We must just

give a mention to Fabricio Coloccini. He made the team of the

year, nobody else did from our region. He has confounded all

critics, hasn't he? A in the first season he was nowhere, he looks

terrible. This year he has been brilliant and fully deserving. He

has led the team behind the scenes according to all counts. Pulling