:00:06. > :00:16.It is that time of the season where the good sides are peaking at and
:00:16. > :00:31.
:00:31. > :00:35.the less good are at the bottom. On Late Kick Off, thanks a million.
:00:35. > :00:42.Portsmouth fans reveal how much they have raced so far to save the
:00:42. > :00:49.pub -- club. The Ross emerge with a showing at
:00:49. > :00:59.the top of the table. A special report, Healey late paid
:00:59. > :01:02.
:01:02. > :01:08.with his life. -- he nearly paid with his life. Last minute, I
:01:08. > :01:14.rolled over and thought, what are you doing? And how did Crawley's
:01:14. > :01:19.players react when they heard their manager had left?
:01:19. > :01:23.Hello. Thank you for joining us on Late Kick Off. We are lucky enough
:01:23. > :01:27.to have Graeme Murty and Leroy Rosenior here.
:01:27. > :01:30.At the top story today, Portsmouth fans reveal they are close to
:01:30. > :01:35.raising a million pounds in their own attempt to buy the club out of
:01:35. > :01:40.administration. They began the share issue barely a fortnight ago.
:01:40. > :01:48.They are being asked to buy a stake of �1,000. If enough money is
:01:48. > :01:52.raised, and offer will be made to the administrator. The trust are
:01:52. > :01:55.amazed how many have been backing them. Some of these people have
:01:55. > :01:59.been awfully treated by the people who have run at the club over the
:01:59. > :02:03.last few years and they have turned round and say, we love this club,
:02:04. > :02:07.we want to get involved again. That is the most heartening thing about
:02:07. > :02:11.this whole process. People have not dismissed it her and they have come
:02:11. > :02:16.forward. They have said, how can we help? That is the most wonderful
:02:16. > :02:25.thing about this. We really can do this, I think. On the pitch,
:02:25. > :02:34.Saturday saw Portsmouth clinging on to their championship status.
:02:34. > :02:38.Plenty of drama where Rovers raced into an early two goal lead. With
:02:38. > :02:44.Bristol City winning at Birmingham... Q What the fight back.
:02:44. > :02:49.Dave Hickson was fouled. The defender was sent off. The penalty
:02:49. > :02:59.was casual but effective. Another penalty for the equaliser. Rovers
:02:59. > :03:01.
:03:01. > :03:08.once more raging. 2-2. Doncaster went back in front to lead 3-2.
:03:08. > :03:12.Bristol City were now drawing at St Andrews. With time fast running out,
:03:12. > :03:22.Portsmouth scored twice more for victory. Dave tits and with the
:03:22. > :03:22.
:03:22. > :03:28.final touch. -- Dave Kitson. An extraordinary match. Raising
:03:29. > :03:35.almost a million pounds, the supporters. The auditors said that
:03:35. > :03:40.they were �58 million in debt. Can it work? They are unbelievable. It
:03:40. > :03:44.is amazing how they have raised so much money. The trusts say that
:03:44. > :03:48.with �8 million they will have enough to make an offer. Bonfield,
:03:48. > :03:53.they need a miracle. They need to make up seven points in their last
:03:53. > :03:57.three games. Can they do it? They can. They have to give no less than
:03:57. > :04:02.everything to reward the level of support which is extraordinary.
:04:02. > :04:05.was see what happens with Portsmouth in the weeks to come.
:04:05. > :04:09.Doncaster are already down. There is much more to come from the top
:04:09. > :04:15.and bottom of the championship. A quick reminder first of our special
:04:15. > :04:24.report on the way tonight. The addiction which almost led this man
:04:24. > :04:28.to suicide. It was like a big wake- up call to me. Come on, people do
:04:28. > :04:38.love you. When I was walking down to the train line, I was thinking
:04:38. > :04:43.nobody love -- loved me. Reading have roared at the
:04:43. > :04:46.championships from the lower reaches of the championship and now
:04:47. > :04:50.they are in first place, three points clear of Southampton. West
:04:50. > :04:54.Ham are in the first of the play- off conditions. Things could be
:04:54. > :04:58.sorted out for some of the teams as early as tomorrow night. Reading
:04:58. > :05:03.are at home to Nottingham Forest. If they get a better result than
:05:03. > :05:08.the Bristol City match, Reading are up. The game at St Mary's between
:05:08. > :05:13.the sides was pretty extraordinary and Leroy, one of the key players
:05:13. > :05:18.was between the posts? He is the best keeper in the division this
:05:18. > :05:23.year. He is going to get even better. He makes a some outstanding
:05:23. > :05:29.saves. His positioning is fantastic. He makes it look so easy. Speaking
:05:29. > :05:35.of Adams, there has been an exceptional Easter for him. He has
:05:35. > :05:40.not started a game in 2012. He has come off the bench and had an
:05:40. > :05:46.effect. He is an out-and-out goalscorer. He went to Reading for
:05:46. > :05:54.a snip, around �350,000. He came off the bench and he loves scoring
:05:54. > :05:58.goals. Two shots, two goals. He was born to score. I am sure he goes
:05:58. > :06:03.away and rides diagrams of the goals he has scored. Different
:06:03. > :06:09.types of goals but always seems to be in the right place at the right
:06:09. > :06:13.time. Jason Roberts there. Interesting contrast between him
:06:13. > :06:23.and Rickie Lambert at Southampton. A they have both had a massive
:06:23. > :06:26.
:06:26. > :06:30.impact. The impact of Jason has had He has had an influence off the
:06:30. > :06:35.pitch as well. The move has been good for him as well. He has found
:06:35. > :06:44.a lot of good people there. Heston Blumenthal celebrating on the
:06:44. > :06:52.sidelines! Rickie Lambert, 31 goals this season. He brings out the best
:06:52. > :06:55.in his team-mates. 14 wins out of 16 for Reading. One of them tweeted
:06:55. > :06:59.that he was sat in the changing room wondering whether he had ever
:06:59. > :07:07.worked with a better group of people. They are having a massive
:07:07. > :07:14.impact on him as well. What about the other two championship teams
:07:14. > :07:21.from our region? Bristol City took a two-goal lead
:07:21. > :07:26.at Birmingham and they were great goals. They are wonderful give and
:07:26. > :07:31.go leading up to the second day of. He receives the ball in space,
:07:31. > :07:36.turns and drives into the box and this is a cracking finish. They
:07:36. > :07:46.scored two wonderful goals and then they have got no lack to end the
:07:46. > :07:46.
:07:46. > :07:54.half. -- no luck. This looks like one of the upsets of the season for
:07:54. > :08:00.City. But then they get the equaliser. City unbeaten in five.
:08:00. > :08:04.Keep it up, chaps! Brighton fans, we will spare you having to sit
:08:04. > :08:12.through all six of West Ham's goals. It has been a miserable time of
:08:12. > :08:22.late for Brighton. Not a win in five. If they fail to make the top
:08:22. > :08:23.
:08:23. > :08:32.six, it will not be by much. West Ham keep up the pressure on a top
:08:32. > :08:37.two. Crichton out of the play-off positions. Just as well, says Gus
:08:37. > :08:41.Poyet -- Brighton out of the play- off. He says they are not ready for
:08:41. > :08:46.the Premier League. What about Bristol City? I think they will
:08:46. > :08:50.stay in the league. It was a really good result, albeit a they lost a
:08:50. > :08:54.two-goal lead. I think they will do it. Let us have a quick look at the
:08:54. > :08:58.run-in for them and Portsmouth. They will start with West Ham and
:08:58. > :09:03.it is a tough game. If they win that game, that will set them up
:09:03. > :09:06.really well far a game against Barnsley. The two home games there,
:09:06. > :09:10.they are vital. Portsmouth need to make up seven points on the teams
:09:10. > :09:14.above them with those three games. While they could still do it, they
:09:14. > :09:18.have got to go for it. What if those teams above them lose games
:09:18. > :09:24.and they do not pick up the points? That was a great win at Doncaster.
:09:24. > :09:27.The fans are St -- showing great spirit of the pits. They need to
:09:27. > :09:31.continue that. There has long been a culture of
:09:31. > :09:37.drinking and gambling in football. It is only recently that the sport
:09:38. > :09:42.has begun to recognise the damage caused. One ex-player scouts new
:09:42. > :09:47.talent for Brighton and is also a recovering alcoholic and gambling
:09:47. > :09:52.addict. In a bid to help a new generation of players, he has
:09:52. > :09:57.chosen to tell Late Kick Off about the demons he has faced. Many want
:09:57. > :10:01.to ensure that the next soccer generation get a helping hand.
:10:01. > :10:05.We are now going to give him some work to do.
:10:05. > :10:09.These days, almost every club in the region attempts to the mental
:10:09. > :10:13.well-being of their young players. Footballing education brings
:10:13. > :10:18.together many experts, including the players' union and his own
:10:18. > :10:22.clinic. I think it is an act of courage if you ask for help. All
:10:22. > :10:27.our players say that. I am privileged to work with ex-premier
:10:27. > :10:31.League footballers, they have been there, seen it and lost are told.
:10:32. > :10:36.They also the same thing, when I was sat in your seat, this would
:10:36. > :10:42.not have applied to me, but this is what happened. The hardest thing
:10:42. > :10:49.was admitting they needed help. It is not about opening a can of worms
:10:49. > :10:56.and staring at it. We were up to dealing -- we were up to treat the
:10:56. > :11:05.issues. This is been up from the mental health charity. He shows
:11:05. > :11:12.what happens when stress comes from every direction. Did he catch the
:11:12. > :11:22.first one? And the second? And a third? Of the manager gone home --
:11:22. > :11:22.
:11:22. > :11:27.ultimately, did he fail at the end? We have got to learn to double.
:11:27. > :11:31.seems such a paradox that the conversation is all about isolation
:11:31. > :11:36.yet these guys want to make their way in one of the most public
:11:36. > :11:42.professions of them all. As we know now, there are so many ex-
:11:42. > :11:48.professional players who feel they can now explain their own personal
:11:48. > :11:53.pain and what they have been through. His spiral into addiction
:11:53. > :11:56.came through gambling and alcohol. He only tried them when he entered
:11:56. > :12:01.the world of first-team football. was easier lead and I joined in
:12:01. > :12:10.with them. I drank with them and that is where it started. Mistakes
:12:10. > :12:14.went higher it was affecting my football but I did not know that.
:12:14. > :12:19.When I won, I celebrated with a drink. I lost quite a bit of money
:12:19. > :12:26.and then I would go in the pub and commiserate. After three or four
:12:26. > :12:31.pints, it was always forgotten. Playing cards on a journey to at
:12:31. > :12:36.nought. Playing cards for big money. But when you have lost a �1,000,
:12:36. > :12:40.you have to go and play football. Then your mind is not on the
:12:40. > :12:45.football, really. You are thinking about, hell am I going to get back
:12:45. > :12:50.�1,000 bet on the way home court -- how am I going to? After gambling
:12:50. > :12:56.away his weekly pay packet in one afternoon, he believed there was
:12:56. > :12:59.only one way out. I went to the pub and all of the lads were in there
:12:59. > :13:03.after work on Friday, happy as Larry. I went in there and got
:13:03. > :13:08.drinks bought for me. But I knew I was going to do it. I was planning
:13:08. > :13:12.it as I was getting more intoxicated. I knew what time the
:13:12. > :13:19.last train was coming from Portsmouth to London. I thought,
:13:19. > :13:24.nobody loved me. I have let people down again, I thought. I went to
:13:24. > :13:28.the train station and sat on the train line. I was there 10 minutes
:13:29. > :13:37.before I knew it was coming, sat there, with my back to the train
:13:37. > :13:43.line. Luckily enough, the train it sounded its horn and I jumped out
:13:43. > :13:48.of the way at the last minute. I rolled over and thought, what are
:13:48. > :13:53.you doing? I came back to my fiancee who I was staying with at
:13:53. > :14:00.the time and told her what had happened. She said, you need help.
:14:00. > :14:04.He phoned the clinic Sporting Chance and entered their facility
:14:04. > :14:09.straightaway. It is like a prison but you are getting better and they
:14:09. > :14:13.teach you the right things and once you have finished it is up to you
:14:13. > :14:18.to put the Beatles into practice. It was selfish of me really, if I
:14:18. > :14:26.am honest, very selfish, to decide to do that. That is the way I look
:14:26. > :14:31.at it now. I was leaving my two beautiful children behind who I
:14:31. > :14:37.love for millions. I was leaving my fiancee behind who I love. My three
:14:37. > :14:43.stepchildren who have treated me like a second father. When I came
:14:44. > :14:48.round and realised that, it was like a big wake-up call to me. Look,
:14:48. > :14:58.come on, people do love you. When I was walking down to the train line,
:14:58. > :15:05.
:15:05. > :15:13.Five years ago, it was. Frightening. Now he gives back to Sporting A
:15:13. > :15:19.chance, helping them throughout the country. If one could listens to me,
:15:19. > :15:24.then I will be a winner and they will be a winner. Are we shocked by
:15:24. > :15:29.what I heard today. It shows you that there RX- professionals and
:15:29. > :15:31.current professionals were going through these times. It is quite
:15:31. > :15:41.touching that people can help you through these things, no matter
:15:41. > :15:42.
:15:42. > :15:47.The Samaritans are there 24 hours a day, you can go to our Facebook
:15:47. > :15:51.page a for more information. You are part of the Southampton Academy
:15:51. > :15:57.set-up? I am, everything is driven by the player at there, we are
:15:57. > :16:02.supporting a player, every single member of staff. I'm staggered by
:16:02. > :16:06.the level of support that players have these days. We have to educate
:16:06. > :16:10.players, take care of them in every aspect of their lives' to make sure
:16:10. > :16:14.they are as well mentally as they are physically, practically, so
:16:14. > :16:20.they are a whole person. So we have to make sure we take care of them
:16:20. > :16:26.in the right way. Leroy, you would hear in the old days about players
:16:26. > :16:31.having a shot of whisky before again, how bad was the culture?
:16:31. > :16:35.couldn't do that in the modern day, but the gambling thing, players
:16:35. > :16:38.were watching Horseracing before the game, during the game and after,
:16:38. > :16:43.trying to find out the results, that worries me now, because you
:16:43. > :16:50.can just pick up the phone, and it is not real money, so that is a
:16:50. > :17:00.concern for me. Back to the action, and Exeter heading for the exit,
:17:00. > :17:07.
:17:07. > :17:12.free -- frequent saying it on this programme. Their top scorer got
:17:12. > :17:17.ahead of the keeper to equalise, his 23rd goal of the season. It is
:17:17. > :17:21.five without a win and now for Wycombe, but they could have taken
:17:21. > :17:31.all the points from this match so easily. This is where it began to
:17:31. > :17:33.
:17:33. > :17:38.go wrong. Penalty! But they did not make it 3-1 of from the spot. This
:17:38. > :17:48.time, Wycombe conceded late. Oldham didn't miss, Wycombe still in the
:17:48. > :17:50.
:17:50. > :17:57.Exeter had already had a goal disallowed, and they completely
:17:57. > :18:01.bald beekeeper. -- falls of the goalkeeper. It was looking good for
:18:01. > :18:05.the Devon side, but Rochdale knew that a defeat would see them
:18:05. > :18:09.relegated, and they fought back to win, with three goals in the last
:18:09. > :18:14.11 minutes, to leave Exeter sweating on other results to see
:18:14. > :18:24.whether they would go down. Their manager admitted he was shocked by
:18:24. > :18:26.
:18:26. > :18:30.his side's collapse. Fortunately, Wycombe creeping closer to safety,
:18:30. > :18:40.Exeter second last now. As we take a look at the run-in for the two
:18:40. > :18:50.
:18:50. > :18:58.What about the other two clubs from our region? Yeovil fans will want
:18:58. > :19:07.to know what happened to their team. But first, Bournemouth. Defensive
:19:07. > :19:13.next up, you are going to concede, from the players. That needs to be
:19:13. > :19:18.sorted out as soon as possible. We know Yeovil are good at home, but
:19:18. > :19:22.they go done a 6-0. We're not going to show all six goals, but it has
:19:22. > :19:27.to be said, this is when they were down to 10 men. Yeovil are not
:19:27. > :19:37.mathematically safe yet, they must maintain a level of performance or
:19:37. > :19:38.
:19:38. > :19:45.they could get caught. So they need They said that they caved in, and
:19:45. > :19:49.that is not good, shipping six goals. Bournemouth have to sort out
:19:49. > :19:54.the management side of things so the new man can plan his targets
:19:54. > :20:01.for the close season. Hard to argue with that. What an Easter for
:20:01. > :20:07.Crawley. A manager does go by director of the ball arrives, and
:20:07. > :20:15.there players are YouTube their way into the bag but. The fury
:20:15. > :20:25.surrounds at the players at reaction. The player meeting was
:20:25. > :20:43.
:20:43. > :20:47.soon posted on YouTube. Hello Crawley have this afternoon
:20:47. > :20:51.responded to those pictures, their chief executive said they hold
:20:51. > :21:01.Steve Evans in the highest possible regard, and the views expressed are
:21:01. > :21:06.
:21:06. > :21:11.Well, I'm sure they have, but it was a fascinating window on what
:21:11. > :21:17.the players seem to make of Steve Evans. I'm sure that other players
:21:17. > :21:20.did the same when I left! Sometimes, it is just a laugh. I'm sure they
:21:20. > :21:25.had a lot of respect for Steve, a lot of them were brought to the
:21:25. > :21:29.club by him, and they had a lot of success. I'm sure the players
:21:29. > :21:33.regret that. I'm sure Rotherham players were doing a similar dance
:21:33. > :21:37.when they heard he would arrive. What a surprise Steve Coppell
:21:37. > :21:43.turned up at Crawley, you know him better than most. It was a shock to
:21:43. > :21:48.me, but I don't think... He is off already! Added think anyone has a
:21:48. > :21:53.deeper knowledge of football, he is back in the game, the interim
:21:53. > :21:57.manager, I have a lot of respect for Steve, we had a great time at
:21:57. > :22:01.Reading. I am sure the people of Crawley will love him. Looks like
:22:01. > :22:07.he will have a hands-on relationship with the Brewster.
:22:07. > :22:12.Will that be an easy relationship? I am sure he has a good
:22:12. > :22:16.relationship, and he has been in the game long enough to know that a
:22:16. > :22:19.manager needs his pace, but a bit of advice here and there. Steve
:22:19. > :22:25.Coppell, calm and quiet when he talks to the media, what would you
:22:25. > :22:31.like with the players? Exactly the same. Never got up, never got down.
:22:31. > :22:36.Saw him lose his temper once. Phenomenal manager anyway. Back to
:22:36. > :22:42.Crawley, creeping towards the automatic promotion spot. Up the
:22:42. > :22:52.top, Swindon looked to have the division locked up, and 80. Matt --
:22:52. > :22:54.
:22:54. > :22:58.who note of the death of his mother the day before the game. -- learnt
:22:58. > :23:06.of the death. The club expect him back for tomorrow's game with all
:23:06. > :23:12.the shot. -- Aldershot. Our best wishes to di Canio. The match saw
:23:12. > :23:18.the runaway leaders get a bit of a fright. Normal service was resumed
:23:18. > :23:24.with a late winner from Alan Connell. Six clean sheets,
:23:24. > :23:34.equalling a club record. They conceal the title tomorrow with a
:23:34. > :23:41.
:23:41. > :23:45.We do you think about Swindon going up? They did get a bit of a lesson
:23:46. > :23:50.from Chesterfield in the Trophy final. We said they would respond
:23:50. > :23:54.in the right way. Paolo di Canio said they were the best team in the
:23:54. > :23:57.division and would prove it, I wouldn't argue with him. It looks
:23:57. > :24:04.pretty sorted out. Plymouth are staying up would be every bit as
:24:04. > :24:06.impressive, wouldn't it? Absolutely. What a season they have had. They
:24:07. > :24:16.brought to that spirit in, and if they secured those three points, it
:24:17. > :24:20.
:24:20. > :24:26.He is a rarity. Torquay failed to score at home by only the second
:24:26. > :24:31.time this season. The manager thought a draw was fair. They are
:24:31. > :24:41.now unbeaten in five. Charlton have lost six of their last eight and
:24:41. > :24:42.
:24:42. > :24:48.haven't scored in any of their were in real danger of missing out
:24:48. > :24:54.on a play-off place, and they didn't panic. This win means they
:24:54. > :24:59.are right back in contention for a top seven finish. They on-loan
:24:59. > :25:05.keeper has been recalled by Birmingham, however. Gillingham did
:25:05. > :25:08.everything humanly possible to keep Oxford at bay. If Oxford have won
:25:08. > :25:13.half of those games, they would be sitting pretty in second place
:25:13. > :25:20.instead of just inside the play- offs. Aldershot have to come from
:25:20. > :25:27.behind to draw with the daggers. They left it late to snatch a point.
:25:27. > :25:34.A big tested tomorrow against Swindon for Aldershot. Goal of the
:25:34. > :25:42.week from Rovers here. Bang! Awful goalkeeping, though. That set the
:25:42. > :25:52.tone for Burton's day. This was the first goal of his hat-trick. Burton
:25:52. > :25:53.
:25:53. > :25:59.got a goal back, but from then on, it was all rivers. -- Rovers. Right
:25:59. > :26:04.pitch, R run sport. At least Harold it knew what sport he was playing,
:26:04. > :26:11.as he kept that under the crossbar. This is a wonderful finish from
:26:11. > :26:15.James Patterson. He caresses that into the bottom corner. He got a
:26:15. > :26:23.massive slice of luck for the 5th, and after that, it is all about
:26:23. > :26:33.Richards. There is no tapping involved in the 7th. He picks it up,
:26:33. > :26:52.
:26:52. > :26:57.into the corner. It is like kicking What about Bristol Rovers? What a
:26:57. > :27:01.huge win! It is a great result, it reaffirms what we have set about
:27:01. > :27:06.the appointment of Mark McGhee. The players -- fans can look forward to
:27:06. > :27:12.next season now with a bit of optimism gone the things he has
:27:12. > :27:18.implemented. They did that last year, led to keep it under wraps.
:27:18. > :27:23.He is doing a fantastic job. They have to be consistent and take it
:27:23. > :27:29.into next season. Before we wrap up tonight, a quick look at any other
:27:29. > :27:33.stories which may have caught your eye. Leroy? Maybe not so young, but
:27:33. > :27:38.a man who has gone to Plymouth, about to make his debut in the film
:27:38. > :27:43.capital of Europe. Fletcher is appearing in a film about boxing,
:27:43. > :27:49.he is helping Bournemouth film students do it. That is how mobile
:27:49. > :27:55.he is when he plays, honestly! He plays like that, as well. He does
:27:55. > :28:01.put it about. But I wouldn't like to be in that ring with him.
:28:01. > :28:11.Dangerous in the box! What about you, Graeme? Hampshire at youth
:28:11. > :28:12.
:28:12. > :28:17.football but Spain by -- put Spain by storm. Winchester under 13s went
:28:17. > :28:20.to Atletico Madrid and a one of the tournament. It is great to see
:28:20. > :28:30.players going to experience different football cultures and
:28:30. > :28:30.