Life’s A Pitch TV Episode 40 – Jim Magilton

This week our very, very special guest is Jim Magilton. Mark Murphy, Terry Butcher, Russell Osman and Phil Ham host this 40th episode of LAP TV.

We would like to thank our Main Sponsor DPS Tech, our Associated Sponsors, All About Hearing, Ginger Pickle, Fore Wood Floors, Hudson Group, Venue 16, John Keeble Cars (Bramford), Ashford Wright Ltd, and our Production Sponsors who are Come Hither Design, Jon Parker of Venue 16 and Richard Garrett of Sound 4 Pro Audio.

[Applause] [Music] [Applause] go [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] we are we are we are are premag are Prague are [Applause] prag uh welcome to this week’s edition of life’s a pitch TV our first in the Premier League can’t get used to saying that it’s fantastic isn’t it uh welcome to the show whether you’re watching on YouTube or listening on podcast you’re most welcome to this week’s edition of Life of pitch TV as I said our first one in the Premier League y uh let’s thank our sponsors for getting us onto air every week our main sponsor is DPS Tech a big thank you also to all about hearing marketing company Ginger pickle forward floors come here the design the Hudson group sound for Pro Audio venue 16 Fred Olsen Logistics John Keel cars in bramford the dove in IP switch plus Ashford right and the sofa is sponsored by DPS Tech no Terry butcher this week uh he’s a little poly today so hope you’re feeling better soon Terry uh but we do have Russell Osman actually quite cozy this isn’t it it is there was the other fellow I don’t know Mr butcher yeah yeah yeah shame is feeling a bit poor isn’t it he’ll be he’ll be fitting well for our big dinner next Monday who’s got tickets for that good cuz it’s a sell out everybody so you’re too late if you haven’t got them uh Phil’s here from twd.com [Applause] our floor manager in charge of door over there today and you are our capacity crowd welcome welcome welcome well so much to talk about what a weekend I don’t know about you but I’ve got hardly any voice left it was quite an emotional weekend M was it was really wasn’t it you know I mean Saturday was fantastic the way everything went and then uh celebrations of I think I dropped somebody off at the pub at about 20 to 10: in the morning and it was already packed and called back in there after the match and it was packed again and emotionally draining Sunday morning I felt really tired but very happy honestly just tied nothing nothing to do with drinking the pubs dry then which actually happened didn’t it we drunk the pubs dry yeah great stuff fantastic amazing amazing weekend well we’re going to share it now with our special guest this week he knows what it’s like to win promotion to the Premier League he’s had success this weekend capacity crowd give it up for super Jim m jilon [Applause] [Music] [Music] super super super brilliant welcome to the show Jim and uh well a double celebration for us and and for you at the weekend tell everybody happened to you yeah we were playing in a in a cup final the Aries Cup Final of which ponville have not won in 45 years and we’ playing against the top s Mony by anx iown Blair and David Healey uh and we managed to win the game 3-1 after extra time so huge day for the club huge day for the players huge day for the supporters so fantastic and if carlsburg are going to do weekends which actually they did IP Swit getting promotion and obviously a birthday which we won’t talk too much about but yeah what a weekend it was yeah happy birthday happy birthdayy birthday Jim congratulations um do you know what I thought IPS fans had to wait a long time for success but 45 years I know amazing uh and for whatever reasons they’ve been the many finals and just haven’t got over the lane uh and they all thought there was a bit of a you know a hoodo over it and whatever else but with this team and this group of players especially when I took the job initially I just felt they were more than capable and which proved to be the case so yeah large huge celebrations great joy and happiness uh to the people of North Belfast so absolutely delay it fantastic and were you following what was going on here in in suffk it was the first thing I asked when I was interviewed after the game how did they get on and obviously just just the emotion you know I experienced it I know what it feels like I know how much it means to the fans it was just fantastic just unbelievable like this boy can do no wrong he’s starting to bug me now he really is starting me yeah you know he even his pregame analysis and postgame analysis nobody can disagree with him and he says it in this lovely formana accent you know you’re just waiting for him to burst in the song uh while he’s doing it and he’s probably a brilliant singer but even if he’s not a brilliant singer he has Ed sharing on speed day do you you know so Ed can you just sing this for me he’s just boring the living daylight well I’ll tell you what you may or may not know this but there was a little bit of rubbish death behind him Christ Church Park after the celebrations and guess who went to help clear it up Kieran McKenna yeah I saw that he’s just uh you know Oh’s a GE no he’s an incredible man is he you know what a job he’s done back toback promotions it’s quite incredible you’re a big fan of his aren’t you I am I’m a great admirer I saw greatness of you like and you don’t use that term loosely in the modern game but when I was around him not only did he have great knowledge and still he was still a young kind that’s 10 years ago maybe great knowledge but it it was his meticulous planning it was the way he spoke about the game and then he more importantly it’s how he delivered it to the players for them to understand it which at times can be quite difficult you know we players aren’t the brightest well a play with a few that aren’t the brightest but uh yeah he has this wonderful way with people with players and he takes that responsibility so so well you know so he’s conducts himself so well uh on on top of everything else you agree with that Russ don’t you 100% very much so yeah his relationship with his players is uh Second and on really because it’s all right back in our day or or when me and Terry played your squad wasn’t that big now when you’ve got to try and keep one of today’s squads which might be 30 odd players and you got to try and keep everybody happy your man management skills have got to be really really sharp it’s really got to be honed into each and every one the needs of those players to keep them at their Peak ready for when you need them and that’s something aside from his coaching skills so he’s got his coaching skills and we all know about that but his man management skills and how he controls the rest of his staff to make sure that none of his other staff are upsetting any of the players they’re following the lead that he sets so he sets the the agenda there the staff follow it out and his players all benefit from it and every player that’s come under the wing of K McKenna and his staff has improved and they’ve got better and that is a fantastic thing to have from your manager your head coach whatever tartle he wants whatever title he wants he can have Jim C you know yeah yeah sir yeah yeah but it his let Russ it’s his composure do you know it as well which is quite striking he doesn’t overreact he doesn’t get too carried away it’s a there’s a level kale doesn’t get over emotional we know the championship provides a roller coaster bit like yourself then Jim is he it’s still 100% 100% you learn you learn with the age as you well know Russell you taught him well yeah no he uh it’s his level of composure and the quality that he provides and as I say just his assessments of his team I’ve listened a lot to what he has to say and you know you’re in total agreement you’re actually noding your head at the TV uh which you know that has developed obviously he’s worked with great managers too but to come from an academy background of like and be pushed into a first team environment especially at the club he was pushed into you know he has to learn very quickly I’m sure there was criticism being pushed there was some criticism being pushed at him and Carrick and Ole gunar solar when they took over but do you know what uh he has learned a great deal and and stepped into this role yeah so quickly so effectively yeah ex players that go into management like yourself you take the best from the managers that you’ve played under or the best that the coaches that you’ve played under have had to offer so any player in that I towns Squad at the moment takes on aluco for example he might be moving into coaching but what a great manager to learn from what a great head coach to learn your not your Tactical awareness only but how to conduct yourself on a day-to-day basis around you know a big group of players it’s so important in this day and age in this media World Jim isn’t it you know the spotlights on you all the time isn’t it it really is yeah uh it it’s vely important as the leader of the football Club to betray that and I think he’s done that so well there is a standard at the football club there always has been there it is you know one of the most traditional football clubs in the country if you think of the managers the great managers uh that have being at the helm you think of two England managers sir Al s Bobby you think even a Meer with George and uh Joe you know they were conducted themselves so well fantastic people they all had uh wonderful qualities obviously I didn’t know sir Al but I knew so Bobby brle uh obviously worked under Joe and George two fantastic people H and love loved it but it’s the club and he when he got the job he just fitted the profile of football club I knew you’d be a huge success not sitting here after the fact but I just knew that it was a great fit and given time he would establish himself as a as a top manager I think even he is surprised at how quick it’s happened though yeah listen jumping from one League into another is very difficult as as we all know to do what he’s did and obviously momentum is important you get off to Wi and start you start confidence flows from players and momentum’s very hard to to to stop both good and bad but he got on this wonderful role players started believing in themselves they started winning games of football and when you’re up there you don’t want to stop from being up there I know they had a wobble but again it’s very important that the lead leaders keeps calm uh keeps delivering the same messages sometimes you you can get a little bit cared away of yourself you can start relaying messages via you know media social media TV I and confuses players but he was very consistent in his messages it very much reminded me the team that’s just gone up um very much reminded me of uh your team that went up in 2000 you were a really strong unit weren’t you and then in the Premier League you know that first season was phenomenal and I I looked at that and I thought you know what I can see Echoes of that which is why I’m very proud to say sitting here very smugly I said on the very first Liv to pitch TV when Conor chaplain sat over there we’re going to finish top two get in get in come on who believed me yes you you obviously you obviously had been drinking heavily that weekend did you put I do think I do think I can see why you’re making comparisons based on momentum and based on winning I think I was always confident technically we’d be have a team we had a team of footballers and knew technically we’d be okay in the league and and that’s saying something uh but I think George had created that sort of and built that sort of Team technically we were very astute in terms of everybody understood the role and responsibility within the team we had a certain way of wanting to play and we adjusted the system it was always just a physical and mental aspect of it physically could we deal with it and mentally could we deal with you know defeats we knew we were going to lose games but it was always how we were going to bounce back so we got off to that wonderful start and kept it going and listen we had a lot of good players well it was a magnificent hero and we’ll talk about that in a moment or two but we ought to look back at the match on Saturday uh let’s do that the season so far sponsored by the do nip [Music] switch and actually you know it was never really in any doubt was it let’s be honest of course not it was as comfortable a last game of the season as I think we’ve ever had in that sort of circumstance I all the games we had perhaps when when Jim was here as a player and um those sort of last day because it wasn’t quite in our hands most of those occasions and um so it was very very tense very very tense but you know it started I think the first goal that went in was was uh Southampton scored against Le didn’t they so that sort of you know sort of I like the way that the sort of the news kind of filtered around the ground into a roar it was uh very quick it was terrific and and then of course we scored and actually lead scored to get one but anyway by halftime it required a four-goal turnaround didn’t it so we all kind of by half time we really thought it was there and then of course Amari scored another one make it 2-n and really we just spent the second half singing and chatting away didn’t we really and comfortable sort of just waiting which is unusual for us is it which is very unusual for us actually the only thing I say is that we have this confidence in the team this team and I think perhaps I was thinking perhaps the only kind of similarity I can remember was that playoff final cuz I think we all went into that playoff final thinking well now we’ve made it here we’re going to get through do you know what I mean and and I thought last week we had a bit of a wobble against Hull in a sense I thought we should have won that game and we conceded quite late on and then Tuesday night that was a game we really desperately needed to win didn’t we at centry and we did they did the business again and then Saturday I think we had very little doubt that they would do the business and you know once again they kind of um the QPR leads result was yeah that was huge was a big help absolutely huge leads are falling apart again leads again but it was it was just a second half was just a case of people kind of finding their spots where they could get over the hoardings and onto the pitch yeah yeah that was always going to happen wasn’t it it was it was always going to happen which was where you came in a fantastic yeah I know would you like to repeat what you said or repeated what you repeated well In fairness In fairness to the club we had a meeting on Friday night um I’m Stadium an ouncer gym so I had a bit of a job to do and we had a meeting on Friday night and we they said to me what do you think’s going to happen at the final whistle and I said what do you think they went yeah we know um and so yeah it was just going to happen wasn’t it and we wanted it to be nice and peaceful and joyous and you know give you give the fans 20 minutes half an hour the players chance to get off and then they said um be polite in asking people to leave the pitch rather than just get off it was would you mind awfully would you mind going back to your seats said I have to say I say yeah if you’d like to go back to your seats now yes but the club has a responsibility to make an effort to not allow a pitch inv yes they do which is why the stewards are all around and that’s it yeah yeah they made the effort and uh and it just didn’t work but but then but then the the the stewards and the police created the bubble by the tunnel and we gradually just moved everybody gently along with my wonderful what time was it announ yeah 3 hours after the final whistle but then you had the problem with the players didn’t and then the players came on and they I’ll be honest they were supposed to come out of the tunnel and come you know what it’s like Jim hering cats you know you were a manager and a captain they were supposed to come out of the tunnel in Squad order was never going to happen um and walk along the side of the pitch and then I would do the help with the medal presentation but of course as soon as they came on they went straight for the fans didn’t they and we we lost them lost them for another 20 minutes and I spent the next 20 minutes saying with the players please come back for the trophy which is great fun great fun um but magnificent scenes and it was just a joy and you know you know to be right in the very heart of it and was was just magnificent and for all of us to that at Portman Road as well was was just really special wasn’t it I could just see Jim leading the singing though on the pitch on the buses yeah Russ do you know something though honestly see see the the day we got promoted I had no idea there was a parade I was sitting in the gulf and a guy come up and says honestly he said Jim what are you doing I said what are you talking B man there’s a parade what parade he said no there is a parade you just been promoted said nobody told me I I left the suff I left the suff pent and I was quite joyous to tell you well I’ll tell you what there were one or two players who whose consumption was pretty good over the weekend I think and uh helped to drink those pubs dry but but fantastic scenes on Saturday partying into the night you know drinking pubs dry it was just incredible wasn’t it I wonder if Harry Clark has made it home yet yes yeah good old Harry he was he was really loving it wasn’t he yeah but but fantastic and then and then of course you know we had the um we had the bus tour which was I think they were saying what 50 60,000 people 55,000 no way I I think that was 100,000 people it just didn’t it looked more than that it really did it was absolutely huge it was huge it was I I went down the park and it was impossible to park anywhere and and didn’t they didn’t they you say who you were I know I tried I tried there’s a lot of these new fans that have come on board you didn’t know I was no it’s it’s um yeah it was it was phenomenal I mean miles more people than last year uh and and and the bus was you know terrific and uh the players were kind of entering into the spirit and yeah and you can you can see the the team the spirit within the squad can’t you when when you have these events the way that they’re kind of uh um taking the Mickey out of one another and uh and singing songs about faor comment was Wolfie talking about um Don Goodman yeah yeah who who who hasn’t been particularly nice to us this season has he and and the sky guy said you know what would make it better he said a minute silence for Don Goodman which which I believe was cut out of the sky it was on the live feed but cut out of the sky sports bit um he called in to see me and Terry in the um the Premier Lounge before the game just as he was making his way up to the where they watch the game for him and he came in and said hello and everything and he got his Rook sack with all his books and sandwiches in and everything and we said after the game don’t why don’t you come in and have a quick drink with us never saw him no no never saw he a good lad though Don yeah it knows nothing about football whatsoever here listen he was in good company thanks you all right Ros One n but but you know town just quietly went about their business gym you know and just didn’t let anything bother them just you know one game at a time that that Mantra and and that’s Kieran and the players have all said that this year and that’s been so true hasn’t it one game at a time and it must be so hard when you’re you know going for such a big prize to to to act like that yeah and he’s not calling anyone and nor other the players because of and it’s got It’s got even greater social media players would have been watching there would have been uh listening uh they get become a little bit obsessed with I’m listen if Karen says he’s done that one % and he has epitomized that but in terms of the players no you know as a player you’re watching you’re looking you’re looking for any little thing that’s going to give you an edge so uh yeah I’m not so much I’m yeah I think Kieran definitely but players know they’re not kidding well I did wonder how Luke would have heard what Don Goodman had been saying so um you know what do those pundits know hey what do they know um but it was just fantastic and and the end of season dinner uh last night as as well were you there us for that yeah I was there Monday night Monday night yeah yeah um some friends of mine invited me along to their table and I think they got home at about 6:00 in the morning I didn’t I left couple of hours prior to that it’s the kind of event Jim that you’d have been the last man standing at isn’t it oh I loved them honestly I never want go home I when when the band I think when the band stopped play When the band stopped playing uh it’s s like I wasn’t having any of it get back up here no chance I got the players up and they were singing away and then the celebrations continued back in the Melton household I had my dad my brother uh friends other family members was quality those nights you remember for the rest of your days Russell will tell you he was in a he was in the mental group do you know they they still don’t go home you know got braz and all so he can tell you well he have a few stories yeah I mean it’s just amazing let let’s take you back to to to your promotion because a lot of people have been looking at that and comparing the two I mean you had several gos at getting to Wembley didn’t you getting promoted so close yet so far were there times when you thought actually you know what are we ever going to do this was it it was slightly easier for me because I I’d come in obviously on the back of uh that 99 2000 season wasn’t it and uh and we lost in Gold uh gold difference the Bolton so I was I was more determined then the second year so the second season with my first full season then now I was I wasn’t having any of that I wasn’t even thinking about that I was thinking about automatic promotion when people talk about the playoff and it’s it is fantastic but you want to go up automatically you want to be sitting on a beach watching the playoff final it’s easy listen it was fantastic to win a playoff final but really we we kind away blur that one up automatically it’s interesting you say that because uh Mark Ashton the other day when he was asked about the playoffs he said I’ll leave that to that lot up the road um yeah uh and yeah we’re all leads fans now aren’t we you know the wheels are back on the bus the other thing is it gives you a few more weeks doesn’t it the club has got a few more weeks to prepare start um looking at players that they might look to sign before leads whoever it is comes up from uh we’ll be slightly ahead of the game um which obviously you know could benefit us but it was a fantastic day out though Jim wasn’t it I mean you know yeah what a fantastic yeah sorry M like Saturday Saturday it was red and blue which brought me back to Wembley like the contrast in red and blue when you walked out at Wembley which is you know just a dream come true for any any footballer you know to come out and then to to see we week made and and it was blue it was just blue and 50,000 F toown fans it was an incredible experience but as I said to the players and I used my experience as a player on Saturday to talk to the players it’s the game that matters most you know you don’t want to be sending this these this group of fantastic supporters home crying their eyes out you want to send them home happy you want them send them home Delirious that’s the only thing that matters in a final is winning it yeah that playoff final was the best game of football that I have ever enjoyed in my life at Wembley you know and I’ve seen lots of games and done a lot of pundit work over the years but that day was something special as a supporter on the day it was magnificent it was great but the playoff semifinal Jim the the second leg that was some game wasn’t it yeah no but listen the contrast like we people obviously they bring it up and and it’s wonderful and I loved every second of that game I actually Lov the game itself I the fact that I scored a hattick yeah but I love the game I just thought we’re not getting beat we’re just not going to get beat but if you look at the play like the Magnificent contribution of all the players and then there was the individual performance if you look at Marcus in the in the first game at at uh at Bolton his contribution okay you can talk about my contribution and then you talk about the final itself you know when you look back in the final barnesley were such a good team there so many experienced players but then you you know we had to deal with real disappointments J coming off and then Richard neer’s performance in the final wow so everybody made it there were singular individual contributions of course but it was always about the collective how did you feel at the final whistle for the semi-final or the final semi-final knowing you were going to go there do what the pitch Invasion I actually found a yard of pace they actually play it back I I was one of the first off the pitch now you are kidding aren’t you I am kidding Mickey Stockwell This Day brings it up he says I’ve never seen me move as quick in my life I just wanted I actually wanted off the pitch as quickly as I can and the M the moment the moment we get in the changing room and to George’s credit it was always about the final it was about the final and winning I remember talking to you before you remember I remember you you remembered the third goal in such detail that was kind of what struck me as sort of an extraordinary thing yeah well even now like you know we were it was gone to the W you know it was going to the Wi and V gets it out of his left foot at a kind of way thought process of where it was going I I knew where Tony was and I had a quick glance of where Tony is Tony was and face was marking Tony I always knew if you get it in that area Tony M was going to win the header and if you see the way Tony M is is Arch he’s arching his back arching his neck I thought if I can get around this and I knew I knew that Pou was going to be important I knew where the goalkeeper was and used forget who the guy was in front of me I used him as a kind of way shield and then just hit it but the moment I hit it I knew it was going into an that and obviously uh just delium sets in the my celebration’s horendous I hit my celebration thisday ridiculous can’t do everything I say you’re not used to scoring hat tricks are you no no you’re not I I I the last hat hat trick I scored was in primy six I think it was fantastic I mean we’ve got some cracking goal celebrations now George Hurst with his golf swing we’ve got Omari with his uh with his back flip I there’s quite a lot of effort goes into these now yeah I didn’t practice man because I didn’t score man no oh listen they China know how to celebrate that’s the thing you know the it’s the agulation it’s what the actual Club mean to supporters and that’s what sometimes gets lost on players and it’s only on days like the days they’ve just had they’ve been spoiled in terms of they’ve won promotion from League one but they win promotion from the championship into let’s be honest it’s the promised land the Premier League is the promised land and they’ve probably done it a little bit quicker than everybody anticipated but ipsr and suffk and the community and the ACT players like the wonderful X players they all share in the joy this is not just there’s no real jealousy at all attached to this I was so over the moon it was as I said it was the first thing I had asked when I came off the pitch have them just won an Irish Cup Final brilliant so it’s a collective it always has been and you can remember what it did for the for the local area as well in 2000 you know first year in the Premier League you know the the whole place was alive and and I think it’s that on steroids this time I mean some of our capacity crowd can remember you know 2000 we went up but it feels this time it feels even more special if it can be I I don’t know there there just seems to be more uh awareness more fans involved than then I mean it’s it’s a fantastic thing for the area isn’t it oh 100% it just took off but I to say when I seen even even when the BS was coming in the coach was coming in for the game it felt it felt Premier League it felt like wow and then when you saw the parade like again what Russell and his team achieved is beyond your wildest dreams and I don’t know if it was like that I’m sure it was and and and G the comparisons will be such but I have honestly it it is on a grander scale now there was similarity of course there were it’s was nice to see people on the bus shelters again yes yeah the lamp posts climbing the lamp post and stuff like that but we had it um you know in the Town Center you know and there was bodies on every rooftop you know on top of the bank and health and safety would have gone absolutely berserk in those days but you know Mana nearly dropped he nearly dropped the UEA cup over the over the balcony I think so yeah it got a bit wild but was it right to do it in the park to get more because to get more people in yeah yeah yeah yeah definitely I mean you can’t get enough people in and around the corn exchange so that they can see a few of the people come on the balcony separately you know Mickey Mills came on maners and Mana ande came on beat came on Hunter and stuff like that sort of in twos and threes when you can go on mass together and you have two busloads of people to to deal with it gives everybody a chance to see everybody all at the same time yeah very good and and hats off the first bus for um wrapping those buses and turning them around I think within about 24 hours to get them all decorated up uh just amazing and and Jim your scenes when you came back you know what are your memories of that uh just amazing uh the A2 was just ch a block uh obviously you know the the bus was rocking our bus was rocking uh there was so much fun and just and there was exhaustion you know it’s it it takes so much mentally mentally you’re exhausted and alcohol does help I have to say a few uh but see again when you get into an enclosed environment with your family and people that mean so much we didn’t as as such meet a lot of supporters on after the game or such uh but the parade itself I say I was just loving life for my family and I forgot all about it well actually I don’t think anybody wanted me on the bus I uh but uh yeah the see it’s the happiness it brings it’s incredible what football actually does it was the same on Monday in Belfast for us you know you have no idea hard it effects people and and the actual Joy gr man crying their eyes I thinking you know the last time were only Nippers they were only boys and 45 years later they they’ve won an Irish Cup and the happiness it brings it’s just it’s Madness this game that’s why we love it so much I think that’s the thing here this time around is 22 years since we were last in the Premier League and there’s a whole generation that haven’t haven’t seen town in the Premier League two generations really yeah and players like Wolfie Wolfie I think was he 24 25 I mean he was very young when he he we spoke to him about it and he said he can’t remember Town being in the Premier League and and Harry Clark the same so yeah it’s fantastic thing it’s kind of far too far too long to wait I think for makes me feel old Mark well not just you true I’ve just had a big remember 92 which Jim was there as well of course in 92 when Tam won promotion weren’t you I certainly was yes I scored for Oxford and then yeah you’re right M PR Invasion that day as well yeah all them all them episode supporters got on the pitch anybody there on that day I was yeah I was on the pitch sorry Jim uh that’s all right it was fantastic okay K Kia and theel they loved it they loved robing that in me all the time every time oh you in you in that Oxford team that uh just handed over that trophy to us didn’t youed me book I mean you had a lovely time at at town I mean you were you had a good Bunch around you didn’t he as well when you were playing there oh yeah we had a mixture the there was a lunatic Squad and then there was a SEL Squad and then there was which one were you in what’s that well I just wondered which one you were in I thought i’ better ask no uh listen there were fantastic bunch of bunch of players uh George had assembled a really good team there was a lot of thought going into it and they were a brilliant Bunch we knew how to we knew how to socialize but we also knew how to be serious when the when it mattered most and uh yeah it was a fantastic game to be a part of the club you told me once that when you joined the club because you joined on loan initially didn’t you from sheev Wednesday yeah um yeah and you you said to me you thought you stepped the level of training up with the rest of the players yeah well I just thought well some of the players who remarked on that and I was used to playing that maybe a different intensity because I was playing with Top Class players at cfia Wednesday and I came in I just thought everyone was just a bit little bit thy and everyone was just a little bit too casual and they soon realized probably after day one that’s that’s not how I trained or that’s not what I expected or accepted and I think George because George obviously was in a fantastic group of players who wouldn’t have accepted uh poor standards and I know shab Bobby and I know George didn’t either but I just kind of away went no I’m not having it this is if we want to get promoted we have to train at a different level different Tempo and different standards and put demands on each other that’s the only way you want to get better and collectively they did individually they did and then collectively there was definitely an upturn in that yeah Jim I had exactly the same thing happened to me when I moved from IP switch to Leicester city back in 1985 first week’s training and i’ met the Leicester players for the first time and their attitude was well we didn’t have a very good season last year but usually we get a few decent results before for Christmas in time for a bit of a bonus to cover the Christmas presents right okay and I’m looking at and I’m thinking you what yeah and I had quite a nice car at the time but I didn’t take that down football club I didn’t want to create the wrong first impression so the next day I’ve coming sideways down the drive you know and they’ve gone wow how do you afford a car like that I said by winning games of football from the first game of the season and you win your bonuses you put the money in your back pocket you save a bit and you have a good time but it all comes from having the right attitude about winning every game you’re playing and they I don’t know many yeah I Russ I don’t know many people have a switch you know it’s amazing like you know if you want to train badly then you’ll play badly there aren’t many players that have a switch probably the two of them are still playing and Ronaldo and and Messi that’s probably why they’re billionaires but you know there there is no Swit if you’re going to you train as you play you play as you train because standards have to be accepted and they have to be signed off on and if you think you can be sloppy and lazy in training then you’ll bring that on to the pitch and I that’s not acceptable it’s just not acceptable not at all what advice or what do you think the the management team at Ipswich need to be thinking about now they’re making this this big step up they would have been thinking about it they would have been preparing for it I think there were you know two lists championship team Premiership team um you know what sort of advice would you give them listen they’re going to have to spend their money wisely uh I think experience there’s no substitute for experience uh Phil will probably I remember Herman coming in Phil and Chris Megan come in as well uh Phil will probably give you a greater detail of John scales was another one that came in that summer wasn’t he um I he didn’t play that much but that was the kind of what George was a for yeah you need you need experience in the league because it’s it’s going to be very very difficult you know let’s make no bones about it I’m not paying you know I’m not putting a d on anything it’s it the the players will love the challenge they’ll they’ll raise the the challenge but quality and experience you’re going to need you know because if you look at the league now you look at you know your Chef United you look at luden and it’s very difficult and it’s proven very difficult it’s not like back in the day where you might might get away with it but now you’ll get f out if you don’t have that right quality and right experience in certain areas obviously in certain vital areas the pitches spend your team’s going to be very important and perhaps harder for town because the squad was put together in League one only two years ago yeah that’s right exactly so there was no I I would imagine that Kieran had a mind on you know dealing with the championship football now credit has to go to the players too because they’ve risen to that challenge and theyve looked very very comfortable and again kieren’s made really crucial signings Keir M I think coming in was a really crucial signing uh Amari Hutchinson’s been a magnificent player and they’re going to be looking for long needs because and uh Samano as boy from Bren thinks he’s a really good player uh and it’s and it’s made differences coming off the bench so L sings are going to be crucial but experience and quality is is what you’re going to you’re going to need to stay in the league I think you can see from the sides around us at the top of the table Leicester city leag United Southampton you can take some of the players out of those squads and say Cy they are proper Premier League players that they’ve managed to hold on to and that’s what we’re going to have to match at least when we go up what we are yeah so not much of a rest then for the management team then at Portman Road they’ll be cracking on yeah K I think K will be working now K will be working overtime you know get as much as as much as you want to break and and you know I haven’t been off pH all day trying to attack players to our club and uh K will be the same now he will get a break and he will go away and he will try and switch off but it’s crazy and the market now is it’s it’s worldwide now the market it’s not just related to maybe the British ALS uh or whatever you know it’s worldwide and there’ll be agents constantly ringing and that’s where you have to be very careful and you have to be very strategic in the type of people you want to bring in because character you don’t want to we got a wonderful feeling in our camp and characters are important and when you’re recruiting you want to know exactly who you’re recruiting what sort of Personality what sort of character and what sort of quality it has to enhance the squad I I mean talking to the team there that is exactly what they’re doing isn’t it they spending an inordinate amount of time trying to find the right person to come in who believes in the club who believes in the community and understands the ethos of the club and and if they’re not like that then they they won’t get signed so Mark Ashton talking about that on on the show didn’t we before Christmas but and you meet the the squad I mean we interview them every every week um in press conferences and they’re a decent Bunch you know and they care about the club um and which may not have been the case a few years ago with one or two players and you sort of thinking why are you here do you know what I mean what their motivation is but yeah Jim Squad and the squad that played for Jim as well I think when he was manager um were all genuine characters who uh who had the the kind of best uh thoughts of the club so recruitment’s going to be crucial then Jim it really is yeah I I always thought if I can get a player down TI Swit if I can get him to the training grind if I can get him walking around the stadium I’m more than halfway there and when I get an opportunity then to test his character and it’s amazing when you ask the player what it what what’s your strengths what are you good at they fum some fumble their way through it well if you don’t know your strengths why why are we why are we even considering you tell me what you’re good at yeah and that’s important and what can you add to the group tell me how you can improve the group and don’t be shy about it just tell me how you going to improve this because n they’re going into the Premier League so they’re going to have to be better than the current group and the current group obviously are aware of what it’s going to take to play in the Premier League so while they’ll be going away and enjoying themselves and I quite rightly so the thoughts will turn very quickly especially when the fixtures come out the fixtures are the greatest and the worst day of your life yeah man united second game wasn’t it with you yeah it was and uh and it was it was a magnificent occasion you know sir Alex pointed out what a fantastic n it was and uh and we played really well we stood up and we were our quality that night was fantastic and we and we give them a game we really did and and that kind of way gave us all confidence and it’s really important that if you get a game like that especially early on and you manage to go it’s a good game to get early on because you can’t make them really that angry uh so uh yeah so if you can get a game and you get a result very important well yeah I I hadn’t thought about the fixtures but my stomach’s just gone butterflies again when you mentioned that the re mere Prospect of it you know the arsenals the liverpools the man cities coming here of course you had that Russ all the while didn’t you yeah but we we were fortunate you know I I grew up in that environment so it was nothing nothing different really you know he like week and week out for us um but it’d be great you know to to get that first real big fixture back at pman Road won’t it you know that’ll be some occasion that will I mean that will really send the crowd rocking again amazing uh and of course Phil people have been um pledging to have tattoos done haven’t they yeah well we spoke about this last week didn’t we uh Brett Johnson the uh from the three lons he he he’s pledged to have a tattoo Mark Ashton I said on this very show that we’d have a tattoo and I think that’s all kind of plan and I was reading a report today that that tattooists are very busy in town and sure Fuller is here KL writes a column for the East anglian Daily Times the Fuller flavor uh he’s also the author of Game Changer which is uh a fabulous book and he’s about to bring out game changer the sequel part two the follow on uh get a bit Premier Edition get right up close to that microphone and just you promised the tattoo as well didn’t you yeah start of last Seas well this season a friend of mine said we’ll get promoted this year and I thought he was having a laugh and I said about happens I’ll get it tattooed or a tattoo and he said what are you going to get and I did say I’ll get Kieran McKenna’s face tattooed on my uh but my wife T me out of that on your butt did you say yeah somewhere around that region so uh room so uh my group said well if you’re getting something we’ll get something so the running towards adversity in our shirt we’re all getting that done oh nice one nice good one yeah very good and get a quick plug in for your next book go on while you’re here yeah so the game changers Premier Edition it’s practically written the one that Russell’s holding there is a story of last season’s promotion which I Cobble together when the season finished I like that cobbled yeah and the one that’s coming out hopefully about the end of May time I wrote as a season when long thinking I’m probably wasting my time here but you know I just just felt thought if I can uh keep the story going as the players did then that can come out pretty much straight away so just just waiting on a forward to be written by somebody that won’t name at the moment uh Brad Lloyd of Glory Days artwork is doing the cover as we speak so yeah that would be out weeks sound great doesn’t itely fantastic would he come back and show us your tattoo next season yeah certainly will yeah depending where I’ll get it yeah I mean I already have an ni such tattoo but I’d have to drop me trousers to show you that uh no it’s okay we we will be running away from adversity then we might not yeah I was going to say there a box we have to tick isn’t it yes I think so I did ask Kieran by the way whether he was going to have a tattoo if we got promoted and he said no no ink going on me or something like that what about you Jim have you got one after your victory at the weekend not a chance no way no needles for me not chance not brave enough me neither anybody else going to get one Mark you said last week you’re scared of needles I did I’m scared of needles and the one I’ve got didn’t hurt so I think you should do it challenge there’s a challenge I I’ll hold your hand thanks let me think about that Carl yes Carl everybody yeah yeah get off his last appearance on the show get off my goodness Jim I’m reminded of a moment I don’t know if you can remember this but I used to be um I used to be a a a reporter at BBC Radio suffk many years ago for those who don’t know and there was one season when I was a sports reporter and we used to have to come up to the uh training ground and do the interviews up there and uh and it was my first go at the training ground to do these interviews and they said you’re going to interview Jim Melton so I said oh fantastic lovely brilliant so I drive up to the training ground I said I’ve come to see Jim and they said oh he’s around here somewhere and I hunted absolutely high and low for Jim M jilon who was hiding in a Cupboard was I you were I think George was looking for me as well but they were great days they were fantastic days and and you know we we loved you as a player we loved you as a manager and um you know we love having you back here whenever we get the chance so are you planning on taking a trip to come and see us in the premiere yeah I definitely am I’m sorry I couldn’t get over this year uh but games uh the moment I have a uh spur Saturday and wherever you are I’d be there to watch 100% Fant it’s a very very special place means means the world to me yeah well we love you bits don’t go away but for now Jim molon everybody I’m Jim come back to you in a bit Jim it is time well actually it would it would normally be time for our keep it up challenge sponsored by Ginger pickle um so let’s do the [Music] slide unfortunately Jim is in Northern Ireland so can’t do the Keep Up Challenge and I don’t know can we get a camera Richard on to the keep it up challenge area which we’ve had to open up another stand uh tonight cuz Mark can’t count so yeah I couldn’t count how many people were coming so hello extra fans over in the corner there that’s the second stand but the good news is over the summer we are going to be knocking that wall down over there so we’ll be able to get more fans in here every week and we got big plans it’s going to be live on a Wednesday night next season we got lots of plans for Life a premere pitch next season which we’re looking forward to um so look we can’t do the the keep it up challenge but I do have a very special job to do because all season above my head has been a dead Canary I don’t know if you can see this gy or not on your on your screen but we’ve had this above my head all season and it’s gradually got deflated and deflated and deflated during the course of the season um but tonight uh we decided we’d blow it up and I I actually don’t know if this is going to work but I have got a little nail and I’m just hoping that I can burn first the canaries season shall I do this Jim you have happy memories of Norwich games don’t [Music] you should we try this you’re not going shopping in oh no never go this is about it’s gone in no it’s gone [Music] [Applause] in playoffs hey fantastic brilliant do you remember those uh those Derby games Jim I do indeed uh it was always a it was always a massive challenge wasn’t it I was always uh I thought there were going to be a slightly more fer in the where I wanted them to be which would have been even greater but uh I always I always enjoyed beating them yeah and uh that’s always a fantastic uh thing to happen but hopefully fingers crossed we won’t have a local Derby next season I you know I spoke to someone today who said wouldn’t it be nice if if both teams were in the Premier League wouldn’t it be good for East Anglia maybe about the only thing the only thing is you you could be guaranteed six points oh it’s good point top man this is true I want I want teams that going to come up that have got um dodgy Financial records and going to get docked points next season fingers crossed anyway uh don’t forget to check out our website www.life pitch. TV unfortunately the tickets have all sold out for our end of season dinner which is coming up at venue 16 we’ve got our own uh we’re going to do the show uh special guest Alan Brazil next week uh and then we’re going to do a second show straight after that the life to pitch TV annual awards ceremony so we’ve got uh uh lots of awards to hand out and we’ve got lots of people who have been on this so for joining us as well so there’ll be a lot of town fans uh Happy on Monday so there’ll be two shows to watch next week on YouTube and to listen to on podcast and they’ll be available for Tuesday next week uh so they’ll just give us a bit of time to um to get them up and ready uh and you can also buy your merch on the website as well t-shirts mugs all sorts of things and we’ll have some of those at our show liop pitch. TV is where you go for all of that um now do we have any uh itfc news should we have some news Phil uh brought you in association with John keal cars of bramford [Music] really need a sponsored hat don’t I with John ke well Leaf Davis was named the town’s men’s players Player of the Year at Monday night’s end of season dinner at venue 16 Davis was joined on stage by his teammates as he accepted the award before briefly singing in the start of Elvis Presley is that what you called it I think so I think that’s what he suggested wasn’t it and no I was quite impressed actually um the left back who achieved the new Championship record of assists for a defender of 18 had previously been named in the efl’s championship team of the season the women’s players player of the year was Sophie Pesca who also won the supporters club’s Player of the Year award which was announced at the middlesbor match uh Sam Mory had won the the men’s award while uh for the supporters club and Finn B Brook had previously been confirmed as the academy Player of the Year Amari Hutchinson was named the young Player of the Year while Harry Clark once he’d been found I think and Kyra Robertson were given the uh Philip hope cobal award which is given to players who go be and above and beyond when representing the club in the community Hutchinson is reported to already be back Chelsea or or on his been called back to Chelsea the 20-year-old enjoyed a hugely successful season on loan with the blues netting 11 times in his first full season in senior football according to the athletic Chelsea have told the Jamaica International that they want him back at the club next week in order to run the ru over him in training and hold talks regarding his future Town fans and manager Kieran McKenna who said that the dinner that when he was asked what he wanted for his birthday he said Omari um have made it clear that they want him back at Portman Road next season uh on loan I think um while the player himself was non-committal when asked following Saturday’s match although previous year said he’d welcome a return to Portman Road on loan next season um other clubs at home and elsewhere in Europe are also said to have expressed an interest in loaning Hutchinson who has a year left on his Chelsea contract but with reports that the club has an option for a further season uh reports last week claimed that they were looking to offer him new terms or it’s thought that talks for on a new deal are yet to take place and it’s also understood that Chelsea will need to sell players over the summer to comply with the Premier League’s Financial flare play rules well Hutchinson who’s believed to be valued at around 20 million is among them remains to be seen with a number of Europe’s big clubs having previously been linked uh with his spell at Town having been keenly watched but as it stands the former Arsenal Academy player is expected to go on Chelsea’s preseason tour to the US in July with decisions on his future likely to be made after that town are only able to loan two uh bring two players in on Loan in the Premier League which will give uh Kier McKenna some tough decisions uh speaking after Saturday’s game he said he’d like to keep some of these Seasons this this season loan players at the club fellow Ford Jeremy sento impressed during his half season spell from Brighton uh and at the time he joined in January it was reported in Ecuador that the loan switch could be extended to a second season so there’s there’s plenty to to think about there town for sha aluco hung up his boots at the age of 35 he announced at the at the dinner Alo joined the Blues in the summer of 2021 on a free transfer after leaving reading the Nigeria International made 33 starts and 29 sub appearances during his three seasons with the Blues scoring four goals but made only two starts and five sub appearances From the Bench during 23 U 23 24 um but I think his contribution was kind of as a member of the the leadership group and as an experienced uh member of the squad so kind of went beyond his role on the pitch uh and he spent much of this season watching games with the analysts and providing insights to manager McKenna it’s expected that he’ll stay with the club in some capacity uh and Town’s average home League attendance during 2023 24 was the highest in the club history breaking a 47y old record the blu’s average crowd at Portman Road as they won promotion after 22 years away from the Premier League was 28845 the previous best was 26674 during the 1976 77 first division campaign in which town finished third in the table and qualified for the UEFA Cup this was among the facts in the new edition of Dan botton IPS town melony which is due to be published on August 24th Dan also had another edition of his uh his other book I town on this day which Brussel uh reads from every week and we’ll do in a moment uh published on the same day with and I think Terry’s writing a a four word for one and you’re writing a four word for the other aren’t you don’t know you are well you are well Dan thinks you are that’s that’s that’s the news at length and if you want to um pre-order Dan books there’s a link on the yeah similar sort of story about the the crowd numbers but that’s very impressive isn’t it the highest League crowd no it’s great it’s fantastic and the clamor for tickets is going to be immense I know I mean how many tickets could they sell for next there’s going to be very few tickets available next year because obviously we’ve got 21,000 20,000 something like that season ticket holders and then you have to have 3,000 away tickets so that’s you know and the capacity is probably going to be 20 29,000 probably probably reduced a little bit because of you know where uh for security and all those kind of reasons so uh yeah it’s going to be very difficult to get match day tickets next year well what a nice problem to have well I know I know the problem we didn’t have a few years yeah no we didn’t know who was there when we were rubbish who went to Stockport that Stockport game with about 7,000 there in the ’90s yeah yes never mind but it’s lovely that everybody’s getting involved I mean it is fantastic um let’s take a look at what’s happened on this day in the past it’s brought to you an association with our friends at Fred olssen [Music] Logistics well thank you Fred a and Logistics and first of all I’m going to just niit back one day previously to what we should be on so I’m going to look at something from the 7th of May 1964 and apparently somebody was born on this day they City in very close to me so Mark can you do the honors and cut your cake please [Applause] goodness to you happy birthday to youth happy birthday dear Happy Birthday to you thank you very much congratulations do I get my bus pass now I believe so yeah not the only one to have a birthday though is he Jim M Jon’s birthday this week I think he deserves a little song as Welly birthday to you happy birthday to youy bir birthday dear J happy birthday to you and even want to think about it and Jim it was it’s May the 6th your birthday isn’t it the day that town won the FA Cup on your ninth birthday do you have memories of that that’s right I watched the game Roger Osborne yeah I never missed even as a young boy I never missed the Cup Final I absolutely loved it brilliant fantastic right getting back to it on this day sorry sorry sorry the 8th of May the first entry here goes back all the way to 1939 so I don’t suppose anybody here was at the game first division Aston Villa defeated Town 32 in the ipswitch hospital cup do you remember that Phil no no it was in front of a crowd of 20,000 people which raised £1,200 for the East suffer Kips Hospital V Scottish International Frank odonnell netted a five minute hattick there you go it’s all about Irish been scoring hat tricks on this show is it that’s it yeah and on this day Saturday the 8th of May 1976 we’re going Irish again here genial midfielder Pat shaky won his only Northern Island cap in a 3 nil Glasgow drubbing of Scotland hey how do you love that he was one of the beats uh best of buddies Pat shark drinking part story about that that he um cuz it was in Glasgow wasn’t it and um I think he got the train all the way straight down and was and met beat in the first floor club and beat walks in and there’s Pat shaki dancing on the dance floor still in his Northern irand shirt no he would be that’s Shar he’s a great lad great fell and that’s all that happened on this day the eth of May well I’ve got one of our capacity Crowders brought me this poster in here which Jim you’ll you’ll remember if I can just open this up if you can get the end of that this is ipswitch toown versus walaw Portman Road 7th of May 2000 attendance 21, uh 898 uh signatures on here Burley claen mcgrail Mo sha friers Fabian winess Martin Royer Wayne Brown Matt Holland Richard Wright David Johnson Richard Naylor Dell Roberts James scof Titus Bramble Marcus Stewart Manuel thetis Gary Croft Mark V Jermaine Wright and one Jim M jilon uh so we’ll hold that up Jim look memories of you back at Portman Road look look at that fantastic JN who scored and we were going up at that stage Man City I think we at Blackburn and I remember John’s celebration he was going ballistic yeah we ran to the halfway line to to uh hug the staff didn’t he yeah did great days great days Jim it’s been fantastic to have you on the show we’ve got one thing to do before we finish and that’s the man V fat uh football results uh we’ve got some walking footballers in here tonight haven’t we where are you walking footballers not many good to see it uh we’ve got some man V fat news uh so these are the guys that on a Friday night are at Portman Road playing football and losing weight uh no League games this week as players were put into new teams for the current season so they played some friendlies our new team names for the season are and please mark say one of them carefully yeah I have that box is going to be tick this week is it it would have to be uh so these are the new teams to look out for the red hot chubby fellas Ivory toast it’s all right I’ll wait for it don’t worry here all night I’m with you Wickam wadlers this is the one the red cat funs gaspi and bosia munchin [Laughter] Flapjacks well done to the guys who played 11 aside at Colchester United on Monday it raised £120 for cancer sport suffk which is one of our chosen Charities and best wishes to Ashley page as he qualified for our amazing losers match at the Den with Terry butcher as his manager uh looking forward to the Premier League next season says man vat Mark and can I just say thanks to everybody who who put money in the cancas sports suffer buckets outside Portman Road on Saturday we raised just shy of ,000 so that’s brilliant we are out of time we have one more life a pitch Premier League show to do this season uh but for now Jim M jilon you have been amazing as always you are welcome on this show and in this town whenever you want thank you so much [Applause] fantastic what do you want to say to the fans Jim before you go uh just listen you give me the best Airs of my Football Life greatest memories I loved every second of it thank you very much enjoy next season no matter what it brings hopefully fingers crossed to stay in the league we stay in the league but just enjoy it they’re the best days of your life thank you J cheers thank you easy top man super Jim M jilon brilliant uh next week our show is coming from the willow suite at venue 16 we’ve got a traditional show like this in the big room with Alan Brazil as our guest and then we’re going to do a second show uh and that will be our award ceremony they’ll be available to watch and listen to Tuesday next week uh and then over the summer we’ll be remodeling this studio to make even more room for the capacity crowd uh so it’s going to be bigger uh we’re going to have something slightly different instead of the keepy up challenge um so we’re going to have something in the DPS Tech Arena which will be just over here uh so there’ll be some changes next Seas uh and we’re looking forward to being in the Premier League thank you opacity crowd and big thanks to our main sponsor DPS Tech also supported by all about hearing marketing company Ginger pickle forward floors come here the design the Hudson group sound 4 Pro Audio Fred Olsen Logistics John keable cars in Branford the dove in St Helen Street in ipswitch Ashford Wright plus DPS Tech do sponsor the sofa from all of the team fantastic news this weekend what a fantastic weekend we’ve had what a great summer we’re going to have looking ahead to life in the Premier League everybody we are say we are Prem leag we are Prem League are Prem leag are premag are League are leag League we are Prem League we are prag we are are are are [Applause] [Music]