:00:00. > :00:10.It's not about how you start, so we are here for the season's bhg
:00:11. > :00:25.finish. A warm welcome back to Late Kick`Off.
:00:26. > :00:31.Leeds, Leeds, Leeds. New series same old ownership sagas. Wd've been
:00:32. > :00:34.to Sardinia to find out mord about Massimo Cellino.
:00:35. > :00:44.It was a Yorkshire love`in when Barnsley last played at
:00:45. > :00:48.Huddersfield. Late Kick Off returned with them on Saturday for the next
:00:49. > :00:56.chapter. And as ever, all the goals and gossip from your Football League
:00:57. > :01:01.team. Good evening. Welcome to spring and
:01:02. > :01:03.Late Kick`Off's new series with old presenter. With me, I've got
:01:04. > :01:06.England's finest Italian Australian full`back of all time, Tony Dorigo,
:01:07. > :01:10.and a different angle from puestion asker par excellence David Conn of
:01:11. > :01:13.the Guardian. You can ask questions too vha
:01:14. > :01:24.twitter. Keep in touch throtghout this series at...
:01:25. > :01:28.Both Tony and David have strong links with Leeds United, th`t's why
:01:29. > :01:31.they are here and that's whdre we have to start. When I was l`st in
:01:32. > :01:34.this chair almost two years ago Leeds had ownership issues `nd they
:01:35. > :01:37.still have. But are we finally reaching the end? The owner of
:01:38. > :01:41.Italian club Cagliari, Masshmo Cellino, has had his bid for 75 of
:01:42. > :01:45.the club accepted. But though he may have the money, he also has a
:01:46. > :01:48.colourful past which has delayed the takeover. The Football Leagte is due
:01:49. > :01:51.to give its judgement as to whether Signor Cellino is fit and proper
:01:52. > :02:06.within a fortnight. So just who is Massimo Cellino? We've gone to
:02:07. > :02:09.Sardinia to find out more. This island is where Massimo Cellino
:02:10. > :02:11.was born and raised. He inhdrited his father's successful agrhcultural
:02:12. > :02:14.business and became a multimillionaire, known herd as the
:02:15. > :02:17.king of corn. It seems though as if he's become frustrated. He's
:02:18. > :02:21.relocated his family to Florida and now sees Yorkshire as the place to
:02:22. > :02:26.achieve his ambitions. So f`r, his actions have spoken louder than
:02:27. > :02:30.words. He was met with abusd after attempting to sack Brian McDermott.
:02:31. > :02:35.CHANTING AND SINGING. The two have since attempted to
:02:36. > :02:39.build bridges. It was a good, frank conversation. It went well, we
:02:40. > :02:43.talked about... He's a football man, we talked about what he has done in
:02:44. > :02:47.his career and what I've done and we had a good discussion.
:02:48. > :02:50.Of concern to Leeds United fans and, no doubt, the Football Leagte are
:02:51. > :02:55.Cellino's convictions for fraud and false accounting. Not to mention the
:02:56. > :02:59.ongoing investigation into the misappropriation of public funds.
:03:00. > :03:02.But we're not expected to hdar from the man himself until the Football
:03:03. > :03:05.League decides if his takeover meets their approval. I did get to speak
:03:06. > :03:08.to Celllino's lifelong friend and lawyer these last ten years who has
:03:09. > :03:10.also helped to provide the Football League with information.
:03:11. > :03:18.TRANSLATION. The expression crime or crilinal is
:03:19. > :03:24.totally inappropriate, both for the historic accusation and the current
:03:25. > :03:29.investigation. They are matters that were always unfounded and wd have
:03:30. > :03:31.always contested them. Thesd charges against Mr Cellino were abott
:03:32. > :03:36.procedural matters, both thd historic funds and I can sax with
:03:37. > :03:40.confidence the current ones. They are not crimes in the traditional
:03:41. > :03:45.sense of the word. They are really financial questions. They are
:03:46. > :03:48.debatable anyway. They would not be a crime in England and some of them
:03:49. > :03:52.are not even criminal in It`ly any more. For example false accounting.
:03:53. > :03:59.So even though it was illeg`l in the past, the law has changed in our
:04:00. > :04:00.system. This is Cagliari's Buoncammhno
:04:01. > :04:09.prison. Massimo Cellino was held here for 16
:04:10. > :04:13.days. It's not uncommon for Italian suspects to be held in prison
:04:14. > :04:16.without charge or without a hearing. But his lawyer says all bail
:04:17. > :04:22.restrictions have now been lifted and Massimo Cellino will be proved
:04:23. > :04:29.innocent. Massimo is a person who puts his
:04:30. > :04:32.heart into everything he dods. If he's committed to a cause, he will
:04:33. > :04:35.do everything he can and maxbe that's why he gets exposed to the
:04:36. > :04:39.public and accusations come from that.
:04:40. > :04:42.Massimo Cellino has been owner of Sardinian club Cagliari for 22 years
:04:43. > :04:49.and they've spent all but fhve of those in Serie A. He has, though,
:04:50. > :04:51.gone through 36 managers. This is their ground, it is publiclx owned
:04:52. > :04:57.and is where England struggled through their group games in the
:04:58. > :05:02.Italia '90 World Cup. It was closed in 2012 over safety concerns.
:05:03. > :05:05.Cellino relocated the team 400 miles away to Trieste near the border with
:05:06. > :05:12.Slovenia before spending last season at a converted amateur ground, five
:05:13. > :05:15.miles from Cagliari. It is this ground that is the focus of the
:05:16. > :05:19.current investigation into the misuse ofo public funds. Yesterday,
:05:20. > :05:22.Cagliari beat Udinese three nil to stay above the drop zone evdn though
:05:23. > :05:31.they are bottom of the tabld when it comes to attendances with an average
:05:32. > :05:36.of just 4500. It is why Cellino described buying Leeds as upgrading
:05:37. > :05:42.to a Ferrari from a Fiat 500. I feel betrayed because he hasn t
:05:43. > :05:47.treated Cagliari very well. To say Leeds is like a Ferrari and Cagliari
:05:48. > :05:50.a Fiat 500 is not right. In Cagliari, he has a good repttation
:05:51. > :05:53.because he wants to buy the stadium but because of the problem of
:05:54. > :06:02.bureaucracy it is difficult to buy the stadium. But in Leeds there is
:06:03. > :06:06.not this problem. He has been a good president. Thanks
:06:07. > :06:14.to him, Cagliari has remaindd in the top flight for 20 years. I think
:06:15. > :06:17.money is at the root of it `ll. Cellino is very good with the
:06:18. > :06:21.accounts and likes to have his own agenda. In England, the TV deals are
:06:22. > :06:23.a lot more attractive than hn Italy and he can offset his outlax through
:06:24. > :06:34.those TV deals. But there is one more opinion that I
:06:35. > :06:38.want and for that I am headhng to a village further north. I have been
:06:39. > :06:41.invited for a traditional S`rdinian lunch at the family home of Mario, a
:06:42. > :06:50.Leeds fan since their champhons league exploit 14 years ago.
:06:51. > :06:53.I think it's good news for the fans of Leeds United considering what he
:06:54. > :07:02.has managed to achieve in Italian football. He has managed to maintain
:07:03. > :07:05.a provincial club like Caglhari at a high level in a difficult
:07:06. > :07:11.championship. I think Leeds fans have warmly welcomed the news. He
:07:12. > :07:14.definitely wants to buy Leeds, principally as a business vdnture,
:07:15. > :07:18.but I wouldn't want to excltde the possibility that he would f`ll in
:07:19. > :07:22.love with the team and the history of the club and also the city of
:07:23. > :07:23.Leeds and its fans. Right now, it's solely a commercial opportunity for
:07:24. > :07:33.Mr Cellini. With Cagliari up for sale, the sun
:07:34. > :07:36.is setting on Cellino's timd in Italian football. The presstre is
:07:37. > :07:43.now on the Football League to decide if his adventure is to conthnue at
:07:44. > :07:45.Leeds. The Italians have a way of laking
:07:46. > :07:49.everything sound very romantic, David, and it sounds like, hf it all
:07:50. > :07:53.works well, it could be a m`tch made in heaven. But is it going to work
:07:54. > :07:57.and when will it start workhng? What is the delay with all this? I know
:07:58. > :08:00.it feels like there is a delay, but the Football League have thdir
:08:01. > :08:03.procedure which used to be called the fit and proper person tdst to
:08:04. > :08:06.try to avoid some of the embarrassment that they havd had in
:08:07. > :08:09.the past with letting peopld take over our historic football clubs
:08:10. > :08:12.that people love who have got a chequered history and who mhght not
:08:13. > :08:20.be acting in the best interdst of the club. What they are doing is
:08:21. > :08:23.they are looking at his history there is no question that hd has a
:08:24. > :08:29.fraud conviction from 2001, and he has also got an ongoing
:08:30. > :08:32.investigation into him. Thex are saying they need to see the original
:08:33. > :08:34.documents, might need to get them translated from Italian. Thdy also
:08:35. > :08:39.now check whether people actually have got the money and wherd the
:08:40. > :08:46.money is coming from. They say that that takes time. But Italian
:08:47. > :08:49.football clubs have a long `nd proud history as well. Cagliari, the club
:08:50. > :08:54.of Gianfranco Zola et al, hd has run them successfully for 22 ye`rs. Why
:08:55. > :09:02.couldn't he do that with Ledds? He could possibly do that with Leeds.
:09:03. > :09:04.It's a big challenge. I think it's absolutely right that the Football
:09:05. > :09:14.League should be taking card before it lets the clubs change hands. But
:09:15. > :09:18.even if he were to take over, he is saying that he has got the loney to
:09:19. > :09:21.buy Elland Road and it's ten years since Leeds United, one of the big
:09:22. > :09:24.names in English football h`s owned its own ground, its own trahning
:09:25. > :09:27.ground because of financial problems and collapses in the past. Hf he's
:09:28. > :09:31.allowed to take over after they ve checked out his past and his money,
:09:32. > :09:38.he still has a huge challenge to run Leeds back to success. With
:09:39. > :09:41.everything that's ongoing in Italy, even if it's ratified, if a week on
:09:42. > :09:44.Thursday, the Football Leagte say you are now the owner of Ledds
:09:45. > :09:47.United, will there still be questions about the future?
:09:48. > :09:52.All Leeds fans want to know is who owns us and where are we gohng?
:09:53. > :09:55.That's completely understandable. They've been through such a horrible
:09:56. > :09:57.time ever since the famous we live the dream, Peter Ridsdale bding
:09:58. > :10:01.overborrowed and collapsing just when they were so successful in the
:10:02. > :10:04.Premier League era. The fans feel they should've kicked on from there,
:10:05. > :10:08.but instead they are still being kicked from pillar to post. But
:10:09. > :10:12.there are two massive issues. Massimo Cellino is a football man,
:10:13. > :10:17.he has run Cagliari in Serid A, or taken them there and kept them
:10:18. > :10:23.there. People say he knows his football, he knows his playdrs and
:10:24. > :10:26.has a plan. But the major challenges are, financially, it is incredibly
:10:27. > :10:29.difficult to run any club in the Championship. Leeds are used losing
:10:30. > :10:33.a million pounds every week because they don't own their own ground and
:10:34. > :10:37.their own training ground. Leaving aside the conviction he has got from
:10:38. > :10:40.2001, which I think he will get through on that because it will be
:10:41. > :10:43.considered spent, not something the Football League is worried `bout, he
:10:44. > :10:46.has this ongoing investigathon into him. His lawyer is saying that will
:10:47. > :10:54.not go anywhere, but the authorities are not saying that. And th`t it is
:10:55. > :10:58.a major hostage to fortune. It might work out fine but for somebody to be
:10:59. > :11:00.allowed to take over a club with an ongoing potentially criminal
:11:01. > :11:04.investigation that he has already spent 16 days on remand for is a
:11:05. > :11:09.risk. Hopefully in two weeks we'll know.
:11:10. > :11:12.If the green light is given, can he recover from that start, thd sacking
:11:13. > :11:17.and reinstating of Brian McDermott? Can he ever get back in favour with
:11:18. > :11:21.the Leeds fans? It is going to be very difficult. He has cert`inly
:11:22. > :11:25.made a very bad start. What is important from the club's point of
:11:26. > :11:28.view is that there is a plan going forward, they can look at some sort
:11:29. > :11:32.of solidity, some sort of foundation to build on. If he can provhde that,
:11:33. > :11:35.then maybe. All the fans want is for their team out there to win games.
:11:36. > :11:39.If they can produce that, hd will be OK. But it is very difficult to do
:11:40. > :11:43.that. Can Brian McDermott rdcover from that, and just get on with the
:11:44. > :11:48.job? He must feel as if he hs in limbo. Absolutely. It's incredible
:11:49. > :11:52.how he can now feel he is in a position of authority, to go on and
:11:53. > :11:56.plan for the future. Becausd that is what they need. It's not a puick
:11:57. > :11:59.fix, a two or three` month job, it's long`term because Leeds havd slipped
:12:00. > :12:03.to a poor position. He needs to be able to lead from the front. Can he?
:12:04. > :12:06.I don't see how he can. There is that statistic, al`rming,
:12:07. > :12:09.36 managers. Maybe not alarling interesting. 36 managers he has
:12:10. > :12:14.hired and fired, including ` friend of yours twice. Yes, Massimo
:12:15. > :12:18.Ficcadenti who played with le at Torino. I think he lasted 14 months.
:12:19. > :12:21.First time there four months, got the sack, brought back in and then
:12:22. > :12:27.got the sack again. He's not, clearly, afraid of hiring and
:12:28. > :12:30.firing. But as long as you get results on the pitch. But Italy
:12:31. > :12:35.Serie A, is very different to English football. Cagliari, a very
:12:36. > :12:39.small club, off the pitch is almost nonexistent with regard to brand
:12:40. > :12:42.marketing. Here, Leeds need that. They are a big brand that are
:12:43. > :12:46.wallowing at the moment. We want to get them back up there. Hopdfully,
:12:47. > :12:49.he has got the expertise to do that. But Cagliari are not that sort of
:12:50. > :12:53.club. We'll see. The positive I m taking is he has been there 22
:12:54. > :12:54.years. Let's hope he is as long with Leeds.
:12:55. > :13:04.Massimo Ficcadenti, for those who want to know, the manager whth FC
:13:05. > :13:07.Tokyo. first hour Championship round`up with Huddersfield `gainst
:13:08. > :13:23.Barnsley. on the final day of last se`son It
:13:24. > :13:33.was a day not be forgotten. `` the extraordinary scenes. It was
:13:34. > :13:42.brilliant. I was having palpitations. It was a
:13:43. > :13:47.roller`coaster. The last five minutes are something you whll never
:13:48. > :13:51.see again. Matt Robinson thought he had seen it all but even for him it
:13:52. > :13:58.was one of the most dramatic games of his career. The emotions were
:13:59. > :14:11.really high. We will never see the likes of the celebrations of both
:14:12. > :14:16.sets of supporters. Saturdax was never likely to compare with the
:14:17. > :14:19.excitement of that game, but few expected the match to be so
:14:20. > :14:30.one`sided. To begin with Barnsley looked like scoring. Early hn the
:14:31. > :14:45.second half Adam Hammill. The third and Adam Clayton scored the fourth.
:14:46. > :14:51.An emphatic 5`0 victory. At 30 minutes I was more than ple`sed with
:14:52. > :15:03.how we played. We created chances. Then the two quickfire goals.
:15:04. > :15:13.A 5`0 defeat for Barnsley. Ht was a similar scoreline from Donc`ster
:15:14. > :15:16.Rovers at Bournemouth. Forttnately for Doncaster Rovers most of the
:15:17. > :15:25.sides around then also lost soul did not Amnesty league position. `` also
:15:26. > :15:38.lost therefore it did not affect their league position.
:15:39. > :15:47.Leeds United were made to p`y for their penalty miss before the break.
:15:48. > :15:57.Sheffield Wednesday were fortunate to beat Middlesbrough.
:15:58. > :16:15.Where is goalline technologx when you need it?
:16:16. > :16:19.Leeds United are clinging on to a top hat place in the Championship,
:16:20. > :16:23.but that will require an allost perfect run to get into the top six.
:16:24. > :16:31.Huddersfield and Sheffield Wednesday look set for the middle of the end
:16:32. > :16:38.of the season. Doncaster Rovers are having their nerves shredded.
:16:39. > :16:47.Barnsley at end a lot of other. Great victory for Huddersfidld. Have
:16:48. > :16:51.Barnsley habit this year? They have experience of it. Let us hope they
:16:52. > :16:54.can get out of it. It is thd difficult. From the point of view of
:16:55. > :17:04.Huddersfield, another important victory.
:17:05. > :17:17.The way that he plays. The style of play. Technically very giftdd. He
:17:18. > :17:20.will learn about better movdment. But what he has got us the
:17:21. > :17:24.attributes to be a top`class striker.
:17:25. > :17:29.We saw two of the four goals that they need.
:17:30. > :17:36.Barnsley, a season too far hn the Championship? It would be a shame.
:17:37. > :17:39.Barnsley have been in the Championship or the second division
:17:40. > :17:44.for longer than any other club. It is a very solid record. We have
:17:45. > :18:01.always competed at a relatively high level. In recent years, the
:18:02. > :18:05.finances, Barnsley do not h`ve an order that can put money in. There
:18:06. > :18:11.has been no takeover with somebody putting money down. And as the
:18:12. > :18:16.league is changing a club lhke Barnsley is struggling.
:18:17. > :18:26.Sheffield Wednesday versus Middlesbrough. Middlesbrough were
:18:27. > :18:34.unlucky. I am sure the ball crossed the line twice. It is one post to
:18:35. > :18:40.the other. That has got to be over the line. This brings into puestion
:18:41. > :18:46.technology. With the naked dye at speed you could not necessarily
:18:47. > :18:51.decide. You would not see the referee has made a complete howler.
:18:52. > :18:58.At a top`level, the Premier League have agreed to use goalline
:18:59. > :19:00.technology. It does make yot wonder whether it will come down to
:19:01. > :19:08.different levels of professhonal football.
:19:09. > :19:14.Coming up, Scunthorpe United take on Britain's toughest football quiz,
:19:15. > :19:22.Man On. As we have all the goals from league one and league two.
:19:23. > :19:31.When I was last year we had a quiz called Head To Head. That h`s been
:19:32. > :19:41.replaced by something called Man On. Paul Hayes, Scunthorpe Unitdd.
:19:42. > :19:51.Someone all, Scunthorpe United. `` Sam when all. With which club did
:19:52. > :19:58.Brian laws when the FA Cup? Who captained Leeds in 1966? Name to
:19:59. > :20:11.former aim of captaincy and played for Scunthorpe United?
:20:12. > :20:18.Kevin Keegan. Sir Ian Wood both `` Ian Botham. Name the president of
:20:19. > :20:25.the United States. President Obama. Who was thd first
:20:26. > :20:51.player to score 100 goals in the Premier League? Alan Shearer.
:20:52. > :21:00.League one, Rotherham are vdry Merry Muller 's indeed. `` Mullers.
:21:01. > :21:05.They fit on a practically pdrfectly performance. They went ahead after
:21:06. > :21:18.ten minutes. The goals kept on coming. Alex Revels scored hn the
:21:19. > :21:26.26th minute of the great strike Kieran a guard made it 4`0 with just
:21:27. > :21:33.30 minutes gone. The fifth goal was scored on the
:21:34. > :21:37.hour mark. Tom Hitchcock scores the sixth goal. Play`offs look xoung
:21:38. > :21:42.team. Sheffield United started
:21:43. > :21:49.catastrophically. Nigel Clotgh has transformed this season. Saturday's
:21:50. > :21:54.victory means they have an outside shot of a trip to Wembley this year
:21:55. > :22:00.in the cap, and theoretically they aired the play`offs. Bradford will
:22:01. > :22:14.wonder how the scheme got away. They lead after 11 minutes. ``
:22:15. > :22:21.wonder how this game got aw`y. James Hansen reacting quickdst to
:22:22. > :22:27.the rebound. In the second half as sensational double from Lukd
:22:28. > :22:35.Freeman. This was straight off the training ground.
:22:36. > :22:40.No letup amongst the league one leaders. Automatic promotion might
:22:41. > :22:45.be be all and Rotherham. Br`dford on the downward trend. Sheffield United
:22:46. > :22:47.are surging up the table. Fhve straight victories and a gale in
:22:48. > :22:54.hand to play against Peterborough tomorrow.
:22:55. > :23:00.Tracking goals at the weekend, unfortunately the then against
:23:01. > :23:05.Bradford. Back`to`back promotions takd some
:23:06. > :23:12.doing. If you look at his previous clubs, Austen, Crawley, he has had a
:23:13. > :23:18.little money to spend, but hf you spend it wisely you get your players
:23:19. > :23:23.playing for you. It is a good setup. I club on the up. It is important
:23:24. > :23:29.that they have hit form. Excellent victory. They are pretty much
:23:30. > :23:35.guaranteed to be in a play`off place. Sheffield United might join
:23:36. > :23:40.them. Nigel Clough has made them rise up the table with this
:23:41. > :23:44.incredible run of victories. They are one game away from Wembley. They
:23:45. > :23:49.could be in the FA Cup semifinal by this time next week.
:23:50. > :23:54.It is an incredible turnarotnd. Nigel Clough has made a hugd
:23:55. > :23:58.difference. The play`offs are a distant possibility. That they beat
:23:59. > :24:03.Charlton at the weekend thex could be at Wembley and the FA Cup
:24:04. > :24:07.semifinal. That is a massivd moment for Sheffield United. They still see
:24:08. > :24:13.themselves as a big club. They cannot quite believe how thhngs have
:24:14. > :24:18.turned out from having been in the Premier League quite recently. That
:24:19. > :24:25.occasion at Wembley could bd so important to make him feel like a
:24:26. > :24:32.big club again. Apparently they are owned bx a Saudi
:24:33. > :24:41.Arabian Prince. The long`st`nding order says that he has invested and
:24:42. > :24:44.also lost ?80 million. The Saudi Arabian Prince is putting money into
:24:45. > :24:54.the first team to try to brhng some success stop they are now 50`50
:24:55. > :25:03.overs. Chesterfield when at home to
:25:04. > :25:07.Portsmouth tonight. The first half will not livd long in
:25:08. > :25:12.the memory. Ollie Banks frol long range should not even have troubled
:25:13. > :25:16.the goalkeeper. That free kick was always going to
:25:17. > :25:23.miss. Portsmouth pressed in the sdcond
:25:24. > :25:28.half. Tommy B was brave. Good goalkeeping. `` Tommy Lee Jones Jake
:25:29. > :25:34.Jervis missed a golden opportunity with 15 minutes to go. The last and
:25:35. > :25:38.best chance fell to Mark Richards but his header was straight at the
:25:39. > :25:55.goalkeeper. Scunthorpe had the chance to go top
:25:56. > :26:01.of league one even if only temporarily. It was Newport went in
:26:02. > :26:09.front in the first half. Sctnthorpe field to deal with the dangdr from
:26:10. > :26:14.the resultant free kick. `` fails to deal with the danger. In thd second
:26:15. > :26:21.half Paddy Madden levelled the score.
:26:22. > :26:28.Scunthorpe hearts were brokdn when pure defending allowed this
:26:29. > :26:32.equaliser. Scunthorpe are still an Eton in 18 games. York city
:26:33. > :26:38.continued their push for a play`off spot with a 2`1 victory over Exeter
:26:39. > :26:46.city. All other came in the first half.
:26:47. > :26:56.`` all of the goals came in the first half.
:26:57. > :27:02.Your are looking at the table, not down.
:27:03. > :27:11.Your are looking at the Chesterfield still top. Scunthorpe
:27:12. > :27:20.tucked in behind them. Can xour dream of the play`offs?
:27:21. > :27:28.Play`offs is a bit too far. One step at a time. I knew surprised by how
:27:29. > :27:32.well Nigel Worthington has done He is putting his own stamp on the
:27:33. > :27:36.side. He has brought in his own players. He has information that
:27:37. > :27:47.works for them. He will get his players working. He has
:27:48. > :27:52.international experience. Going down to this level is not easy for him.
:27:53. > :28:01.That goal belongs in intern`tional football. Brilliant. Michael
:28:02. > :28:05.Coulson. What is coming up? Two of otr sides
:28:06. > :28:10.play in midweek. Sheffield Tnited are at home to Peterborough. And
:28:11. > :28:17.then if they win the play`offs may be on for them. And Rotherh`m are
:28:18. > :28:23.playing Colchester. Live commentary and reports are
:28:24. > :28:33.available on your local BBC radio station. And you can watch this
:28:34. > :28:39.programme again on BBC iPlaxer. Thank you to my guests. Roll on next
:28:40. > :28:44.Monday. Goodbye.