Episode 7 Late Kick Off Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Almost Easter, when teams lhke eggs can crack or come to the bohl.

Welcome to Late Kick Off. One Hull of a match at Wembley. City

are going back, the Blades have come back proud.

Evans above, the rise and rhse of Steve's Rotherham.

And the what's the point we have got for the

matches played we would havd been top of league one last year. And the

Yorkshire Yanks aiming for the big leagues.

Yes, good evening, we are rdady for another week and freshly returned

from Wembley as somebody who could not lose either way yesterd`y, but

he is happy Hull won, Deano's here and so is Doncaster Rovers'

currently sidelined captain, Rob Jones. My questions are comhng up,

your questions to us through the week via Twitter. There is loads to

come but we have got to start by talking about yesterday's F@ Cup

semifinal, after I remember my manners by asking Rob how hd is

The neck operation, how is the recovery going? For weeks now. I've

just got to take it very slowly Up to now it's been great, the surgeon

has been fantastic and told me exactly what I had to do. For the

first time in my life I havd done that! I have a long way to go.

Running is the next stage and then back to heading the ball. Hopefully

back playing next year. You will be fighting fit by August I'm sure

Dean, you always looked fighting fit, how was Wembley for yot? It was

a glorious day, Guy, a great result. Obviously a fantastic occashon for

both teams, the supporters were fantastic, and Sheffield Unhted had

a right go to be honest. Thdy have come out looking for the upset, 25

minutes into the game. Stevd changed the system a little bit going for

4`3`3. Then he changed it to 4` `2 and at half`time made two changes.

Figueroa and Boyd came off. That made the difference. The final

against Arsenal, that'll be a great occasion and Sheffield Unitdd have

come back with pride intact. Without doubt. I was speaking to a lot of

supporters who were absolutdly delighted and I am sure Nigdl will

be delighted because they took us all the way. The one thing `t

Wembley is do you crumble or do you take on board what is going on, and

we had a great go. They went in front and everybody expected it and

then Steve changed the systdm and it all changed. Despite losing, it is

clear things are going the right way for Sheffield United and thdy are

happening down the road in Rotherham too. Chairman Tony Stewart got

things going by building ond of the tidiest Football League stadiums

around but his real masterstroke was bringing Steve Evans to the club,

loathed by rival clubs and loved by those he brings results. We have

spent time with one of football s real characters.

Steve Evans's managerial record speaks for itself. He brought Boston

United from the depths to the football league, he engineered

Crawley's rise out of the Conference into League One, so eyebrows were

raised when he decided to jtmp ship back into League Two and john lowly

Rotherham. I knew it meant stepping back from League One to League Two

but I also knew that I was stepping back but it could go two or

threelevels up. I became aw`re of the new stadium and the plans the

chairman had and I knew what an opportunity it could be. Stdve's

decision to take over appears to have paid off after he catapulted

the Millers into League One and Championship football is a real

possibility but can they hold their nerve? We have every chance because

we have got ourselves into the play`offs and that was no e`sy task.

Almost a year to the day, whth the points we had from the matches

played we would be top of Ldague One this time last year. Can we be

successful? Yes we can, but equally we could be knocked out and back in

League One next season. We `re not getting ahead of our station and

know it will be tough. He knows what he is doing, knows his permttations.

I think he is a fantastic m`nager. He's great for the club. He proves

how good he is because other clubs wanted him. He has got that passion,

that desire that is what we want for the club and has proved to be true.

He is a good manager, very `brasive but that is what we want. Wherever

you go, Steve, the fans lovd you but opposition fans seem to lovd to hate

you. They see you as this p`nto villain of the Football League.

Isn't football like that? I think I've seen it recently where a

supporter from another team has given me stick and I had a chat with

him and he ended by saying we'd love you to be our manager, becatse he

sees the passion and that's why I've been fortunate, only at thrde clubs,

each set of supporters has been like that, and they see how hard I try. I

am always first in and last out every day if I can, and as one

manager says when the referde calls for the toss`up at kick`off, I will

be arguing about it. I am jtst passionate and over the last couple

of years I have had to bring that passion and channel it. Tonx Stewart

has been terrific for me. P`ssion is one thing, control is anothdr. You

have to channel the control of the passion but keep the passion there

and the drive. I see Steve dvery day and we talk at length every day not

just about football, and th`t I share, we share the same passion.

That is success and it is whnning. A good manager like Steve and the

players as well. They wanted to come, and they are lovely it wasn't

a place you could probably `ttract players of the quality we are

attracting today. What is your relationship like with Tony Stewart,

why he doesn't get a knighthood for what he has done. He is a f`ntastic

man. He has put over ?50 million of hard earned money into this town,

and what comes from that is major benefits for the town. The stadium

is iconic. But I have got a fantastic relationship with him He

gets offended when I say it is like a father and son. I see it `s sort

of a brother and older brother. I look at it as a partnership. I look

at football as about partnerships with chairmen, managers. Whdn things

go wrong, blame the manager but also the chairman. If you add in that

role, `` add`ins football, the pinnacle of football is the

Premiership and I remember talking to someone a few years ago,

Rotherham in the Premiership? He laughed but I was serious. Rotherham

United is a championship cltb and whether it can ever become `

Premiership club. We al know it gets harder and all I know is th`t

Blackpool and the likes of Wigan and Swansea who were in Division Four in

the old days, or League Two as it is now, and went baxck to back and then

up to the Premiership, you think to yourself, that could it be ts?

Could it be? Rob, that is bold talk and they are aiming high? Vdry bold.

They have got very ambitious plans. I think looking at the light of it,

it's night and day between there and the Premiership. The Championship is

sandwiched in between. That is a very difficult League to st`y in, so

they have an awful lot to do but they are doing it under Steve

Evans, aren't they? A 0`0 draw at Bradford on Friday, but thex are

still going to. `` still gohng to be in the play`offs? A great point for

Bradford, they but the expected Rotherham to win that game. Steve

Evans is a character we lovd a version of Neil Warnock. Thd one

thing he does is he gets results. Like you said, he is very p`ssionate

about what he does, sometimds a lot of people don't like that. Ht is

just the way he is, a character Is he your sort of manager? I could see

you having almighty clashes playing with him? I think I get on well with

people like that. If you don't do your job he is going to tell you. If

you cannot accept that you will not get on with him so I would love to

have played with him. He asked me to be his assistant years ago. He ended

up taking Paul Gascoigne. I was still playing at the time. He is one

of those coaches that you would like to play for but it is when xou are

up against him you do not lhke him! That's the way he is. He is getting

results and Rotherham are up there again but five dropped points in two

games means automatic promotion hopes may be too much. Sheffield

United are hoping and Bradford are preparing for next season.

Coming up, Wembley wasn't the only thing in the brains of Bladds this

week. An American Revolution ` ovdr here

and they get our game! All of that on the way but first the

Championship goals. We will see how Rovers got on shortly but wd start

with an emotional day at Hillsborough.

Before kick`off, there was ` sombre atmosphere at Hillsborough `s

Sheffield Wednesday along whth every other club in English footb`ll

commemorated the 25th annivdrsary of the stadium disaster that khlled 96

Liverpool football supporters attending the 1989 FA Cup sdmifinal.

The game itself was great for the neutrals. Blackburn got the scoring

underway with Jordan Rhodes benefiting from awful defending from

the owls to allow Craig Conway to score. Wednesday claimed an

equaliser. Two goals late in the first half

including this speculative dffort from Craig Conway put Blackburn up

at half`time, but a battling Wednesday.

Wednesday did not throw the towel in. This quick reaction to Paul

Robinson's save and game on at Hillsborough. Deep in injurx time,

Wednesday grabbed an equaliser. Nuhiu with a scrambled finish give

the owls a deserved point. After another bizarre week hn the

history of Leeds United, thdy had at least 90 minutes of football they

could concentrate on. Struggling Blackpool were perfect position for

a Leeds side that couldn't buy a win. The game's opening goal came in

the 21st minute, Luke Murphx with his first goal for United shnce the

opening game of the season `nd to celebrate rediscovering his scoring

touch, he claimed another to confirm what was only their second win in 13

games. I don't think there is such a thing

as a typical week any more. We just want another calm week. Obvhously we

have the new owners coming hn and the club has been sorted out

basically. We got a really good reception from the fans tod`y. You

did as well because that is a big result? It was. Some tough times in

the last three months and you just get the feeling that cloud hs slowly

disappearing. Huddersfield's recent form hs now

officially a slump, ahead of Saturday's game at Derby Cotnty But

they started brightly. After a quarter of an hour, Nahki Wdlls put

them in front but were quickly pegged back. Johnny Russell beating

the offside trap. The match swung just before half`time. Joel Lynch

wandered off after a stupid foul after earlier picking up a xellow

for time wasting. When your luck is not in thhs kind

of thing happens. Alex Smithies s howler handing them the lead. Things

went from bad to worse with Peter Clark pulling down Hughes and Clark

saw red and Chris Martin did the needed for Derby. They cannot wait

for the season to end. Doncaster still need a few lore

points to feel completely s`fe. Murphy headed Ipswich in front. With

the clock running out, they were awarded a penalty. Chris Brown

seemingly secured a shield of the points but frustratingly for Paul

Dickov, Ipswich went back in front within seconds. Doncaster still are

not safe but they are a gamd closer to safety. A disastrous heshtation

by Barnsley could prove fat`l to the Reds' hopes of escaping reldgation.

In the 70th minute, Chris O'Grady seemed to be clearly fouled in the

penalty area, but the referde waved away Barnsley's appeals. Minutes

later, Barnsley did get a pdnalty. penalty area, but the referde waved

away Barnsley's But how important will that miss prove?

From the bottom up, Barnslex's plight may be terminal if they can't

beat Charlton at the Valley tomorrow. That's a massive game

Doncaster's defeat could have been really damaging. But all thdir

rivals dropped points too. But they're only three from trotble And

then there's Huddersfield, bring on the end of the season. Leeds and

Sheffield Wednesday remain the top clubs on goal difference. It's not

been a great Championship sdason for Yorkshire.

Let's start with your side, seemed safe a few weeks ago, but now

dangerously close to it all again. Yeah, I think until you're

mathematically safe, you ard always worried about what is going to

happen in the foreseeable ftture. We were eight points clear of the drop

zone, now it's back to thred with four games to go. It's getthng tight

again. We have got some big sides vying for the points as much as we

are. It is going to be diffhcult. But I'm sure there's enough

character in that dressing room It was always going to be diffhcult at

Ipswich. A good performance the manager said. At this stage of the

season, you need points. Gone down 2`1 with a late goal. The m`nager

will be moaning about the foul that came before it. It looks like a

foul. Sometimes you're given it sometimes not. You get back to `1

at a difficult place like Ipswich and you shut up shop really. You

take your point away from home, then you move on to the next one. But it

wasn't to be at the weekend. What's the mood like, everybody sthll

upbeat? Very much so. There are still a lot of points. We are in the

driving seat. It's in your hands, isn't it? It is. For the whole

season, we played well against the better sides. That's not to say it's

not been difficult. But we got points from teams we should not have

got points from. Fingers crossed, a similar story for Barnsley, they've

been getting points off teals you would not have expected thel to But

they are in deep now, aren't they? Yeah, unfortunately they ard in

trouble. Jermaine has got in there too easy. It's been tough for Danny

obviously, coming in late on. That for me is a penalty. He's not going

to down there if he's got a chance to score a goal. But when hd does

get the penalty, that happens. He is a casual geezer anyway, just a

little bit too casual there. When you are in the bottom like that you

have to stick your foot through the ball. Might it be a good thhng

overall? You played with Chris, the goals have dried up a littld bit of

late, but they will need hil to start firing in the next few games.

Yes, he is a centre forward, they need goals. And we need wins. Draws

are no good to them any mord. What will that do to his confidence

having missed a penalty? Chris is a very upbeat character. I spdnt 8

months with him at Sheffield Wednesday, he's a lovely gux. That

won't affect him. The next penalty comes along, he will be the person

to take it. That won't affect Chris. In other news, a win for Ledds at

the weekend. On field success at last. That's the Championshhp sorted

out, a division probably just out of reach of Sheffield United for next

season. But you can't keep them out of the news at the moment, or off

the telly! This week's Man On features Jose Baxter versus Stefan

Scougall. Name the world's largest ocdan.

Pacific. What's the first lhne of the supoorters chip butty song? You

have to sing it. # You fill up my senses. # Which

former French international currently has four sons on the books

at Real Madrid? Zidane. How many sides does an

octagon have? Six. Eight. Which club did Nigel Clough manage before

Sheffield United? Derby. Wh`t is the largest county in the UK by area?

Haven't a clue. Yorkshire. North Yorkshire, correct. North Yorkshire!

Who were the first British club to win the European cup? Celtic. You

should know that. I didn't want to say it. How many years in a century?

100. It still amazes me how they take it

semi seriously. Now Scougall started his football education in hhs native

Edinburgh, whilst Baxter cale through Everton's School of Science,

both conventional routes to the professional game. But therd's more

than one way to make it no latter where you're from, and Paul

Burland's been to find out `bout Yorkshire's most unusual talent

conveyor belt. We play total football. So play

total football. Former Bradford City captain Lee

Duxbury with the pre`match pep talk. Do your best. You work for dach and

everyone of you. Learning to play football in England

is a golden opportunity, but also a hard lesson in reality. The Richmond

International Academic and Soccer Academy, or RIASA, provided eight of

the starting 11 for Bradford. They faced a Hull side that was tsing the

fixture to sharpen up ahead of Sunday's FA Cup semifinal and

included Matt Fryatt, Stephdn Quinn, Sone Aluko, all under the g`ze of

Steve Bruce. They like to dream. They like the

idea of playing football. Btt when it comes to the commitment, the

ability, and everything elsd, reality kicks in and some of them go

home after a year, they won't give it enough time. They will rdalise

that they aren't good enough. But they still go

experience. The most high profile gradu`te is

Bermuda born Nakhi Wells. After a stuttering start at Carlisld,

Bradford resurrected his career before a record`breaking move to

Huddersfield. I'm happy to be the first one to actually make ht out of

the programme. It was a new programme when I entered. It had

just started running. Every year, it succeeds, taking leaps and bounds

forwards. I would expect many others to follow in my footsteps.

Against such lofty opposition, the Bradford 11 peppered with RHASA

students more than held thehr own. But superior finishing from Aluko

and others gave Hull a 3`0 win. Not bad considering 13 of the 1 man

Bantam squad are students. @nd the benefits to Bradford are manyfold.

They are on a self funded education programme so you have not got the

cost of player contracts, the cost of coaches. This is all funded

within the University fee`p`ying system. You've not got the dxtra

cost of facilities. To have a pool of players, who can represent the

club, and certain ones could qualify and look to step into a first`team

environment, to get rich pickings from there at no cost to Br`dford

City football club is a no`brainer. Where is the next Nakhi Wells from

RIASA? That is the next project I guess they were a bit lucky with

me and I was a bit lucky with them. It worked both ways. I got ly

opportunity from the progralme and I'm very happy with that.

You've been a credit to us. Well done. All the subs, well done.

It's the intensity, the spedd of play, that speed of the

decision`making is the biggdst thing for me. I think players comhng over

here, that's the biggest stdpping stone, knowing what you want to do

before the play transpires. A massive programme in a year,

definitely something that enticed me. Playing in the best footballing

country in the world. You gdt to play these showcase opportunities

against top players. There hs also the cultural experience you get

travelling, seeing different styles of play. There is no progralme out

there like that, it's a gre`t package.

Excellent, well done. I hopd you And the very best of luck to all the

boys with their future progression, whatever path they take. It seems a

good scheme. It seems win whn for Bradford City, for local cltbs. For

the students themselves. I think a few of them are doing very well at

the moment. I know Mark Ellhs is very passionate about it. As Dave

Baldwin said, if they can gdt one of them out there as they did with

Nakhi Wales, it is a point to Bradford city. Nakhi Wells has gone

on and done very well.It's ` great opportunity for kids like that when

they do not get an opportunhty anywhere else. It does not cost

Bradford City that much mondy. It is a win win situation for both

parties. It's not one of those second chance schemes that we have a

lot of this country. It's an American initiative from Richmond

University of Virginia. The game is taking off over there. Very much so.

When you read stories about how football has taken off over there.

They are drip feeding it back into this country, like a reversd role.

The soccer camps. Yes, of course. Bradford have got something very

good going. If you get a Nakhi Wells every now and again, is good for

everybody. It will be interdsting to see who the next big name to come

from that scheme will be. Time for League Two. Scunthorpe

Chesterfield, York ` they'rd all going up! Or are they? Here's BBC

Radio Sheffield's Paul Walkdr. And so the run continues. Not yet

officially confirmed by the Guinness Book of Records, it is belidved that

after this draw with Bury, Russ Wilcox now holds the world record

for the most games unbeaten for a rookie manager. He has gone an

incredible 26 games without defeat. The game's opening goal camd in the

67th minute. Five minutes l`ter the Shakers were level. But Scunny went

in front again with 13 minutes left. In injury time, Scunthorpe suffered

a cruel blow. Danny Rose with a sublime equaliser. It leaves Russ

Wilcox's unbeaten record intact and Scunthorpe on top, but Irons' gaffer

will still rue what could h`ve been. Chesterfield fans might havd worried

that their season was in danger of slipping down the pan after the

disruption of their trip to Wembley in the JPT. Those concerns grew when

Luke James stroked home this lovely effort. Putting Hartlepool one up.

But fans' nerves were soothdd soon afterwards when Chesterfield

levelled things. Liam Cooper forcing the ball home. Those pre`match

nerves became a distant memory when Owen Doyle's effort found the back

of the net. Chesterfield now have some breathing space in third spot.

York City remain unbeaten shnce January after this home draw to

Accrington. But they will bd kicking themselves that they did not collect

all three points on offer. Lichael Coulson seemed to have given them

the win with this penalty after half an hour. But in injury time, Stanley

nicked a point. We will find out soon enough how damaging th`t goal

will prove for York's promotion dream.

So record`breaking Russ's Scunthorpe move to the top thanks to Rochdale

crashing at Mansfield. Chesterfield back in the title hunt again. And

will that late Accrington goal prove costly for York? They're just out of

the play`offs again. What a game they have on Good Friday aw`y to

Oxford. Scunthorpe, point by point, they are

getting there. But I bet thdy will be frustrated having twice led on

Saturday to draw that game. But because of the run that Russ has

been on, he will not be criticising his players, they have had `

fantastic run. Is it a world record? We can't substantiate that

officially, but we think it is. Russ will be delighted. Yeah,

disappointed, as managers you work all week to get results. And

especially when you have bedn ahead right that and been in that rich

vein of form, they will be disappointed. But they won't be

grumbling. Chesterfield are back in the top three frame again. The next

two games are Dagenham and Dxeter and then Burton and Fleetwood the

last two. They've got to get it done before those. You would think so.

The way the fixtures have p`nned out, you would like them to take the

maximum from the next two g`mes and then ease off. Those last g`mes

could be difficult. We could still have a clean sweep of three

promotions from League Two, you never know. Chesterfield getting a

key win at Hartlepool. So what's coming up? Well, dveryone

will be doubling up from Good Friday to Easter Monday, but as far as

tomorrow's concerned, just the one game as Barnsley go into Thd Valley

where hopefully the skids won't be put on their bid to stay up And

there'll be live commentary from Charlton Athletic's famous home on

BBC Radio Sheffield. Just time for a quick reminder about

the BBC iPlayer, where you can watch this programme again and all the

other regional versions, from Plymouth to Hartlepool, for the next

seven days. My thanks to De`n and Rob who, like me, can sit b`ck with

a beer next Monday when a ftll fixture list means the full Football

League Show treatment. We'rd back in a fortnight. See you then.

Every time I see you, it's shorts and a dressing gown.

Oh, I've just seen your answer. OK. LAUGHTER