28/04/2014 Late Kick Off North West

Good evening. This team went into the weekend sliding towards

relegation, this one kicked off knowing they could be promoted, and

the manager of Bolton Wanderers knew he was due on this sofa tonight,

talk about pressure. Welcome to Late Kick Off.

Coming up on tonight's Late Kick Off...

Glad all over, we are on the road with Blackpool for the best day in

five months. First time we have scored two goals

since November, over the moon. Up the Dale, the Late Kick Off

cameras catch the celebrations. And talking Bolton, Wanderers boss

Dougie Freedman is our studio guest. What a weekend. Here with me

tonight, you have already seen him, the Bolton boss, Dougie Freedman,

alongside him a man who scored over 100 goals as a player and manager

with Oldham Athletic, Andy Ritchie. More from the boys in just a minute.

With massive relegation fears and another week of warring between

owners the Oystons and a section of supporters the last thing many

Blackpool fns expected on Saturday was the feel`good day of the season.

But up against promotion contenders Wigan they produced their best

performance in months, delighting their travelling army of fanatical

fans. Ian Haslam was there to see the DW Stadium turn tangerine.

Recent key plotlines in the ongoing Blackpool soap opera have included

turmoil, Tangerines and tennis balls.

Missiles thrown onto the pitch, the far side. However, Monday's good

points at Brighton suggested whatever is happening off the pitch,

hope remained on it. Especially when backed by around 4,000 supporters.

In an apparent peacemaking gesture the club offered season`ticket

holders free tickets to the game. I think it is a good idea, getting

4,000 fans there today, the tangerine army making a load of

noise supporting the team, will hopefully inspire them to a good

result. Want to go down there and win so we don't go to League 1 next

season. We have got this big game, really nervous. I am quite

optimistic, I don't think we are going to go down.

I don't know if today is a must win, that will be determined on how other

results go today. Certainly Blackpool could get a victory today

and get it into their own hands for the last day of the season, they

would strongly fancy their chances. A potentially fascinating 90 minutes

ahead, one Northwest side looking for the win that will guarantee them

a play`off place, the other going for three points that might just

keep them in this division. What more can you ask for? Coming

here, winning 2`0, fantastic. That is the best performance for a long,

long time. The first time we have scored two goals since November,

over the moon. They will stay up if they get it next year, we support

the team. The best game of the season. We have stayed up. Come on!

Well deserved win today, a vital time to get a win. The fans singing

we are staying up, are you? We have got a big game next week. I

am not going to get carried away, it was a great performance, a great

team effort. A hard game against Charlton next week. The fans were

brilliant, they're backed you all the way, it was about the team on

the pitch. It was fantastic to see them all

there, what a great day. That does give us a lift as well, hopefully

next week they can be as loud and as vocal as they were today. I was a

proud man standing at the touchline. I am delighted for the group of

boys, they have come in for a bit of criticism about their effort and

commitment. I think you have seen that in the last three games, what

it really means for them to play for Blackpool.

Don't adjust your set, he really was tangerine.

A look at the bottom of the Championship table shows Blackpool

within touching distance of safety, ironically Wigan could all but

secure it for them tomorrow night. The Seasiders will be all but

mathematically safe if the Latics win at Birmingham, a victory will

also confirm their place in the play`offs. Bolton host Birmingham on

Saturday, while the Seasiders have what could still be a crunch clash

with Charlton. Wigan finish the regular season at Rovers who still

have slim play`off hopes themselves. There should be another promotion

party for Burnley fans at Reading, more on Burnley in just a second.

What an amazing result after the soap opera that has gone on. It is

an amazing season for them. The big roller`coaster, and there is one in

Blackpool, pardon the pun. What an amazing result. Don't think anybody

saw that coming. It was a really good performance. The goalkeeper

saving the penalty, that set them up and they went on from there. He is a

great keeper. Carl Oyston said Barry had done a great job, a chance for

them to have a fresh start next season, the board making gestures

towards the fans, calming gestures, to try and sort it out. That is all

they can hope for. They have got to make a big decision. If they manage

to stay up, and they have taken a giant step with that result, they

have got to make their decision, do we have a fresh start, bring

somebody new in, or do we stick with Barry and go for it next season?

Just want to quickly mention Wigan, they were the team informed,

suddenly they are stumbling. `` in form. Have they got what it takes? I

think he will get them would up and they will find themselves in the

play`offs. One team that doesn't have to worry

about it, Burnley had their second promotion celebration within a week

having kicked off against Ipswich with next season's Permier League

place already in the bag. The players received their medals for

winning promotion. All this after finishing their home campaign with

their 15th home win of the league season. It was Michael Kightly who

scored the only goal of the game early in the second half. Danny Ings

doing all the hard work. Clarets fans will have coverage of your

victory parade on next week's show. Congratulations as well to the

Clarets trio of Kieran Trippier, Jason Shackell and Danny Ings, all

named in the PFA's Championship team of the Year. If Wigan lose at

Birmingham on Tuesday Blackburn could still the play`off place that

has looked a certainty. `` steal. If they beat the side of Saturday and

Brighton lose. 11 games unbeaten for Blackburn who beat Charlton 3`1 at

the Valley on Saturday. Sixth goal in as many games got them on their

way of before Paul Robinson played his part saving a spot kick from

Marvin Sordell. Michael Keane doubled robustly to converting Craig

Conway 's set lead. Tom Kenny wrapped up the points just after the

hour mark following efforts had been stopped on the line. The one

Championship side we haven't seen tonight is the one managed by this

man, Dougie Freedman. He is just about to finish

player of all time. In 1996 while playing for Crystal Palace's court

and 11 minute hat`trick, spells with Wolves and Nottingham Forest

borrowed, before he resigned for Palace in 2000, and scored a late

winner against Stockport and save the club from relegation to the

third tier. He scored on his international debut against Latvia,

in a World Cup team that are heading in the right

direction, very hungry. You inherited a team, you have lost one

out of nine, is this more the Bolton the fans can expect? The last two

seasons your study poorly then turned round. The first season I

wasn't here at the beginning, it was later on we finished and just missed

out on goal difference. The mistakes I made in the summer was not

recruiting a certain type of player, I felt the existing players would

reproduce what they had done. That wasn't the case, we started very

poorly. You can't look into next season, wondering what is going to

happen, you have got to be positive. We got a few players out of contract

which will give us a bit of breathing space financially, let us

recruit the type of player and profile we need in the championship.

You talk about mistakes with recruitment, did you put too much

trust in the plays that were there? I felt the players deserved to be

given a go, the second year in the championship, they produced

wonderful moments, certainly not enough wonderful moments, and I felt

they deserved to be given a go again. Now the chairman was

fantastic, backed the financial commitment once again, so certain

personnel let their team`mates downs. We shouldn't change around,

we got a few loans in which helped us along the way, picked up certain

results, the good group there. The group that want to face in the right

direction, come in every day training very hard towards it. There

is no secret in the championship, you have got to have the right

profile in a profile, young and hungry really fits that. A certain

kind of player is needed and required. How close are you to

Dougie Freedman's ideal side? With this annual loss, 50 million quid,

you have got to cut costs, you have had so many good players on loan

this season. You going to lose all those? I will say an answer maybe

everybody doesn't want to hear but I have got to have one eye is on the

financial balance sheet. It is a business, I cannot see very falsely

what we are going to be. Also I have got to have another eye on the

playing squad and make surel we are competitive for next season. Trying

to balance the books but make sure the type of player I bring in is a

younger player, more potential to try and get that into the training

ground the better. My first love is coaching. That is where I learnt my

trade. That is what we are trying to get to. If I look at the squad these

days it is a lot younger, that comes with financial benefits as well. Zac

Knight, he was out of contract at the end of the season, how many of

the players that start the last game may start next season? Will it be

that much of a change? There will be a transition of course, that happens

naturally. We have made some decisions on what we are going to do

financially and certain players will be affected. We will keep the

nucleus of the squad, it is at the right mentality to take the club

forward. I don't want any players at Bolton who want to be here just

because financial benefits or benefits them to stay around the

area, I will not come over here, I want people that want to get better

as players. To ask me is that team starting to be myself, over time you

will get the right personnel or the management to try and pick the

person that fits its own personality and that has been happening over the

last three or four months. One or two of the loans have got to go

back. When you do a loan move it is alone with, you know the story will

be going back to his parent club. Just finally, for now, some of the

fans haven't been convinced throughout the season. I don't think

that's a surprise. Do you feel you are now bringing them around to your

way? Listen, Bolton fans pay good money to get in to watch their team

and they are entitled to their opinion and I have no problem with

that and some days I have been disappointed myself, but we have to

look at the whole picture and where we are and what we've had for the

last ten years, fantastic success, and where we are right now. I'm not

a kind of manager or coach that will go in and blow the budget, that has

happened to too many teams where you have different owners who put the

club in jeopardy of losing points in administration, so I tried to be

honest and upfront with the fans and tell them it will be a difficult

period but we will pull through and that's what we have done. So the

type of football we've been playing, one or two youngsters come in, it is

positive going forward, everyone wants to win the game, I'm the same,

I'm a fan and want to win every game but we have to be realistic about

where we're going and have a plan of how to get there and I think we've

got that. OK, Dougie, thank you, thanks for your honesty. Both ends

of League Two kept us captivated this season, with a couple of clubs

pushing for promotion and the others all having relegation worries at one

point or another. A rather special look at the top for one of our teams

in a few moments, but it is at the bottom that BBC Radio Manchester's

Delyth Lloyd starts her round`up of the weekend's action. Morecambe fans

have endured weeks of worry as their side slid alarmingly towards the

bottom two, but now they can sleep soundly after securing next season's

place in the Football League. Two goals in two minutes on the stroke

of half`time secured that status. Jack Redshaw took advantage of

confusion in the area to score the first, while he turned provider for

the second, setting up Jamie Devitt to relieve the tension even further.

The Shrimps made it three in stoppage time. Andrew Fleming was

impeded in the box and Paddy Amond made no mistake from the spot.

Morecambe safe, and Stanley too, after their eighth away win of the

campaign. Kayode Odejayi put them ahead in the first half at Oxford

after James Gray's effort was saved by Ryan Clark. Gray finally got his

goal, firing in from the angle after the break.

Bury's 4`4 draw with Portsmouth felt more like a defeat after the Shakers

led 3`0 and even 4`2 with just three minutes to go. On`loan Everton

striker Hallam Hope has now scored five goals in seven games after a

hat`trick here. His first two gave the home side a comfortable cushion

at the break before Andy Procter increased the lead early in the

second half. Pompey finally got a foothold in the game when Danny

Hollands made it 3`1, but even when they made it to 3`2, the Shakers

regained control when Hope stylishly completed his hat`trick on 87

minutes. Backed by almost 2000 travelling fans, Portsmouth earned

an unlikely point through Sonny Bradley and, in the third minute of

injury time, Wes Fogden. Finally to Fleetwood, who are now

confirmed in the play`offs after Chesterfield clinched the final

promotion place there today. `` yesterday. Steven Schumacher's free

kick evaded everyone, to give the home side the lead against Southend

eight minutes before half`time, but crucially it was a lead that didn't

last long. Barry Corr levelled just four minutes later, to leave both

sides with a point ahead of a possible play`off meeting next

month. Let's start our look at the League

Two table. Confirmation Morecambe are safe. Well done to Jim Bentley

and the boys. The top half shows Fleetwood in the play`offs and that

lovely big P alongside Rochdale means "promoted".

Fleetwood in the play`offs and that At Spotland on Saturday, there were

celebrations, selfies and a sense of deja vu.

celebrations, selfies and a sense of Rochdale are guaranteed promotion to

League One thanks to a 2`0 win over Cheltenham. Late Kick Off never

shies away from a good party, so Alex Worsley and cameraman Chris

joined the team for a shower. # We are going up, say we are going

up! # It's unbelievable. I never think I will play a game. # Bastien

Hery! Bastien Hery! # We've worked hard all season, it's been within

our grasp for the past few weeks, it shows the squad what we've got and

finally we've got there. I expect I will have a hangover in the morning.

Absolutely magic game. This is what you aim for with a football club.

They've won more games than any other team in this division. They've

been on the brink of promotion for some time but they kept these fans

waiting, but today finally it's Rochdale's day. I waited four years

for this. A great atmosphere. Unbelievable. That's three

promotions I've seen, at my age, three promotions. Come on, the Dale.

And here is how it happened. Henderson across to Vincenti. Peter

Vincenti. This is Hery, for Donnelly, and Ian Henderson makes it

two for Rochdale. It's Rochdale two, Cheltenham Town nil. Hang on,

haven't we been here before? Four years ago Rochdale were promoted

from the same division in the same day with the same manager. But

something went wrong. This is one small step for Keith Hill but it's

one giant leap into League One for Rochdale. Following that promotion,

Rochdale had a solid season in League One, but then the manager,

Keith Hill, was lured away by championship side Barnsley. Ten

months later, Rochdale dropped back into League Two, but lessons have

been learned and budgets scrutinised. This time we've got a

squad that I think mostly the squad is ready to play in League One

football, so it is a case of strengthening them. Keith is aware

of that and prepared, and we know realistically, it we are at the top

of league one in 12 months, our gates will still only be ?3000,

something like that, and we have to cut our cloth accordingly. We owe

the supporters the reward of getting promoted back to league one. Will

you stay with the club through next season? Without question. I'm happy.

My mate David Flitcroft says happiness bring success, success

doesn't always bring you happiness, and I 100%agree with him. And that's

good news for the fans as they celebrate on the pitch with the

class of 2014. Imagine this in Man United. It is a family club and it

is well run. The football is good. It's brilliant. Everyone is so

friendly, even players, they bring kids. It's a good family feel to the

club. The girls on the front, down to the kit men, they're pulling in

the right direction and it makes the success all the sweeter. I got

promoted when I was 18, 19. I'm now 29, so it's a long period to wait

for that feeling inside that is so joyful and we've been taking so many

groupies and selfie pictures. It's been incredible. I think we'll go to

Vegas and celebrate as a team. Well done to Rochdale. Let's hope

they get to Vegas and let's hope they get bigger crowns than the

manager is expecting. Four local League Two lads have made the PFA's

Team of the Year. Fleetwood's Antoni Sarcevic and the Rochdale trio of

Michael Rose, Ian Henderson and Scott Hogan. Well done to them.

While Wardale have booked their place in League One next season,

Tranmere are just hoping to stay there. It's with Rovers match at

Leyton Orient that we start this round`up.

Tranmere's fate will be decided on the last day of the season at home

to Bradford, but after this defeat things are no longer in their own

hands. Orient took the lead just before the break, when Kevin Lisby

nudged home from close range. To add salt to the Rovers' wounds, it was

their former striker Chris Dagnall who doubled the lead after the

break, punishing Owain Fon Williams' mishit clearance. Crewe are point

and a place above Tranmere and control their destiny after earning

a hard`fought point at Bristol city. Mathias Pogba had their best chance

of the first half, while Matt Tootle had the best chance to win the match

but shot wide. Oldham did Crewe and Tranmere a favour by beating their

relegation rivals Carlisle. James Dayton got the only goal to extend

his side's unbeaten run to eight. Preston are building for the

play`offs and cruised to a win at home to Gillingham, with John Welch

getting them on their way after eight minutes. The visitors

equalised on the stroke of half`time. Preston regained control

after the break with Paul Gallagher on target from the edge of the box.

Neil Kilkenny secured the points to win his first touch. `` with his

very first touch. The top of the table shows Preston

needing to better Leyton Orient's result next Saturday to clinch third

place in that thing off against Peterborough. The bottom half shows

how dire things are for Tranmere and Crewe with a game to go. Carlisle

play their game in hand on Tuesday. They are away at mid`table Crawley

while Oldham host Sheffield United. Oldham still have a major say in

relegation because they are at home to Notts. The Alex host Preston

Rovers need all the support they can muster at home to Bradford. Andy,

it's getting desperate for those two teams. You would look on paper,

Crewe playing Preston at home to Bradford. Tranmere possibly have the

advantage. They aren't home, `` they are at home, so that is a major

advantage and playing Bradford, although they have nothing to play

for, that could be even worse because they may feel as if they

will just go out and play with abandonment and could cause them

problems, but you would think Tranmere have the better of the two

fixtures. Dougie, what is it like at this part of the season with one

game to go? Do the cliches come out, is it like a shoot out where form

goes out the window? No, it doesn't matter, you think you're in the

relegation zone is, you might not perform as well as you possibly

could, if in a promotion winning side you might be free and try

things you wouldn't try, so I can't say, different feelings at different

ends, I've been at the bottom and top and different feelings come

across in different ways and I would not like to be a bookmaker trying to

pick what's going to happen. It's difficult. And a yes and no, you

know from the crowd what is going on at other games? Does the manager

shout scores? Very rarely. I just now on `` plough on and try to do

what you got to do. Because you might read the crowd wrong and that

would be a disaster. Possibly. Go and watch any of our teams in action

and it is clear all our players can easily pick a pass or tackle at

time, but over the last few weeks we realised it is a different matter

when it comes to spelling definitely. It's time for One on

One, starring Preston North end. Josh Brownhill is sporting number

30. Jack King is your number 32. Who plays at the ProAct stadium?

They're in league two. Chesterfield. Fantastic. What is manager Simon

Grayson's middle name? David. John. Richard. Josh. Michael. Ian. Joe.

Jack. Edward. Lynn. Its Nicholas. According to a senior Preston North

end source, who is the biggest player in the squad? Lee Holmes.

What? What? There's no one else. Alex Nicholson. Me. Yes, it's you,

Jack King. According to that same senior Preston Northend source, who

is the worst player to sit next to on the team bus? Craig Davies. Chris

Humphries. According to the senior club source, the reason is that he

talks, er, rubbish. Which professional sports club does Simon

Grayson's brother Paul coach? Football club. Cricket. It's

cricket. Lancashire. Yorkshire. Yorkshire. Essex. In the Bible, what

job did Jesus Father Joseph do for a living? Shepherd. Holmey, you have

to know this. What is it? What? Someone who works with wood.

Somebody who hangs doors. Carpenter. Carpenter. How many livers does a

human being have? Two or one. Three. And if you're wondering why Josh

struggled with that one, it looks like he hasn't taken his 11+ yet.

Many thanks to Dougie and Andy for coming in. Thanks for that. We'll be

around all week on BBC iPlayer. One week of the season to go and one

more late kick`off to come. We'll be here next Bank Holiday Monday to

rack up the regular season. Until then, from all of us here at Late

Kick Off, good night. We'll see you next week.