:00:15. > :00:18.Researchers claim eating curry can improve performance. If that's true,
:00:19. > :00:19.this show's going to be a cracker. I'm Tony Husband, welcome to Late
:00:20. > :00:37.Kick Off. Coming up: Mark Saunders has just
:00:38. > :00:44.days to live so find out how this fan has united the Bristol City and
:00:45. > :00:47.Rovers supporters. I have had a good day.
:00:48. > :00:51.The thin white line - who did score? Who didn't score by the narrowest of
:00:52. > :00:54.margins? And Benali could see red on the
:00:55. > :01:01.pitch but find out why this red hot performance in the curry kitchen is
:01:02. > :01:03.making scientific headlines. Hello again.
:01:04. > :01:08.Joining us in the studio three guests: Franny Benali, Southampton
:01:09. > :01:11.hard man, here to give us his football wisdom, of course. He's
:01:12. > :01:13.also pretty crucial to our curry experiment. And he's alongside our
:01:14. > :01:15.resident stopper international defender Ady Williams.
:01:16. > :01:20.With me in the studio tonight, a former striker with Blackburn Rovers
:01:21. > :01:22.and England who is now cutting his managerial teeth at Accrington
:01:23. > :01:25.Stanley, welcome to James Beattie. Next to James, a man who played for
:01:26. > :01:29.Bury and Burnley and coached at Rochdale and Preston. Hello to Jamie
:01:30. > :01:32.Hoyland. More from the boys in just a second. Now, in an exclusive
:01:33. > :01:35.interview for this programme, the FA Chairman, Greg Dyke, has refused to
:01:36. > :01:37.rule out a blanket ban on footballers and all football club
:01:38. > :01:40.staff betting. Up until 2001, footballers weren't allowed to bet
:01:41. > :01:44.on football but nowadays around a third enjoy a regular flutter.
:01:45. > :01:47.Former Everton and Blackpool player Dan Gosling today became the latest
:01:48. > :01:50.player to admit an FA charge relating to betting breaches. So is
:01:51. > :02:00.it time to follow Scotland's lead and ban betting? Here's Ian Haslam.
:02:01. > :02:02.When it comes to betting rule breaches, the stakes are high.
:02:03. > :02:05.Premier League players Andros Townsend and Cameron Jerome were
:02:06. > :02:08.called betting on games they had no involvement in and got fined.
:02:09. > :02:11.Neither missed a match, unlike Tranmere boss Ronnie Moore, who is
:02:12. > :02:14.being investigated over a potential reach of betting rules. Ronnie Moore
:02:15. > :02:20.has been suspended by the club until the conclusion of an FA
:02:21. > :02:22.investigation. While Rob Heys lost his job as Accrington managing
:02:23. > :02:25.director. Rob Heys has been suspended from football for 21
:02:26. > :02:30.months. I placed a bet on Manchester City versus Leicester, I think it
:02:31. > :02:33.was, in the Capital One Cup. We'd played and then been knocked out in
:02:34. > :02:36.the first round. This was the quarterfinal, something like that. I
:02:37. > :02:39.tweeted about the bet that I placed and that was how it came to the
:02:40. > :02:42.attention of the footballing authorities. Rob's still in and
:02:43. > :02:48.around Accrington but away from football after 735 betting breaches,
:02:49. > :02:51.some involving Stanley. It is frustrating, you don't want to get
:02:52. > :02:58.into the whole victim mentality, start complaining that it is unfair,
:02:59. > :03:02.you're being picked on. But it did always seem a lengthy ban, a
:03:03. > :03:07.21-month ban. The FA's betting rules are issued to players and published
:03:08. > :03:09.online. The rules, it says, relate to every employee at the club. They
:03:10. > :03:25.stress... Such as if they are injured or
:03:26. > :03:29.suspended. We received the booklet of the FA preseason. The players
:03:30. > :03:32.looked at it but, preseason, there are a lot of things on their mind.
:03:33. > :03:36.They are getting ready for the football. The players did not look
:03:37. > :03:38.at the booklet enough. The FA should take a more hands-on approach, and
:03:39. > :03:42.speak to the players themselves, rather than just giving out the
:03:43. > :03:46.booklet. Here at Bury's JD Stadium, there are dozens of staff members
:03:47. > :03:52.behind the scenes, from Gordon the press officer to Megan and Sarah on
:03:53. > :03:55.the hospitality side of things. But the same betting rules apply to them
:03:56. > :03:59.as they do to the playing staff. Which presents more worries for
:04:00. > :04:03.clubs. A groundsman or a kit man or a maintenance man, I think it's
:04:04. > :04:07.across the board. I don't think there is a big meeting at every
:04:08. > :04:10.football club with all the staff. Anybody who gets punished for
:04:11. > :04:16.something that they are not too sure aboutor they don't know about, it's
:04:17. > :04:20.a travesty. We invited one of the region's footballers to a betting
:04:21. > :04:23.shop to look at the basic dos and don'ts. Nicky Hunt has made it 128
:04:24. > :04:28.Premier League appearances for Bolton and has played in every
:04:29. > :04:32.division of the football league. Tell us, looking at this, whether
:04:33. > :04:38.you can or cannot bet on these as a footballer. We have
:04:39. > :04:43.Chesterfield-Portsmouth, they are in my league. I cannot bet on that. A
:04:44. > :04:47.couple of French teams... You can bet on them? Yes, I can bet on
:04:48. > :04:50.European leagues because I have not played in Europe and don't really
:04:51. > :04:54.know anyone that plays is the European leagues. It seems there is
:04:55. > :04:57.no escaping the authorities regardless of how you place your
:04:58. > :05:03.bet. They know about your online accounts, your betting patterns,
:05:04. > :05:06.they are really into it now. If you wanted to place a bet on League Two
:05:07. > :05:13.now, the division you're playing in, you could not do that. But you could
:05:14. > :05:18.potentially get someone - say me - to put it on for you. I'm sure if
:05:19. > :05:22.you wanted your mate to go up and do it, they can go and do it for you. A
:05:23. > :05:25.huge price to pay... Oh, massively. When it comes to policy in English
:05:26. > :05:28.football, there is nobody bigger than FA Chairman Greg Dyke. In an
:05:29. > :05:33.exclusiive interview for this programme, I asked him if the
:05:34. > :05:36.betting ban is the solution. No final decision has been made but is
:05:37. > :05:40.one of the things that is being discussed. I don't take any of us
:05:41. > :05:43.know how bad it is. Because obviously unless it is either we
:05:44. > :05:47.find it or someone else finds it, we don't know. The FA is looking again
:05:48. > :05:50.at the whole of betting and whether or not... Who should be allowed to
:05:51. > :05:58.bet on football in the football industry. In the next few weeks, we
:05:59. > :06:00.will come out with a policy. In the meantime, betting cases continue,
:06:01. > :06:03.many unreported. As a former FA compliance officer, dealing with
:06:04. > :06:06.betting breaches was Graham Bean's responsibility. He now represents
:06:07. > :06:12.those involved in disciplinary matters. The rules are so
:06:13. > :06:15.ridiculously incompetent, the fact that there are all these various
:06:16. > :06:20.connotations that allow you to bet brings complexity to what is, in
:06:21. > :06:30.effect, should be a simple issue. Are you representing anyone who
:06:31. > :06:33.could face a ban? Yes, we are. It would be inappropriate to say who
:06:34. > :06:36.those individuals are. In Scotland, a complete ban is already in place
:06:37. > :06:40.but still some are falling foul of the rules. The Rangers midfielder,
:06:41. > :06:43.Ian Black, will serve a three-match ban for breaching Scottish Football
:06:44. > :06:46.Association betting rules. No players in Scotland can bet on any
:06:47. > :06:51.football match anywhere in the world. I think it's raised the
:06:52. > :06:54.spectre of this regulation. Whatever happens in England, betting has
:06:55. > :06:58.already cast doubt on the football futures of some. Could others
:06:59. > :07:02.follow? The answer is to ban all betting from football for anyone who
:07:03. > :07:05.is involved in football. We need to take it very seriously and that is
:07:06. > :07:09.what we are doing. Clearly, a complete blanket ban on betting
:07:10. > :07:15.would be a start. But the reality of it is you will never, ever stop it.
:07:16. > :07:22.There is no doubt it is a problem. Do you support a blanket ban? I
:07:23. > :07:31.think, as with anything, if there is a ban, people will find a way
:07:32. > :07:33.around. You need to be sensible. Then needs to be some clarification
:07:34. > :07:39.and definite rules that people understand. Is it time to sit
:07:40. > :07:43.players down as a group and say, "This is what you can and cannot
:07:44. > :07:49.do"? I think so. There has to be a rule book. I know there is a rule
:07:50. > :07:53.book but it has to be more widely known. As Dave Flitcroft said there,
:07:54. > :07:57.if they do not know the rules, and get something they are not sure
:07:58. > :08:02.about, if you're not sure about it, don't do it, that is what I say. I
:08:03. > :08:06.don't want to focus on Accrington, but just generally in football, is
:08:07. > :08:11.part of the dressing room culture, having a bet? I think it is. I have
:08:12. > :08:14.laid the odd gamble, maybe on the National or something like that, but
:08:15. > :08:24.I have far better things to do with my money than gamble. You are right,
:08:25. > :08:28.a lot of the lads do it. I have been clubs where a hell of a lot of money
:08:29. > :08:32.is gambled and it is quite scary at times. They have time on their hands
:08:33. > :08:37.and the higher you go up, they have a hell of a lot of money as well.
:08:38. > :08:44.Jamie, so many things you can bet on now in football, was at the same in
:08:45. > :08:49.your day? It was not betting on football, it was horse racing. That
:08:50. > :08:53.is what they were doing, they were betting on horses. The football
:08:54. > :08:56.ones, they were fixed odds. But now, there are adverts that come on
:08:57. > :09:00.straightaway on the game you're watching, the lads are at home, and
:09:01. > :09:04.they are just looking to bet all the time. So no clash of interest when
:09:05. > :09:08.it comes to horse racing, unless you own one of them! Would you support a
:09:09. > :09:10.blanket ban, yes or no? I would add the moment, until they get some
:09:11. > :09:14.rules and regulations in and everybody knows it and defines it,
:09:15. > :09:17.and the players know what they are doing. OK, guys, thank you very much
:09:18. > :09:19.for now. Well, due to my well-documented allegiance to
:09:20. > :09:22.Burnley Football Cub and in the interests of BBC balance, my
:09:23. > :09:25.producer has banned me from even mentioning yesterday's events at
:09:26. > :09:31.Ewood Park. So, to introduce our next feature, I'll hand you over to
:09:32. > :09:34.one ex-Rover and a former Claret. The wait is finally over for Burnley
:09:35. > :09:38.fans - for the first time in almost 40 years, the East Lancashire
:09:39. > :09:42.bragging rights are finally theirs. Goals from Jason Shackell and Danny
:09:43. > :09:45.Ings and the width of an Ewood Park post mean Rovers have fallen to
:09:46. > :09:53.their great rivals for the first time since 1979. Boo!
:09:54. > :10:07.# I can't stand losing... # Congratulations. Thank you very
:10:08. > :10:12.much. Argh! Listen to the noise being generated around East
:10:13. > :10:18.Lancashire. Two sets of teams, two proud histories. Burnley looking to
:10:19. > :10:23.change history today. Back post. In towards Rhodes, a shooting chance.
:10:24. > :10:34.The goal drought is over! Needs to take it first time. Off the
:10:35. > :10:40.post! What a chance to kill off the game for Jordan Rhodes. It is the
:10:41. > :10:45.goalkeeper. It is an equalising goal.
:10:46. > :10:57.Sends it in right footed. He has missed it. Laid on a plate, surely.
:10:58. > :11:00.Ings scores. Danny Ings sweeps it in with his left foot. Burnley have won
:11:01. > :11:11.against their neighbours for the first time since 1979.
:11:12. > :11:16.I've been waiting for defining moment. We've had seven penalties
:11:17. > :11:20.this season not given. I have been waiting for something to go our way.
:11:21. > :11:26.When Rhodes hit the post, I said to my coach, that is the change we have
:11:27. > :11:31.been waiting for. To lose like that at home, I don't want to about it.
:11:32. > :11:38.Painful. We were unlucky, hitting the post. It would have been over
:11:39. > :11:43.with. No way they deserved to win. But it took them 35 years so they
:11:44. > :11:47.had to win at some point! We played well for ten minutes today. Ten
:11:48. > :11:50.minutes were enough. The rest of the time, we were rubbish. The shot
:11:51. > :11:53.themselves in the foot. They took David Dunn off. He were running the
:11:54. > :11:57.game. The minute they took him off, or I knew we were going to win. I
:11:58. > :12:01.work in Blackburn, have a business in Blackburn. I must say, apart from
:12:02. > :12:05.my lad, this is the best day of my life. We are going up. There we go.
:12:06. > :12:08.Thanks to Andy Bayes from BBC Radio Lancashire, by the way, for talking
:12:09. > :12:11.through the action there. Bloomfield Road isn't the happiest of places
:12:12. > :12:16.now with Blackpool's winless run now at 18 League games. Lewis Grabban
:12:17. > :12:19.scored the only goal of the game for Bournemouth at Bloomfield on
:12:20. > :12:22.Saturday. He converted from the penalty spot after Matt Gilks was
:12:23. > :12:26.adjudged to have fouled him just inside the box. Life gets no easier
:12:27. > :12:31.for interim boss Barry Fergsuon who couldn't hide his frustration post
:12:32. > :12:37.match. They're short on confidence. It is simple. At the end of the day,
:12:38. > :12:43.you can only prepare them as best as you can. And try and be positive
:12:44. > :12:47.with them. At the end of the day, they need to do it themselves when
:12:48. > :12:50.they get on the pitch. I have got good players, I know that. But it is
:12:51. > :12:58.a worry that, week in, week out, we're not getting results. They
:12:59. > :13:01.can't feel sorry for themselves. I don't know how often I have to
:13:02. > :13:06.repeat myself about this. They need to stand up because I don't want to
:13:07. > :13:10.go to League One. That is for sure. I'm sure they don't want to do the
:13:11. > :13:13.same thing. Finding it difficult to keep the
:13:14. > :13:16.despair out of his voice. I don't want to bring back bad memories but
:13:17. > :13:21.you went on an 18-game winless run at Sheffield United. How did you
:13:22. > :13:25.turn it round? Just belief. The manager kept believing in us, gave
:13:26. > :13:35.us confidence all the time and we had to believe we would get out of
:13:36. > :13:38.it. It is only the players that can do it. It doesn't sound like that he
:13:39. > :13:42.thinks the players can do it. You have a well-documented start to the
:13:43. > :13:46.season, you only got four points out of 11. Thanks. How did you turn it
:13:47. > :13:54.round? Just believe in what you are doing. As Jamie said, making the
:13:55. > :13:57.players believe it. It was not just me stood at the front of them,
:13:58. > :14:03.saying stuff. They have to experience it. He knows he has good
:14:04. > :14:07.players. They need to express themselves and play well. I guess
:14:08. > :14:11.this is one of those things where you look at confidence in what is
:14:12. > :14:16.coming up. They have Leicester away, QPR away, Bolton away. It is
:14:17. > :14:22.difficult. When you finally ended your run, how did it feel? As if we
:14:23. > :14:25.had won the FA Cup final. Notts Forest 3-2 at home. We had a pitch
:14:26. > :14:29.invasion and everything. That started us off, we had a great run,
:14:30. > :14:35.we managed to stay up that year. But that is the encouragement. One game,
:14:36. > :14:39.one win. It might even be Leicester. Thank you very much indeed. Well,
:14:40. > :14:42.one side finally on the up is Bolton. It's three successive wins
:14:43. > :14:46.now after a 5-1 battering of Leeds. So, Wanderers fans, sit back, turn
:14:47. > :14:47.up the telly and wallow in the goals brought to you by BBC Radio
:14:48. > :15:21.Manchester's Jack Dearden. in to Number 10.
:15:22. > :15:24.We have listened to the community. We have developed a mixture scheme.
:15:25. > :15:27.It's not all about a supermarket. It's about affordable housing, it's
:15:28. > :15:29.about parking for local people. It's about community space, it's about
:15:30. > :15:31.refurbishing and maintaining the memorial gates and building a garden
:15:32. > :15:34.around them, pedestrianising them. Listening to the local people. We
:15:35. > :15:38.have had dozens of consultation processes on both projects to get to
:15:39. > :15:43.the he final step, just about to start, and to get this, it just
:15:44. > :15:44.makes you feel uncomfortable. An all-seater stadium could be on
:15:45. > :15:50.the way, then. Here's the irony. When you're
:15:51. > :15:53.building a brand new stadium, you can't have one of these, a rail
:15:54. > :15:59.seat. Brilliant response last week to your thoughts on safe standing.
:16:00. > :16:03.Here's some of them. Andy McCallum says, "It's all about giving fans
:16:04. > :16:09.the choice to stand. It's much safer than standing in all-seated stands."
:16:10. > :16:15.Paul Andrews, "I used to stand in the Milton Road Stand at the Dell
:16:16. > :16:22.back in the '80s '90s. St. Mary's doesn't come close to that
:16:23. > :16:26.atmosphere." True? I'd agree. Niall Otway is a Plymouth fan, he says, "I
:16:27. > :16:29.love Home Park. I don't see why people would need to stand, apart
:16:30. > :16:33.from block three, where we have lads standing." Bournemouth fan Daniel
:16:34. > :16:37.Lee says there should be a choice, "I want to stand. In my opinion
:16:38. > :16:41.supporters create a better atmosphere when standing." Thanks
:16:42. > :16:45.for all your reactions. Next week, we're at Bristol City and here in
:16:46. > :16:48.the studio we'll be hearing both sides of the argument as we talk
:16:49. > :16:51.more about our rail seats. Now, we reveal a bit of science
:16:52. > :16:54.which could get every Sunday League footballers' Hearts and taste buds
:16:55. > :16:58.racing. Solent University scientists are midway through a study which is
:16:59. > :17:03.examining if curry could be the new pre-match meal of choice for
:17:04. > :17:07.footballers. And the study is being run in partnership with us. It just
:17:08. > :17:11.seemed the polite thing to do. And why has Franny Benali been a key
:17:12. > :17:21.part of the experiment? Let's find out with our reporter Andy Steggall.
:17:22. > :17:28.The tests have lasted a fortnight for three volunteers, fans of food
:17:29. > :17:29.and football. 1402g of lean chicken and spices precisely for every
:17:30. > :17:46.person. Right, we've got the guinea pigs.
:17:47. > :17:48.The students who are going to be involved. We have got the
:17:49. > :17:51.ingredients, we have the science and now we need someone to bring it
:17:52. > :17:56.together, someone who knows all about football and curry. And I've
:17:57. > :17:58.got the answer. The Benali Biriani is named after the Southhampton man,
:17:59. > :18:09.Francis Benali, at top-flight defender for more than a decade. A
:18:10. > :18:13.red card assassin on the football field and pretty brave in the
:18:14. > :18:18.kitchen. So it's lucky there are no referees here. The scientists have
:18:19. > :18:21.their own rules. Each plate for each participant has a certain amount of
:18:22. > :18:28.curry, measured by body weight, with the same amount of curry powder in
:18:29. > :18:31.it. The students are in a pilot study. They signed up to eat several
:18:32. > :18:36.plates of lean chilli chicken in very measured conditions. Guys, I've
:18:37. > :18:39.got to applaud you to begin with. Not just eating a meal laced with
:18:40. > :18:42.chillies but the fact that my cooking skills are as good as my
:18:43. > :18:49.goal-scoring record when I played, and that's not too good. So, how's
:18:50. > :18:56.the meal? Really nice. It's hard work. It's in the name of science.
:18:57. > :18:58.Sportsmen all around the country are thinking they can have a curry
:18:59. > :19:01.before any sporting event and that performance will be improved is
:19:02. > :19:07.quite exciting and interesting to know. Next, they have to walk for 20
:19:08. > :19:12.minutes from restaurant to science lab.
:19:13. > :19:23.Sit down, rest, and digest. Then back to the treadmill for a
:19:24. > :19:26.gruelling five kilometre run. In an ideal situation, you'd like to see
:19:27. > :19:30.some form of potential analgesic effect, a painkilling effect. If you
:19:31. > :19:33.think about, in any sport, the difference between the first and
:19:34. > :19:36.second place, obviously, winning and losing a game, it comes down to the
:19:37. > :19:43.tiny changes you can make and nutrition is one of those things
:19:44. > :19:50.that can make a big difference. The first... Four or five minutes, all I
:19:51. > :19:54.could taste was curry. And then I wasn't sure if I was going to carry
:19:55. > :20:02.on. But then that subsided and I was hanging on.
:20:03. > :20:07.One of the things that drew our attention to this was that the idea
:20:08. > :20:10.that back in the Beijing Olympics, there were four athletes
:20:11. > :20:17.disqualified for eating capsicum. And they were all horses. The data
:20:18. > :20:25.is being collated now. And the results of curry power will be hot
:20:26. > :20:31.off the press very soon. Can't wait to know what they are as
:20:32. > :20:35.well. Well done to all the volunteers. We salute you. We might
:20:36. > :20:41.be looking more for a proper trial because the university are looking
:20:42. > :20:47.at extending their trial. So, Fran, we saw you there, did you ever have
:20:48. > :20:51.a curry before a game? I didn't, I steered well clear of it. It was too
:20:52. > :20:55.lively from me for a pre-match meal. What was your pre-match meal?
:20:56. > :21:02.Beans on toast or spaghetti Bolognese in the later years. And
:21:03. > :21:07.Ade, you had a food fiasco. When I was 17, just trying to break into
:21:08. > :21:11.the squad, I wasn't in the squad in that name, I got myself a pie,
:21:12. > :21:17.chocolate heart and drink, but the manager came in looking for me. I
:21:18. > :21:23.was the pie as he came looking for me, one of the boys got changed in
:21:24. > :21:29.the warm up and I had to go out and play. I survived. Jimmy Case back in
:21:30. > :21:36.the day in Southampton, what did eat? Players like Jimmy, I remember
:21:37. > :21:40.he was eating a steak during a pre-match meal. It seems crazy, but
:21:41. > :21:50.he was a great player so it must have worked. Now, what did fans
:21:51. > :21:56.think about the game? I love it gasp Berger, the best on the menu. Just a
:21:57. > :21:59.pasty for me. Definitely a vindaloo. Hot!
:22:00. > :22:02.League Two now. We'll talk about Torquay in just a moment. First,
:22:03. > :22:05.though, a few of our clubs are looking over their shoulders and, in
:22:06. > :22:07.Portsmouth's case, they're looking to score.
:22:08. > :22:19.A third successive clean sheet for Portsmouth and a second successive
:22:20. > :22:22.goalless draw. Cheltenham have now drawn ten of the last 20 league
:22:23. > :22:24.fixtures. A couple of weeks ago, Pompey were hammered 5-1 against
:22:25. > :22:27.Scunthorpe. Since then, Richie Barker's men have shown tenacity.
:22:28. > :22:30.Three clean sheets on the bounce, including giving Chesterfield the
:22:31. > :22:35.scare last Monday evening as you saw on Late Kick Off. Like Pompey,
:22:36. > :22:45.Exeter store have some work to do to secure their football league status.
:22:46. > :22:50.Exeter, one win in 12. Tom Nichols alert to put them in front. Exeter
:22:51. > :22:53.almost threw it away although sometimes you just have to admire a
:22:54. > :22:56.goal, even if it is through gritted teeth. The Daggers, their second
:22:57. > :22:59.goal, very soft penalty to give away. Easy to throw the towel in
:23:00. > :23:07.when decisions like this go against you. Look at the body language. It
:23:08. > :23:09.says it all. Did they show some character coming back? Absolutely.
:23:10. > :23:12.Talk about character, they'd dug deep and you take what you can,
:23:13. > :23:22.including this absolute howler on a Dagenham goalkeeper. Watch this one.
:23:23. > :23:32.Whoops! Oxford without a in four now. Was it offside or wasn't it? It
:23:33. > :23:35.doesn't matter. It ends up in the back of the net. The second one for
:23:36. > :23:39.me, the goalkeeper, but when you are against form, when you are scrapping
:23:40. > :23:42.for points, it often goes to the opposing player. 2-0 down before you
:23:43. > :23:45.know it. The Oxford goalkeeper, he redeems himself. This is a stonewall
:23:46. > :23:48.penalty. Ryan Clark, he guesses the right way. Strong risk, but 2-0,
:23:49. > :23:51.never a good scoreline. Ryan Williams goes through here. A tidy
:23:52. > :23:55.finish, but Oxford are back in the game. This is what I talk about when
:23:56. > :23:59.things are not going your way. A couple of months ago, this would
:24:00. > :24:02.have ended up in the back of the net. It doesn't, it hits the post
:24:03. > :24:05.and it falls to safety. Absolutely gutted. Oxford should get in the
:24:06. > :24:08.play-offs but we all know about teams blowing their chances as the
:24:09. > :24:10.end of season approaches. Let's hope it's not them.
:24:11. > :24:18.Oxford haven't won since mid-February and they've now slipped
:24:19. > :24:21.to sixth. Plymouth may have lost that Bristol Rovers but they're just
:24:22. > :24:23.outside the play-off race with a game in hand.
:24:24. > :24:27.outside the play-off race with a game in Do Oxford need a permanent
:24:28. > :24:31.manager? There is too much uncertainty for the fans and
:24:32. > :24:35.players. Maybe now is the time to appoint someone permanently. A lot
:24:36. > :24:43.of talk about finances and new directors, some shares in the clubs,
:24:44. > :24:47.so, on field, what are their chances? They are in with a shout.
:24:48. > :24:52.It is that stage where you have to keep your nerve. Be brave and go for
:24:53. > :24:57.it. Confidence plays a huge part. Home form is a big thing as well so
:24:58. > :25:01.they've got every chance. We have seen the top of the table but the
:25:02. > :25:05.bottom is ugly if you're a Torquay fan, are they all but down already?
:25:06. > :25:08.Our cameras were at Plainmoor for the game against Fleetwood, and we
:25:09. > :25:15.did try our best to lift spirits but there was doom and gloom everywhere.
:25:16. > :25:23.That is the best chance of the game so far. Another nail in the coffin,
:25:24. > :25:30.we are doomed! Here comes the strike! Great save!
:25:31. > :25:37.Time is up, you've got to start preparing for the worst. Into the
:25:38. > :25:49.back of the net! No passion, no fight, gave up when they scored.
:25:50. > :25:59.Fleetwood Town, good block by the goalkeeper. I can't see us going up
:26:00. > :26:03.for a minimum of five years. Exeter are backpedalling, Portsmouth and
:26:04. > :26:15.Wycombe, a better off. The consequences of going down, look
:26:16. > :26:19.at who you've got there. Teams that have been used to playing in the
:26:20. > :26:25.football the. Ten points adrift, 11 if you look at their goal
:26:26. > :26:30.difference. Exeter, your old team-mates, they are going
:26:31. > :26:34.backwards. The run of form is a worry lately. And they've got to be
:26:35. > :26:40.mentally strong because the consequences of dropping into
:26:41. > :26:43.relegation, you don't even like to consider it. They will need the
:26:44. > :26:51.expense of another team-mate down now. So, fingers crossed. They
:26:52. > :26:54.haven't won at home since they beat Plymouth, would they swap that now?
:26:55. > :26:57.Before we go, a search around the clubs to see what's odd and
:26:58. > :26:59.interesting. I'm starting with Wycombe and, as Franny's in the
:27:00. > :27:06.studio, another Southampton back four link. Missing from Wycombe's
:27:07. > :27:10.2-1 win over Hartlepool at the weekend was Reece Styche. The
:27:11. > :27:17.striker has been on international duty with the world's newest
:27:18. > :27:20.football nation, Gibraltar. You are an international football play
:27:21. > :27:24.against teams that are going to be playing in the European
:27:25. > :27:27.Championships, in the World Cup, so I am enjoying it while it lasts
:27:28. > :27:34.because you never know when your career could be cut short. Gibraltar
:27:35. > :27:41.would lose to the Faroe Islands but not before Danny he came bottom run
:27:42. > :27:49.the rule over his team-mates. -- Danny Higginbotham. That players now
:27:50. > :27:55.the fattest player Gibraltar have ever produced. It might not ever get
:27:56. > :27:58.better for Gibraltar. They have Germany, Poland, Republic of
:27:59. > :28:08.Ireland. Their first game is against Poland as well. What have you
:28:09. > :28:11.found? A complete mismatch, an England superstar, well, you'll see.
:28:12. > :28:14.Austin Healey has been down at Bournemouth and he's up for a
:28:15. > :28:16.challenge. A crossbar challenge against Cherries legend Steve
:28:17. > :28:19.Fletcher. Rugby to go first, Healey going with the drop kick. On the
:28:20. > :28:30.money, perfect. That is why they call me the magician. He is looking
:28:31. > :28:38.for a seven iron, a little bit of angle. He has another go, exactly
:28:39. > :28:45.the same result. Look. He did know it was a crossbar challenge?
:28:46. > :28:50.Steve Fletcher, he is a legend. Don't forget, you can follow all
:28:51. > :28:57.this week was Mac football on radio, but we are back next Monday at
:28:58. > :28:59.11:20pm. -- all