:00:07. > :00:11.It has been a weekend full of stories and a day full of one great
:00:12. > :00:26.big one. It is time to talk and reflect on Late Kick`Off. The
:00:27. > :00:30.Football League says no to Massimo Cellino. What now for Leeds?
:00:31. > :00:40.The Wembley`bound birthday Blades ` making plans with Nigel. And the
:00:41. > :00:51.battle for promotion from League Two is on.
:00:52. > :00:57.It is on all right. So are we. Lots to go at tonight. With me is the
:00:58. > :01:01.Yorkshire Post's chief football reporter Richard Sutcliffe and our
:01:02. > :01:05.very own John Hendrie. I am sure you will want to get your point across
:01:06. > :01:14.in the week as well and you can do that via Twitter. Off we go. We
:01:15. > :01:17.simply have to start tonight with the news today that Massimo Cellino
:01:18. > :01:20.has been disqualified from buying a majority stake in Leeds United. The
:01:21. > :01:22.Football League, and its owners and directors test, have unanimously
:01:23. > :01:25.voted against the Italian businessman being allowed to take
:01:26. > :01:28.over at Elland Road. Richard, whilst that does not come as a complete
:01:29. > :01:33.surprise, it does leave a whole load of unanswered questions. What on
:01:34. > :01:36.earth happens now? The big thing is the end of the week when the wages
:01:37. > :01:40.are due. It is my understanding that Massimo Cellino will fund that as he
:01:41. > :01:44.has done for the last two or three months. He is going to try and get
:01:45. > :01:47.the deal through, but they are going to try to tell the Football League
:01:48. > :01:50.that he is not the majority shareholder any more, it is actually
:01:51. > :01:54.his family that is taking over the club, but the Football League will
:01:55. > :01:57.not fall for that, I am sure. That is the statement that was on the
:01:58. > :02:00.Leeds United official website this afternoon, that they will continue
:02:01. > :02:03.to be in discussions with the Football League and Elanora Sport to
:02:04. > :02:06.find a solution. Is that viable? You wouldn't have thought so. I was told
:02:07. > :02:09.last week that the application included both scenarios, whether
:02:10. > :02:12.Massimo Cellino got it through on his own but if that was turned down,
:02:13. > :02:19.this is what the club will be saying would happen next. When I was told
:02:20. > :02:23.that, I thought, how is that going to work? You can't say on one hand
:02:24. > :02:27.he should get the club, but on the other hand, if he doesn't, this is
:02:28. > :02:31.how we planned to do it in the first place. It is just a mess. It has
:02:32. > :02:34.been a mess for a while. For many of us on the outside looking in, we
:02:35. > :02:38.think, this is a good thing longer term. But will there be a longer
:02:39. > :02:41.term? It looks like a nightmare scenario for Leeds. It is a
:02:42. > :02:45.nightmare scenario, but I think they will be OK in the end. If they don't
:02:46. > :02:49.get anyone else coming in, because you look at it, there is two battles
:02:50. > :02:52.to fight here, one on the pitch and one off the pitch. They got a good
:02:53. > :02:56.result on Saturday. They are 15 points clear if, dare we say it,
:02:57. > :02:59.they need to go into administration. If they are deducted ten points,
:03:00. > :03:03.they are on the brink of the draw. Yes. But I just feel they have got
:03:04. > :03:06.enough there to sort of see out rest of the season. For Brian McDermott,
:03:07. > :03:09.first and foremost, his job was under threat. Cellino had already
:03:10. > :03:13.sort of gave him the bullet. If Cellino got the job, would he have
:03:14. > :03:16.given him the bullet again? Is Brian McDermott a happy man? It is
:03:17. > :03:18.unbelievable, isn't it? Every twist and turn brings something new. The
:03:19. > :03:23.Together Leeds Group, we are expecting something from them in the
:03:24. > :03:26.next couple of days. We are. GFH have indicated they don't want to
:03:27. > :03:30.deal with them. Their initial bid was for seven million with add`ons.
:03:31. > :03:35.If they go into promotion and that sort of thing. Leeds were bought for
:03:36. > :03:38.?20 million by GFH, they want to get their investment back. Selling it
:03:39. > :03:45.for ?7 million, that doesn't make any sense. If it is back to square
:03:46. > :03:49.one and GFH are now having to fund the club, how long can they do that
:03:50. > :03:52.for? How deep are their pockets? If they are deep enough, they will get
:03:53. > :03:55.them through many months, if not, they will go into administration. I
:03:56. > :03:58.have been assured that will not happen. GFH cannot allow it to
:03:59. > :04:01.happen because if it does, their investment goes down the Swanee. So
:04:02. > :04:05.what next is the big question. How has it come to this for one of the
:04:06. > :04:08.biggest clubs in English football? Ten years ago this weekend, Leeds
:04:09. > :04:15.beat Manchester City in the Premier League. What different paths those
:04:16. > :04:18.two huge clubs have taken since. For City, wealth and honours, for Leeds
:04:19. > :04:21.a succession of owners, managers and players and failures. The only
:04:22. > :04:23.constant has been the fans and one of them, author, playwright and
:04:24. > :04:24.Sunday Mirror journalist Anthony Clavane, blames a condition he calls
:04:25. > :04:38."Leedsness". By Leeds City station, I sat down
:04:39. > :04:42.and wept. I am a Loiner and whenever I come back to the city, I always
:04:43. > :04:45.look up at the famous sign that once bored a legend, Leeds, the Promised
:04:46. > :04:53.Land Delivered. A sign of hope and optimism. Which, like the famous
:04:54. > :05:06.team I have supported for 40 years, is no longer there. Robinson,
:05:07. > :05:09.Woodgate, Hart, Kilgallon. As the train pulls into the station and the
:05:10. > :05:12.glittering sets of residential towers lining the river coming to
:05:13. > :05:14.view, I always look for the cantilevered football stadium, the
:05:15. > :05:19.city's great monument to metamorphosis. A temple to the glory
:05:20. > :05:21.and the doom, the pride and the shame, the optimism and the
:05:22. > :05:33.pessimism of the self`appointed capital of God's own country. Once a
:05:34. > :05:36.stage for the performance of heaven, a citadel of power, a shrine to
:05:37. > :05:39.modernity, a beacon guiding all of the diverse tribes of Leeds to their
:05:40. > :05:48.predestined end. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. But now, a
:05:49. > :05:51.time capsule. A nostalgia`drenched enclosure for a second`rate football
:05:52. > :05:53.team whose passionate and loyal fans continue to drift in and out,
:05:54. > :06:01.shifting and mingling in stands and drinking in bars, named after old
:06:02. > :06:09.folk legends and a warrior kings. Little Billy, Sergeant Wilko, The
:06:10. > :06:23.Don. The Don, the damp, dirty Leeds, the dominant narrative of Leeds
:06:24. > :06:26.United. Smack the damned. Howson, Milner, Delph, Lennon, Smith. Smith,
:06:27. > :06:29.who ten years ago kissed the badge and made us cry and then swanned off
:06:30. > :06:34.to that swaggering, cocky lot of winners across the Pennines. A
:06:35. > :06:49.decade of young home`grown talent gone to waste. Or, if you prefer,
:06:50. > :06:52.Norwich. Norwich. Norwich! An early team in an early city, formed 110
:06:53. > :06:55.years ago and then kicked out of the league. Reinvented by Revie and then
:06:56. > :06:58.conned out of the European Cup. Marching on together under Sergeant
:06:59. > :07:01.Wilko, the last English champions were then born again as O'Leary's
:07:02. > :07:09.babies with a licence to spend, spend, spend and burn and crash.
:07:10. > :07:15.Publicity Pete living the dream and then living the nightmare of debt
:07:16. > :07:21.and collapse and meltdown. A decade of exile. A decade when our
:07:22. > :07:31.forty`year rise to the top ground to a halt and then went into reverse. A
:07:32. > :07:34.decade when we sought solace in the past, took refuge in our ugly
:07:35. > :07:37.beautiful mists and embraced the relentless rain, the dark skies and
:07:38. > :07:41.the unending gloom of a mythical vanishing Leeds, Leeds, Leeds.
:07:42. > :07:44.Kewell and Beckford upfront. A decade of despair. Relegation,
:07:45. > :07:56.administration, point deduction, Uncle Ken Bates and all. And Uncle
:07:57. > :07:59.Ken Bates and all. The man who called us morons, who sold us to the
:08:00. > :08:02.only Arabs without any money, and the only Arabs without any money
:08:03. > :08:05.were made an offer they could not refuse by an Italian now found
:08:06. > :08:08.guilty of tax evasion. And the Italian sacked the manager and then
:08:09. > :08:19.reinstated him, and he wasn't even the owner. Sad, strange, strung out,
:08:20. > :08:23.dirty, cheating, damned Leeds. And a team which has already spent a
:08:24. > :08:29.decade outside of the top flight is now on the edge of darkness. A team
:08:30. > :08:32.which has suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous owners awaits
:08:33. > :08:35.an Armageddon which will prove once again, to those of us who are and
:08:36. > :08:45.always will be Leeds, Leeds, Leeds, that the world is and always will be
:08:46. > :08:49.against Leeds, Leeds, Leeds. We just cannot win. And even when we do win,
:08:50. > :08:52.six trophies under the Don, we still believe that the gods, the fates,
:08:53. > :08:55.the refs, the hacks, the good, the bad and ugly men who rule football
:08:56. > :09:03.will always conspire against us, stitch us up, make our teams, like
:09:04. > :09:11.that Promised Land sign, disappear. But I have no time for conspiracy
:09:12. > :09:22.theories. I have no time for the Damned United. And I want good,
:09:23. > :09:25.clean, attractive football from my captain, starting next week at the
:09:26. > :09:28.Charity Shield. A great book but a mistaken narrative. And I have no
:09:29. > :09:33.time for the bizarre notion that we are doomed to suffer for the sins of
:09:34. > :09:36.our past. It is true that we could have been contenders. And we could
:09:37. > :09:40.have kept the promised land sign hanging over our station. And we
:09:41. > :09:47.could have kept our young home`grown talents. The team that never was. In
:09:48. > :09:50.the stadium that football forgot. Robinson, Hart, Kilgallon, Woodgate,
:09:51. > :10:01.Houston, Milner, Delph, Lennon. Smith, Kewell, Beckford. But there
:10:02. > :10:09.was nothing inevitable about the demise of one of the country's most
:10:10. > :10:11.famous football teams. Based in one of the country's biggest cities and
:10:12. > :10:18.boasting the country's most fanatical supporters. We are not
:10:19. > :10:20.really the damned United. Thinking we are, however, is part of the
:10:21. > :10:26.problem. Powerful stuff. I don't normally
:10:27. > :10:30.like the arty stuff, when you mix it with football but that hit the spot.
:10:31. > :10:34.It was like an advert almost, for a genuine Leeds fan with plenty of
:10:35. > :10:39.money, it is there for them. That is all there. It has got to be plenty
:10:40. > :10:42.of money. They need someone with megabucks to come in and just blow
:10:43. > :10:46.it at the football club. What are you buying into? You have got the
:10:47. > :10:49.fan base, terrific fan base, the history of the football club, a
:10:50. > :10:52.great club. OK, you don't have the training ground, what they need is
:10:53. > :10:56.for some Arabs to come in but Arabs who have got big dough. You are
:10:57. > :11:00.buying a name. A big name. High time we got some goals on the programme.
:11:01. > :11:03.And with wins for Leeds and Doncaster, but woe for the Owls,
:11:04. > :11:11.Terriers and Tykes, here is Neal Morrow with the Championship. After
:11:12. > :11:13.an horrendous week off the field for Leeds, the 90 minutes of football
:11:14. > :11:18.action against Millwall on Saturday came as light relief at Elland Road.
:11:19. > :11:22.United took a somewhat fortuitous lead after 18 minutes. Matt Smith's
:11:23. > :11:28.flick header leaving the goalkeeper stranded in no man's land. Just
:11:29. > :11:31.before the break, Ross McCormack scored his 26th goal of a prolific
:11:32. > :11:39.season, the keeper will feel he ought to have done better. Millwall
:11:40. > :11:43.made a game of it in the second half. This blistering volley gave
:11:44. > :11:46.the goalkeeper no chance of making a save. Leeds held on for a
:11:47. > :11:57.much`needed win for the under pressure Brian McDermott. Tough run
:11:58. > :12:01.since December. Everything that is going on, the uncertainty, we want
:12:02. > :12:03.it to go away and we want to concentrate solely on the football
:12:04. > :12:06.and the sooner this ownership situation is sorted out, the better.
:12:07. > :12:09.A trip to Blackpool for Huddersfield on Saturday, but it all went wrong
:12:10. > :12:12.for the Terriers in the fourth minute. This goal was to prove the
:12:13. > :12:15.winner. Huddersfield huffed and puffed but could not find an
:12:16. > :12:19.equaliser. They are now without a win in their last four. Doncaster
:12:20. > :12:22.welcomed Sheffield Wednesday to the Keepmoat Stadium for the South
:12:23. > :12:24.Yorkshire derby and the home side took the lead after 30 minutes,
:12:25. > :12:30.Chris Brown tapping in for his eighth goal of the campaign.
:12:31. > :12:33.Sheffield Wednesday had few clear`cut chances to score an
:12:34. > :12:36.equaliser and this result means Doncaster continue to climb away
:12:37. > :12:42.from the danger zone at the bottom of the Championship. The same
:12:43. > :12:45.certainly cannot be said for Barnsley. The Reds probably deserved
:12:46. > :12:49.a point against Bournemouth on Saturday. Martin Woods should have
:12:50. > :12:51.put the Reds one up but hopes of a repeat of last season's great escape
:12:52. > :12:54.are surely fading around Oakwell after a heartbreaking last`minute
:12:55. > :13:01.goal gave Bournemouth all three points. Luke Steele's superb reflex
:13:02. > :13:07.save deserved better. Steve Cook bundled the ball home.
:13:08. > :13:10.So, a welcome win for Leeds has them moving up again, no dramas despite
:13:11. > :13:15.defeats for Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield, and the big new sis
:13:16. > :13:18.nearer the bottom. Dash`mac the big news is nearer the bottom. Doncaster
:13:19. > :13:21.move further away from the bottom, their form means one less team that
:13:22. > :13:27.Barnsley could realistically catch. Let's start with Doncaster Rovers.
:13:28. > :13:30.They are four unbeaten. They are hitting form at the right time. It
:13:31. > :13:33.has to continue. The next two away games are tough, Burnley and Leeds.
:13:34. > :13:41.They have got to go on. Yes, and their away form has not been great.
:13:42. > :13:45.This season is all about staying up for Doncaster. What has been going
:13:46. > :13:48.on in the background has not been an easy job with the boardroom
:13:49. > :13:51.shenanigans but I think the manager is doing an amazing job. It is a
:13:52. > :13:54.small squad, not great resources. It looks like he is going to
:13:55. > :14:02.comfortably keep them up. Billy Sharp, we have mentioned before, his
:14:03. > :14:05.return has been key. Absolutely. Billy coming back, that was a big
:14:06. > :14:17.transfer. Ten points out of 12 they have picked up out of the last four
:14:18. > :14:20.games. Things like this, 95th minute, this is a killer blow for
:14:21. > :14:23.the boys. They have conceded, I think only Millwall have conceded
:14:24. > :14:27.more goals than them and they are up at the other end. Goals have always
:14:28. > :14:30.been a problem for them. One thing with Barnsley, with Danny in charge,
:14:31. > :14:34.knowing what he is like as a character, those guys will not throw
:14:35. > :14:37.the towel in. It is going to be tough. He was quick to praise at the
:14:38. > :14:40.weekend their commitment and enthusiasm and he wants it to
:14:41. > :14:43.continue. That is the bare minimum. It has got to be like that. The
:14:44. > :14:47.players feel bad enough losing to a last`minute goal. The last thing you
:14:48. > :14:51.want is your manager having a go at you. He has got to back them as much
:14:52. > :14:55.as he can and try to build them up because they have still got to
:14:56. > :14:57.battle on for the remainder of the season. Richard, a quick line on
:14:58. > :15:03.Huddersfield. It is almost like season over at the moment. It is. I
:15:04. > :15:06.went to see Mark Robins this morning, he just wants them to
:15:07. > :15:10.entertain the fans again. It had not been good enough in the last four
:15:11. > :15:13.games, they are just tailing off a bit.
:15:14. > :15:16.Coming up: the Blades bring up 125 years but it's a day of defeat for
:15:17. > :15:19.Clough and co. And joy for Scunthorpe and York as
:15:20. > :15:22.the race for a League Two promotion hots up.
:15:23. > :15:25.And we're off to Bramall Lane now for a great big birthday party. And
:15:26. > :15:27.what a build`up to the 125th anniversary of Sheffield United's
:15:28. > :15:31.existence it has been. With win after win turning what looked to be
:15:32. > :15:33.a season of suffering into one to savour. The play`offs, not
:15:34. > :15:36.impossible. And an FA Cup semifinal at Wembley to come. Largely thanks
:15:37. > :15:50.to Nigel Clough. Nathan Lord spent time last week with him.
:15:51. > :15:53.It was a poor start to the season for Sheffield United, to say the
:15:54. > :15:55.least. Having failed to secure a single win, manager David Weir was
:15:56. > :15:58.sacked. REPORTER: Do you feel it's
:15:59. > :15:59.embarrassing to have had this run of results for Sheffield United?
:16:00. > :16:02.Yes. And it was looking like they'd be
:16:03. > :16:05.fighting a relegation battle to stay in League One.
:16:06. > :16:07.When Nigel Clough was appointed in October, it wasn't an immediate
:16:08. > :16:10.transformation, but a couple of months in, things were looking up. A
:16:11. > :16:18.remarkable FA Cup run spurred the Blades on in the League. And with an
:16:19. > :16:21.incredible 11 games unbeaten in all competitions, and breaking a club
:16:22. > :16:27.record for eight clean sheets on the trot, Clough couldn't have asked
:16:28. > :16:32.much more of his players. Up until the last few weeks, we'd
:16:33. > :16:36.have taken third from bottom. The remit was to stay up and after the
:16:37. > :16:40.defeat at Crewe, it was looking iffy. But now we're in the top half,
:16:41. > :16:43.we like to stay in it. If we can challenge that sixth position, then
:16:44. > :16:47.great. It is out of our hands, largely. It's up to Peterborough.
:16:48. > :16:50.It's a challenge because we can't do too much training. It's about the
:16:51. > :16:54.matches, resting, preparing at this stage of the season when we are
:16:55. > :16:57.playing so many midweek games. So we can't do too much on the training
:16:58. > :17:03.pitch. It's trying to keep them mentally fresh. We took them away
:17:04. > :17:07.for a couple of days to Spain, to try to give them a break and a
:17:08. > :17:10.reward for recent endeavours. We can't fault their workrate and
:17:11. > :17:15.effort at the moment. The spirit within the camp can get you in a lot
:17:16. > :17:18.of results. Spirits in the camp were at their
:17:19. > :17:22.highest after their emphatic win over Aston Villa in the FA Cup. It
:17:23. > :17:27.seemed to be the catalyst for an amazing run of form for the Blades.
:17:28. > :17:34.It has been a help, not a hindrance in the Cup so far. When we drew
:17:35. > :17:37.Colchester in the first round, people said we should rest a few
:17:38. > :17:41.players because we were fighting relegation. But no, we want to win!
:17:42. > :17:44.We want to win every game we play and get our strongest team out
:17:45. > :17:46.there. We'll concentrate on League games. To have eight League matches
:17:47. > :17:50.between the quarterfinal and the semifinal is a pretty heavy
:17:51. > :17:53.schedule. But we'll try to win the majority of them and go to Wembley
:17:54. > :17:57.in good spirits. When you get the top of the League
:17:58. > :18:00.coming to you, you know, they've scored plenty goals recently. They
:18:01. > :18:04.are top for a reason, because they are the best team. They have a lot
:18:05. > :18:07.of firepower. It's a big one for us because if we are going to maintain
:18:08. > :18:10.our challenge, we need to win home matches. Also, the fact that it is
:18:11. > :18:14.the 125 anniversary game. Two teams playing against each other not so
:18:15. > :18:17.long ago in the Premier League. So, it's a big one all round. We hope
:18:18. > :18:26.for a good crowd. We've done well when there is a good crowd and
:18:27. > :18:29.atmosphere in the last few weeks. And the birthday party atmosphere at
:18:30. > :18:32.Bramall Lane didn't disappoint, as the celebrations were in full swing.
:18:33. > :18:35.For all of us to come down and celebrate 125 years, especially with
:18:36. > :18:45.the run we're on now, makes it better.
:18:46. > :18:51.I've been brought up supporting this club since I was a baby, so coming
:18:52. > :18:53.here on a day like this is just amazing.
:18:54. > :18:56.I've had a season ticket 45 years, so for me it's a big thing.
:18:57. > :19:05.I haven't seen all the 125 years, I hasten to add! But I have seen quite
:19:06. > :19:10.a lot of it, and I suppose that next to your family, your club is the
:19:11. > :19:13.thing. The first match I ever saw at
:19:14. > :19:16.Bramall Lane in 1961, and they were playing Wolves. It's a great
:19:17. > :19:27.coincidence and good to see all the Wolves and United fans here today.
:19:28. > :19:33.It was a historic day for all involved, and players were welcomed
:19:34. > :19:37.onto the pitch by living legends. Some of the former players started
:19:38. > :19:39.with the Blades as far back as 1941. But for Nigel Clough it was more
:19:40. > :19:47.about the present than the past. The Blades came close to getting
:19:48. > :19:52.their first goal with Scougall's left footed strike denied by Ikeme.
:19:53. > :19:56.But it wasn't long until Wolves took control of the game and 13 minutes
:19:57. > :19:57.in, Edwards did just enough to help James Henry's deep ball cross sail
:19:58. > :20:09.into the far corner. The Blades came close to an
:20:10. > :20:15.equaliser when Brayford's effort inside the six yard box was cleared
:20:16. > :20:18.off the line. In the second half, Henry crossed in
:20:19. > :20:22.for Edwards, who got a touch this time and made it 2`0 to Wolves. So
:20:23. > :20:25.the birthday candles were blown out early at Bramall Lane, ending an
:20:26. > :20:32.11`game unbeaten run to the League leaders.
:20:33. > :20:36.But the Blades supporters still have plenty to look forward to this
:20:37. > :20:44.season, including a trip to Wembley in three weeks' time.
:20:45. > :20:47.So, first disappointment in a while for United. But what of Rotherham
:20:48. > :20:48.and Bradford? We start off in League One at Peterborough, where the
:20:49. > :20:56.Millers marched on. Sheffield United's defeat means of
:20:57. > :21:00.their promotion hopes are hanging by a thread. But Steve Evans' Rotherham
:21:01. > :21:02.had the chance to do the Blades a favour by beating sixth`placed
:21:03. > :21:04.Peterborough. In the spirit of South Yorkshire neighbourliness, the
:21:05. > :21:07.Millers duly scored the game's only goal just before the break. Ben
:21:08. > :21:11.Nugent brought down Kieran Agard, and Agard stepped up to convert from
:21:12. > :21:14.12 yards out, his 18th goal of the season. The Millers will surely be
:21:15. > :21:16.in the play`offs in May. Bradford City had a great
:21:17. > :21:19.opportunity to practically seal their League One place for next
:21:20. > :21:21.season, when they went ahead against Shrewsbury with just 11 minutes
:21:22. > :21:24.remaining. Andrew Davies squeezed the ball home. Within seconds, the
:21:25. > :21:27.Shrews levelled things, John Taylor with the equaliser against the
:21:28. > :21:30.Bantams' defence that had gone to sleep. With the last attack of the
:21:31. > :21:34.game, Shrewsbury took all the points. Shaun Miller, making his
:21:35. > :21:37.debut after joining on loan from Sheffield United, scoring the
:21:38. > :21:44.winner. The Bantams still need a few more points to be certain of safety.
:21:45. > :21:52.Rotherham will be in the play`offs but Wolves and Brentford keep
:21:53. > :21:55.winning too. So no real change. Maybe the play`offs and Wembley will
:21:56. > :21:58.be too much to hope for Sheffield United. Whilst I keep saying that
:21:59. > :22:04.Bradford will be fine, after Saturday they are a point closer to
:22:05. > :22:08.trouble. I still think there are too many
:22:09. > :22:11.clubs in the way for Bradford to be in trouble. But you're not totally
:22:12. > :22:17.convinced they are safe yet? No, you're right in what you say.
:22:18. > :22:19.They have a good cushion there. But, results like Saturday's are bitterly
:22:20. > :22:23.disappointing. You're on your travels and you go 1`0 up with ten
:22:24. > :22:26.minutes to go. Then you switch off and concede two late goals. I'm sure
:22:27. > :22:30.Phil Parkinson would've been raging on the back of that one. I still
:22:31. > :22:34.think they need five points to get to that magic 50 points.
:22:35. > :22:36.A long way back from Shrewsbury when you've lost. Back to Sheffield
:22:37. > :22:43.United. Is there enough praise for us to shower Nigel Clough with? He
:22:44. > :22:46.has been unbelievable. He's done a remarkable job. Bearing
:22:47. > :22:50.in mind he was licking his scars after being let go at Derby County.
:22:51. > :22:53.He will structure that club from top to bottom. We said that before. He's
:22:54. > :22:56.like his old man with respect to certain attributes. He took the boys
:22:57. > :23:03.away to Spain for a mid`season break. Everything is black`and`white
:23:04. > :23:06.with him. You know where you stand. He's done ever so well.
:23:07. > :23:09.Those comparisons are inevitable and I guess for Nigel, he's had that
:23:10. > :23:13.since he was a player under his dad. But are they relevant? Aren't they
:23:14. > :23:20.like chalk and cheese? Straightforward, yes. But he's not
:23:21. > :23:24.his dad, is he? Absolutely. You've seen the traits
:23:25. > :23:28.when he was a player and as a manager. His brother, who is on the
:23:29. > :23:32.staff at Bramall Lane, was quoted as saying that with every passing day
:23:33. > :23:35.he sees more and more of Brian in Nigel. Whether Nigel agrees, I'm not
:23:36. > :23:39.sure. But he's done a fantastic job, he really has.
:23:40. > :23:41.If they have got 'Brian mark two' then for Sheffield United, the sky's
:23:42. > :23:44.the limit! What I like about Nigel Clough's
:23:45. > :23:47.teams, is he let's the players express themselves. They have the
:23:48. > :23:50.freedom to go out there and attack. Defending comes second. He's done a
:23:51. > :23:52.great job and the crowd are behind him.
:23:53. > :23:56.A different kind of manager for Rotherham in Steve Evans. He gets a
:23:57. > :24:01.bad rep from fans of pretty much every other club. But if he is at
:24:02. > :24:05.your club, good things happen. I think it's fair to say he can rub
:24:06. > :24:11.opposing fans up, and managers and coaches. But you can't doubt what
:24:12. > :24:15.he's brought to the football club. Wherever he has been, he always gets
:24:16. > :24:18.results. And the proof is in the pudding. He left Crawley to come to
:24:19. > :24:21.Rotherham there. Got promotion last year and have kicked on again this
:24:22. > :24:23.year. Yes, back`to`back promotions for
:24:24. > :24:31.Rotherham would be unbelievable. And they could yet reach the top two.
:24:32. > :24:33.Time for League Two. A happy division for us, with none of our
:24:34. > :24:38.site tasting defeat this weekend. Promotion treble, anyone?
:24:39. > :24:43.Because it was an early kick`off, Chesterfield briefly went back to
:24:44. > :24:45.the top of League two after this goalless draw at Mansfield. Mark
:24:46. > :24:49.Richards missed their best chance. The lack of wins is starting to be a
:24:50. > :24:53.worry, but Spireites fans will be out in force again at Wembley for
:24:54. > :24:55.the JPT on Sunday. Scunthorpe took advantage of
:24:56. > :24:59.Chesterfield's slip to go second with this win over Burton. Burton
:25:00. > :25:00.thought they had cleared it, Paddy Madden's cracking volley gave Scunny
:25:01. > :25:12.three points. The very idea of Portsmouth being in
:25:13. > :25:16.the same league as York would have seemed as ludicrous as their mascot
:25:17. > :25:19.not long ago. But on Saturday, 800 City fans went to the South Coast
:25:20. > :25:22.expecting to win, and they did. Michael Coulson with the early goal
:25:23. > :25:25.proved to be the only goal. When Pompey were reduced to ten men at
:25:26. > :25:34.the start of the second half, a straight red for Ben Chorley's
:25:35. > :25:35.tackle on Wes Fletcher. York where happy to settle for 1`0, their fifth
:25:36. > :25:43.win on the bounce. In the table: Scunthorpe leapfrogged
:25:44. > :25:47.Chesterfield to go second, and it's now just one win in six for the
:25:48. > :25:51.Spireites. And York City now in a play`off place. I might have to tell
:25:52. > :25:58.Mrs Mowbray that holiday plans could be changing!
:25:59. > :26:02.Yes, there may be trouble ahead. I don't want to think that far ahead
:26:03. > :26:05.yet! Let's start with Scunthorpe United. That was an important win.
:26:06. > :26:09.To get back`to`back wins over the last couple of weeks after all those
:26:10. > :26:13.draws. When you get a few wins, it makes
:26:14. > :26:17.those draws look a bit better. It's when you get losses that you start
:26:18. > :26:23.to worry a bit. All credit to Russell Wilcox and his team there.
:26:24. > :26:26.They've done remarkably well. It's important that they hang on in
:26:27. > :26:27.there, particularly beating their rivals.
:26:28. > :26:29.Chesterfield have started to struggle. Well, not struggle, but
:26:30. > :26:35.results have not been going their way the last few weeks.
:26:36. > :26:39.Yeah, that one win in six there. Have they got an eye on Wembley? I'm
:26:40. > :26:42.sure Paul Cook will say to his players: listen, our rival teams are
:26:43. > :26:45.playing next weekend. We won't be because we're playing the JPT Trophy
:26:46. > :26:47.final. It's important that they win this.
:26:48. > :26:51.On York City, Richard, I want you to tell me that this can keep on going.
:26:52. > :26:53.But the pessimist in me says they cannot possibly keep this run going
:26:54. > :26:56.forever. It's showing no signs of letting up
:26:57. > :27:00.yet. That's the big thing for them. Also in their favour is Nigel
:27:01. > :27:03.Worthington. He has his feet on the ground and hasn't veered from what
:27:04. > :27:06.he said. 52 points just for safety was his first target. After that,
:27:07. > :27:09.everything is a bonus. If anyone can drive them forward, it's him.
:27:10. > :27:13.He's a defender as well. So, what he'll be delighted in is seven clean
:27:14. > :27:20.sheets in eight games. He will say that it was all his making.
:27:21. > :27:23.Absolutely. At the other end, a new striker signed today. Calvin Andrew,
:27:24. > :27:25.ex of Mansfield. We've got a full programme of games this week: Leeds
:27:26. > :27:27.at Bournemouth, Doncaster at Burnley, and Huddersfield play
:27:28. > :27:30.Middlesbrough. Barnsley need a surprise win at Reading. And it is
:27:31. > :27:34.Owls versus Seagulls at Hillsborough.
:27:35. > :27:38.In League One: Bradford host Walsall. Sheffield United go to
:27:39. > :27:41.Crawley. And there is a big one at the New York Stadium. Could a
:27:42. > :27:42.Rotherham win over Brentford reignite hopes of automatic
:27:43. > :27:45.promotion? In League Two: Scunny are
:27:46. > :27:47.Cheltenham. Chesterfield at home to Morecambe. York City home to bottom
:27:48. > :27:53.club Torquay. Gentlemen, which fixtures for
:27:54. > :27:57.tomorrow night catch your eye? Chesterfield and Morecambe, for the
:27:58. > :28:01.simple fact that it's a big week for Chesterfield.
:28:02. > :28:04.The last time the sides met they were 3`0 up and lost 4`3. That might
:28:05. > :28:07.be on their mind! Richard? For me, it's Rotherham and
:28:08. > :28:09.Brentford. I can't see anyone stopping Brentford or Wolves winning
:28:10. > :28:13.automatic promotion. But this is a big test for Rotherham. If they win
:28:14. > :28:14.that, they really can start believing in the play`offs.
:28:15. > :28:18.Will they make automatic? I don't think so. But I think
:28:19. > :28:20.they'll go up in the play`offs. That's not yes or no, but we'll take
:28:21. > :28:23.it. As ever, live commentary and reports
:28:24. > :28:27.from all those games will be on your local BBC Radio station. Remember,
:28:28. > :28:29.we're on iPlayer for seven days, as are the other regional variations of
:28:30. > :28:33.Late Kick`Off. We don't know where Leeds United will be at next Monday,
:28:34. > :28:43.but we will be back here. Good night.