Episode 9 Late Kick Off North East and Cumbria

On tonight's Late Kick Off, Gary Mills and Gateshead are heading to

Wembley for the first time in their history and they're now just one win

away from returning to the Football League after a 54`year absence.

Another team from our region will also play on the hallowed turf. West

Auckland are bidding to win the FA vase in the Northern League for the

sixth year running. But, after eight seasons in League One, Carlisle are

relegated and the Cumbians now have to face up to life in League Two.

Welcome to the last programme in this season's series of Late Kick

Off. So many different subjects to talk about tonight. Here to help me

` Middlesbrough players' player of the year George Friend, the

Darlington manager and former Sunderland player Martin Gray, and

Daily Mirror football writer Simon Bird. First tonight, congratulations

to Gateshead, who progressed to the Conference play`off final at Wembley

yesterday. Only Cambridge United now stand between Gary Mills' side and a

place in the Football League for the first time since 1960.

A crowd in excess of 8000 packed the International Stadium, with

Gateshead having to dig deep against a Grimsby Town side reduced to nine

men. Thomas back. Could still come to Marwood. He was looking for

Madison. He went for goal! Thomas with the pull back. Oh, they've done

it! Marwood's onside. Still Marwood! James Marwood! The goalkeeper's come

out. He hasn't got there. And that will seal it. O'Donnell with the

goal. 8000 fans here today. We've shown what we can get in this

stadium. I think our players have shown how well we can play and we've

got the football club to Wembley for the first time. You know, it feels

great. Now for the Football League. That's what we've got to Wembley

for. What a day for Gateshead. George,

you've been there in the play`off final at that level. What an

achievement for that team from where they've come from this season. It's

fantastic. I mean, the Conference is a very tough league. And Gateshead,

it's a fantastic story. They worked their way up and, to get this far,

they'll be very proud of that. But they will want to go now and win

that. Having played in it against Cambridge, it's a hard day. It's an

exciting day. And I'm sure it is one they'll really enjoy and it's a

massive achievement if they get up. People talk about the Championship

play`off final and getting into the Premier League being the biggest

game. But at that level, you've played within it, as you say, the

expectancy, the prize is so huge to get back into the Football League.

Yeah, everyone wants to be a League club. You don't hear anything really

about Conference teams, non`League teams. There is that status of being

in the League and it's just fantastic if they can do it. To have

8000 people there. I mean, unbelievable for the area to have

another club, hopefully, in the Football League next season.

Martin, when Gary Mills walked in, they were sixth bottom. They

finished third. They are now one game away from the Football League.

With your manager's hat on, put into context what he's done. I think he

brought his style from day one. I knew Gary in the past and, regarding

how well he did at York City, I think the discipline he brought to

the club straightaway and his organisation and probably his

experience... I heard his interviews regarding his experience, so

hopefully it will make a big impact in the play`offs. As George said,

they are now 90 minutes away from being a Football League club again.

And they have their place, quite rightly, in the spotlight. Even

local papers dedicating half the back page to them today. That's

right. Newspapers thrive on a success story. This is a rare

north`east success story. Sales go up when teams win, not when they go

down. People misunderstand that about the media sometimes, that we

actually need our teams to be successful. Now, 8144 ` a terrific

crowd for Gateshead yesterday. Probably some Newcastle fans in

there, as well as Sunderland, which was great to see. Talking of

Newcastle, you and I were both at St James's Park on Saturday for that

victory over Cardiff. The 69th minute that some supporters groups

asked supporters to walk out. It was a strange one, wasn't it? What did

you make of it? It was a very strange day. It's the first time

I've seen Newcastle United fans actually turning against a manager

so vocally and vociferously during a game. Usually Newcastle fans step

back and don't want to affect the performance on the pitch and save

their grumbles for the pub or the internet later. I wasn't surprised

by it because it has been brewing for a few weeks. I thought the 69th

minute walk`out was quite significant. I thought the campaign

worked. A lot of people stood up and walked out. I went out myself to see

what was happening and there was a few thousand, I would say, out

there. It just shows the brewing discontent and unhappiness since

January. It is leaving the club in a very difficult position in terms of

where they go from here. Unsavoury headlines for Newcastle despite a

win. Magnificent ones for your former club again, Martin,

Sunderland. Ten points from 12. Where have they come from? They have

done unbelievable. Since he's come to the club, people talk about the

last month but since he came and took the job and the them to

Wembley, which was a fantastic achievement, along with the pressure

of trying to stay in the Premier League, and what he has done in the

last month itself, it is above everybody's expectations. But, you

have to look at the staff, not just himself, they have stayed together

and had self belief within the football club. It looks like now,

hopefully, Sunderland will be a Premier League club next year again.

Give us a player's insight, George, because when you are seven points

adrift, mentally, that must be difficult. And the players have gone

out on this unbelievable run at the biggest clubs in the League. Do you

know what? I think it helped them knowing that they had that big

challenge and it gave that unity and team spirit to try and achieve

something, almost the impossible. It was said they needed a miracle and

the players have produced it. It is fantastic to see them doing so well

and hopefully they will be in the Premier League because they are a

Premier League club. Simon, the only concern Sunderland supporters have

at the moment are stories that three other clubs have written to the

Premier League asking why there weren't points deducted for Ji

Dong`won and not just a fine. What is your understanding on that? There

is a lot of precedent of teams who have accidentally fielded an

ineligible player being deducted points. So this is a big issue. I

think Sunderland are fairly confident they won't be deducted

points. The action that the bottom three teams are taking right now is

against the Premier League and maybe they would be looking for financial

compensation. I very much doubt the Premier League will deduct points

from Sunderland. OK, watch that space. Now, Martin's Darlington felt

the pain of the play`offs last week as they aim to climb back to another

level. Step seven of a footballing pyramid.

Darlington's hopes of promotion from the Northern Premier League First

Division North ended in controversial circumstances at

Heritage Park. This first`minute challenge by Owen Roberts left Leon

Scott with a broken leg which was punished only with a yellow card.

Billy Priestley put Ramsbottom ahead after 23 minutes and then Jordan

Hulme made it 2`0 before half`time. Having already sent Martin Gray from

the touchline, the referee showed Thompson a second yellow for diving.

He sent off Jordan Robinson later as well. Ramsbottom beat Bamber Bridge

in the final. They go up. Quakers must try again next year.

Martin, commiserations. It all happened there. You were sent to the

stands. I guess you're still frustrated now. Yeah, I think so. If

you look at how far the club has come in two seasons, getting the

promotion last year and doing very well, and we are on target for

another promotion. You know, you look at the work, from the chief

scout to the fans to the volunteers. To have the game taken

away from you within the first ten or 15 seconds, the most important

game of the season, with a real, real bad referee decision, you know,

it's just really sours all that hard work we put in. How have you gone

about getting a feel`good factor back in your time there? A club

demoted four divisions is a tough one to take, isn't it? It has been a

fantastic challenge and that's why I took the job. It was about what I

want to do with my staff and the players we've brought in. We

inherited a blank canvas to work off so, you know, it's been fantastic.

It's been a great challenge. We had to sort of get a promotion in year

one and we did that. We have a fantastic fan base from year one

which stayed with us. Hopefully we can get our club back into

Darlington. How big an issue is that, to be playing in Darlington

next season? That is crucial. Like every club, you want to be playing

in your hometown or city. We are no different. As good as Bishop

Auckland has been for us, it has come to the time, the third season

coming up in August, we have to get back into Darlington hopefully by

Christmas. That will increase the revenue, the footfall of fans, local

support from businesses as well. Hopefully that will allow everybody

to have a better playing budget to keep building a better football

club. A busy summer ahead so very good luck with that. Now,

Middlesbrough ended the season with a convincing win at Yeovil, ensuring

a 12th place finish. Middlesbrough were always in control

of their last day trip to relegated Yeovil from the moment Danny Graham

put them in front at 31 minutes. Even though James Hayter equalised

for the hosts, they responded twice before half`time. First Emmanuel

Ledesma and then Lee Tomlin found the target. They saved the best till

last, Emmanuel Ledesma again with an emphatic effort and Graham's failure

from close range was unimportant in the scheme of things. A handsome win

for Middlesbrough who ended the season in the top half of the

Championship table. A top`half finish. I know you didn't

play in that game through injury. Is that about right? How would you

assess the Middlesbrough season, George? It is about right that there

were four goals and I didn't play. You are right with that one. It has

been a real season of change. Obviously Tony Mowbray left and then

Aitor Karanka came in and I think he has been superb. It's a real shame

it didn't work with Tony. He brought me in as one of his signings. But

Aitor has been fantastic. He has really made the defence solid. I

know I mention it every week but he has. I think it is probably about

right. We're frustrated we are not in the play`offs cos it is too many

seasons now we have not made the play`offs. I was going to say that.

One top`ten finish since they slipped out of the Premier League.

Is that a minimum requirement next season to be in and around those

play`offs? Yeah, we are not going to go talking about promotion but I

think every team in the Championship thinks they're going to get promoted

otherwise what are you doing there? You are one league away from the

Premier League. But we have everything set up and we have the

right manager and all the right players. I think a few more ins and

outs in the summer, probably. And we should be fine. Talking of ins and

outs, what is your understanding? Can Middlesbrough fans expect the

season business in the summer? `` to see some business. I definitely

think it will be a summer of change and a season of change. There will

be a few players out of contract who will probably go. I think Karanka

will get on the phone to Mourinho and see what loan deals he can

strike with some younger players, and to Madrid as well. That is

certainly an avenue he is going down. Danny Graham, they signed him.

`` will they sign him? Now, Carlisle United needed something very special

to avoid relegation into League Two on Saturday.

Most away days are long days as a Carlisle fan. Many of these

supporters have been to Crawley midweek for a 0`0 draw. But when

your last trip of the season is to the champions and you must win to

stand the chance of League One survival, it takes a special kind of

person to remain optimistic. What was the mood like midweek when

you had that long journey back, knowing what the likely scenario was

going to be? It's unbelievable, really. Not down at all. We were

singing on the bus. There was laughter and everything. My brother

is a priest and he's been praying for us. So that's the best I can do.

We had some long journeys. If we do go down, we've got some longer

journeys next year. Win, lose or draw, this bus is happy every

Saturday night. Win or lose. More so this season ` lose.

A crowd just shy of 30,000 turned up at Molineux to celebrate Wolves'

promotion. Carlisle arrived knowing even if they won they need both

Tranmere and Crewe to slip up. Before the game, chairman Andrew

Jenkins apologised to fans, citing financial restrictions and injuries

and suspensions the key players as reasons for the club's performance.

He indicated they would keep faith with Graham Kavanagh. Miracles do

happen in football, don't they? They do and they have happened to this

club many times in the past. We've had Jimmy Glass to keep us in the

League. That is the message we send the players today and we'll give it

our best shot and we'll work as hard as we possibly can. Fans are really

up for it. Probably just seen the vicars looking for divine

intervention. I'm sure Elvis is here as well somewhere. It's been really

good, great atmosphere. Let's hope it's a great atmosphere just before

five o'clock. Ultimately, you already deserve to be in the

football. That's the bottom four and we'll have to bounce back next

season. But you never say never today. They needed something

extraordinary to happen but United couldn't have got off to a worse

start. Wolves skipper Sam Ricketts scored

the opening goal with just five minutes on the clock. An

all`too`familiar feeling for the boss. News filtered through that

both Tranmere and Crewe were winning and the size of Carlisle's task was

getting greater by the minute. Michael Jacobs headed home a second

for Wolves and things could have got even worse before the first half

came to a close. With survival hopes extinguished and

even divine inspiration seemingly out of the question... An air of

frustration was prevalent among the travelling fans. Carlisle never

really threatened the home side, for whom Nouha Dicko rounded off a

comfortable win. Wolves, who amassed a record`breaking 103 League One

points, enjoyed the party atmosphere as the clock ticked down on

Carlisle's eight years stay in the division. We weren't good enough

today in most departments. And this group of players needs to

change. How much change will there be over the summer? The players will

find out on Tuesday. We'll tell them on Tuesday. We've got times for all

the players to be in and they'll find out. But I think the biggest

thing has got to be lessons learned. It's very disappointing because we

lost points where we shouldn't really have lost points, against the

bottom of the league. You know, and if we had got those points ` 15

points ` we wouldn't have been in this position. I'll still be going

if we go back in the conference. I'll still be going. We've got to

keep going otherwise there is no Carlisle United. I feel responsible

for what's after happening, regardless of what's gone before.

I'm not going to make any rash decisions. I'm certainly here for

the long haul. Well, I hope I am, anyway. I certainly want to put this

right. I want to get us back to where, at least, we belong, in

League One. So, confirmation that Carlisle finished third`from`bottom

in League One, relegated to League Two.

Five points, in the end, away from safety. Martin, Graham Kavanagh

disappointed. First game in charge. He says that tomorrow morning, he's

got big meetings with players. How difficult is that to do as a

manager? I think he's got to look at it from a manager's point of view.

It's his chance now to, sort of, you know, bring in the players that he

needs to bring in. He took on a job from a really well`run manager. Greg

Abbot did a fantastic job. It's your first season in charge and he took

the job on, obviously, because the club was having a tough time at that

moment in time. But I'm sure he will have learned an awful lot from this

season. He'll be better for it, believe it or not, long`term. I

think, you know, sometimes it's a little bit of... You know, you

haven't got quite there and it will make you a better manager, a better

player, and I've experienced that over the years. So, you know, I

wouldn't like to be them players going in there tomorrow morning but

I'm sure it's a chance for him to start to build his football club

now. OK. League Two action now. Here's Simon again.

Already assured of their League Two play`off spot, York City looked to

be heading for defeat at Scunthorpe when Paddy Madden headed the home

side in front and Terry Hawkridge added a second. But Ryan Brobbel's

stunning effort just before half`time gave the Minstermen hope.

And Will Hayhurst's second`half equaliser scuppered Scunthorpe's

lingering hopes of topping the League Two table. York will face

Fleetwood Town in the play`offs, with the first leg at Bootham

Crescent on May 10th. Their League Two safety assured, the

pressure was off Hartlepool for the visit of Exeter to Victoria Park.

But Pools were unable to finish the season with a bang. Jimmy Keohane's

curling effort found its way in off the bar, with David Wheeler adding a

second. Jonathan Franks was fouled in the penalty area just before

half`time but Jack Compton's penalty was saved. There were no further

goals, so Colin Cooper's men end up just three points above the League

Two relegation zone. Now, football fanzines have played a

big part in the culture of the game since the 1980s but, as Nisha Joshi

reports, they're having to change with the digital age. A Love

Supreme, just ?2.50. Fanzines have been a match`day

staple for many supporters for around 30 years. It's a fan's

version of a story, rather than politically, like it is in the

programme. I love the way the content is. It's a true reflection

of what the fans feel. In recent years, circulations of most titles

have fallen. You can get it all online now. You can get on the

fanzines and have a look on there so that's pretty much what I tend to do

with the majority of my reading. People find it easier, don't they,

to get it online? So people don't bother with them as much now, do

they? Here in Newcastle, the last`ever paper copies of The Mag,

in true faith, have now been printed. That means there isn't a

single Newcastle fanzine remaining that regularly goes to press. After

26 years, 289 issues, this is the last print copy of The Mag. It made

sense to put all our energies into the website. The future is still

bright for The Mag, if not Newcastle United. Fanzines have come a long

way since their humble beginnings in the 1980s. The first few issues were

done on a typewriter that had a dodgy vowel key. It meant trying to

avoid any words with the letter U in it. The first issue was about 50.

Within about two years, it had gone up to 2,500 per match. Now we're...

You can strike a couple of noughts off the end or something. In recent

years, fanzines have had to adapt to the digital age, with many becoming

more like monthly periodicals. We used to have a lot of things in the

magazine like match reports and letters and stuff and they tend to

go on the website now because, obviously, by the time you bring

them out, they could have been and gone. Especially the frequency that

Sunderland have sacked their managers over the last couple of

seasons. Fly Me To The Moon's future is in doubt. Crowds have dwindled.

That makes as big a difference as all the interactive media. So we'll

see at the end of the season. I don't really want to quit. A Love

Supreme is thriving as a business, selling T`shirts to match`day

travel. Although circulation is down, it's got no plans to stop

printing for now. So can fanzines survive the digital age? In the

paper version, I'm not sure that they can long`term. Now they're

wanting something they can look at on an iPad, on a smartphone. So it

is, again, giving fans what they want. They might not get what they

want in the ground but in their favourite magazine, they can still

get it online. Now, the North East has enjoyed an

incredible running streak in the FA Vase in recent years and West

Auckland are hoping to continue that trend. Here's Nisha again.

This Saturday, a team from a small town in County Durham will play on

Wembley's hallowed turf. West Auckland are into the last two of

the FA Vase, out of more than 500 teams. They're battling through

their final fixtures ahead of meeting Wessex Premier League side

Sholing in the final. We need to make sure that we're right on the

ball from the first minute to the 90th. I think there's a massive

excitement if I'm honest with you. It's probably detracting from

everything else we're trying to do, which is understandable. There's a

really buoyant mood in the camp. West Auckland are hoping to follow

in the footsteps of Spennymoor Town, Dunston UTS and Whitley Bay, who won

it three times in a row. If so, it will be the sixth successive year a

North East team has won the vase. Step five, which is the level that

we play at, is widely recognised as being the best step five league in

the country. And year`on`year, we prove that by getting teams to the

final. West Auckland's FA Vase run has led to a massive backlog of

fixtures. A good FA Cup run at the start of the season has added to the

problem. And with 14 games between the semis and the final, they've

been averaging a match every two days. Before the transfer deadline,

I signed about five or six players who weren't going to be eligible to

play in the Vase. So I signed them... Sorry, we nearly scored

there. I signed them in the knowledge that they couldn't play in

the Vase and that wouldn't be a distraction. West Auckland are

already famous silverware winners. They won the first`ever World Cup in

1909. It was a team of miners that was made up from West Auckland. They

went over to Italy to play against the Germans and Swiss teams and the

Italians. And in 1909, we beat them. We went back in 1911 and won it

again. It's a big story for us, obviously. Yeah, well, it is

because, like I say, we're known as the winners of the first World Cup

but we'd like to be known as the last winners of the FA vase. And if

we can do that on May 10th, I'll be ecstatic. The dream nearly came true

for West Auckland in 2012, when they made the final but lost 2`0 to

Dunston UTS. We don't want to be repeating that.

And if the lads can't get motivated to win this time, then they've got

no chance. But we have had other times. Like, I've got here the

programme for '61 when we went to Wembley ` and lost, unfortunately.

Then I've been again in 2012 with the Vase team. We lost again. So

this is third time lucky. I'm not going any more unless we win this

one. There'll be much more than pride at stake in the final. The

winner of the vase gets 25,000 vital pounds, which West Auckland would

use to improve facilities and the squad. They're favourites ahead of

their trip to Wembley, where they'll take 3,000 fans. This time, they

hope nothing stands in their way. In 2012, it was a big, big surprise

for us to go all the way in it. We knocked good sides out of it. And

then what we did since then... The manager's done a great job and he's

built a new team. Hopefully, they can produce. I know it's not the

World Cup but it's the vase at the end of the day and it's like our

World Cup. We've just got to win it, to be honest. And will you?

Definitely. And I'll score two. There you go. And the very best of

luck to West Auckland at Wembley. A team you know well, Martin, having

played against them last season. What is it about the Northern League

in the North East and the FA vase? I just think it shows you how strong

the competition is. I think the Northern League itself is a

fantastic league. It produces lots of good local footballers. Lots of

players drop out of the pro games, the Newcastles and Sunderlands. And

I think the quality of play now at step five is very good. I think it's

proven with the Spennymoors and the Dunstons and the Whitley Bays that

the FA vase has been always coming back to the North East. So I think

it's a great time for West Auckland to now bring it back for themselves.

Let's hope so. Right, let's do our final Twitter questions of the

series. Loads of them as usual. Thank you very much indeed. Simon, a

question for you. Who is your Sunderland and Newcastle player of

the year? For Sunderland, I'd go for Fabio Borini. I like the way he's

buzzed around and really kept it up, even when they had a bad time. For

Newcastle, I'd go for Loic Remy. Because where would Newcastle be

without his goals? George, Graham says, "do you think the longer Boro

stay in the Championship, the harder it will be to get into the Premier

League?". That's a great question. I think the first year you come down

from the Premier League, it's crucial. So for the likes of QPR

this season, they've got to go back up. But you could flip it and say,

the longer you're in the league the better you know it. And I think

Middlesbrough really know what needs to be done now. They've brought in a

manager like Aitor and hopefully they'll get out of it soon. Alan

says, "Whatever happens at Wembley for Gateshead, what a season. We

must keep Gary Mills". Ann says, "Martin, what are you going to do

next season to make sure we learn from this and get promoted". We've

got to get off to a real good start. I think it's important that we go

for a promotion. There's no hiding away from that and it's important

that we start off pre`season, as we did last year, very strong. But

hopefully we don't slip up. One or two of the lesser games where we

didn't really turn up and perform... Just be more consistent over the

season, as we were the season before. Gaz, the Newcastle fan,

says, "Simon, it's been so frustrating. We gave up in January.

How damaging was the FA Cup defeat to Cardiff?". Hugely damaging. They

rested players for that game, Cabaye and Remy. Newcastle should be going

for their first team, their first choice 11, for every cup game. And

if Newcastle don't do that next year, then there's going to be

trouble because I want to see that, fans want to see that and managers

should be demanding that, as well. OK. And George, what does a

championship player do in close season? Probably quite similar to

what you do. Go on holiday, go abroad, mostly. I like to play a bit

of beach volleyball to keep fit. Get on the beach, get a bit of sun and

try and get your body to recuperate for the next season. It's just a

time to rest, enjoy yourself and... Yeah, that's what I like to do.

Time for us all to rest. Gentlemen, thank you for your company. That is

it tonight and for this season. Our thanks to George, Martin and, as

ever, Simon. Thank you for your company throughout the series and

thank you for your Twitter questions, comments and archive

requests tonight as well. Tonight we've delved to leave you with the

last piece of major silverware won by a team in the North East. It's

Steve McClaren and Middlesbrough's 2004 League Cup triumph. From all of

the team, good night. MUSIC: "Take Me Out" by Franz

Ferdinand 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.