United media officer and first team kitman Andy Hall (AH) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) and Chris Lumsdon (CL) this afternoon ahead of Carlisle's League One match at home to Swindon, Hall first talking about the traffic problems on the M6 this morning:
JP
Any problems because of the traffic for this game?
AH
That is a big issue all day today, Barrow have been delayed, the local games around the county have been delayed. It has been a big talking point downstairs about what is best for us to do at this game, at the moment, and it is out of our hands in some ways because it is down to the safety people, the referee and all those types of people, we will just have to wait and see. But, as it stands we are going ahead at three o'clock, I think they have decided that enough people are reporting that they are getting through it now, the crash itself has been cleared and the diversion is working, that we may well be going ahead as planned.
JP
There are a few Swindon fans over there, I know that some will be coming up by road but whether they will necessarily come that way or whether they will be on the train etc. The teams are here but apparently some of the backroom staff of Swindon haven't managed to make it here?
AH
I am looking at the press box and it is empty apart from our locals, and that is always a worry for me because you do like the game to be reported evenly and balanced and you hate not to see them here. So, my fingers are crossed that they have got through it, but it is one of things that we will have to go on the best assessment that we have got in five or ten minutes time, or as it is now infact. But, as is stands we are going on at three o'clock.
JP
You are the man who is with the team, the management, everyone here all through the week. What has the mood been like after getting that victory last week, especially in the manner it came?
AH
You can tell at a football club, psychologically if you are in the top half of the table the feeling around the place is better. That 2-1 win did it for us, got us into the top half, it is a hard job to stay there, this is a tough division, people are saying that it is not as hard as other seasons, but in my opinion that has made it harder. Because, the big clubs have gone, all the ones we expected, there are still a few of them dotted about but it is more of an even keel now. Everybody has got it in their mind that if they put something together, a bit of consistency, then they will be the team that comes out and gets into the top six. So, everybody is thinking the same and you have just got to try to do your job and go for it.
JP
I will ask the manager (Greg Abbott) of course, but has the fact that the kids who came on once again, (David) Symington and (Mark) Beck and had such a huge influence on the game last week, they haven't made it into the starting line-up, is that as much to keep their feet on the ground as to give the other players their chance in the team as well?
AH
I think the manager said it to Paul (Newton) at the press conference on Thursday, the fact that these lads are almost saying now that they are ready. So, it is up to him as to when he decides that he is going to tinker with that starting eleven even further and put them in and let them go for it. That is down to him deciding who are the eleven that are going to win the game for him, and he will do that every week. You could be a six-year old and if you are playing well enough you are in, it is as simple as that. So, it wouldn't surprise me if it happens in a couple of weeks time or whenever, but he will do that when it feels right.
JP
Chris Lumsdon is with us here, it is a big difference starting the match and having to go through everything in the match rather than just being one of the young lads who can come on against perhaps tiring defenders who are maybe ten years older than you?
CL
Yeah, I mean we mentioned this last week didn't we, the lads have come on when they have been able to watch the game from the sidelines, see exactly what is going on, come on against tired players and give it a right good go at them. Starting them, you are up against seasoned pros here in and out who have seen it and done it. They might just find that way a little bit hard, so at the minute being impact players is suiting them down to the ground. So, long may it continue doing that and their form doing that continue.
JP
In terms of those lads themselves though, Mark Gillespie of course is in there, he is a youngster who is pushing through, Brad Potts, Dave Symington and as we know Mark Beck still around the team, what have they been like about the place, just them individually, how have they been, how excitable have these young guys been over the last week?
AH
Dave sums it up for me, he has got the biggest smile on his face ever whenever you ask him how he is feeling right now. It is just a massive smile and that is what it means to them because they have had their two years as a YTS and they know how hard that is. Everybody tells them on the day they sign their contract that it has just started, don't think for one moment you have made it.
But, now with the three year contract for three of them under their belt, Mark Gillespie keeps getting extended because of the potential that he is showing, and he has actually got the number one shirt on merit at the moment. The sky is the limit for them but it is up to them how they use it and what they do with it. How many times do you think that you have found a player who is going to go all the way and he disappears? So, that is over to them now because the hard work has been done, but there is more ahead of them.
JP
And an Italian back onto the bench for Carlisle today, Alessio Bugno, an Italian bringing his team here of course, Paolo Di Canio bringing his Swindon team here today, always a bit of a pantomine when Paolo is around, do you do anything differently as a club when you are preparing for the visit of somebody like him and his team?
AH
Yeah, you just don't hold a meeting, that is the only difference there is. He is a character, the game needs characters, but characters in the right way and I think he is one of them. Nothing malicious, not a bad bone in his body, gets animated, heated, passionate, brilliant, more of it I say.
JP
Could be great on that touchline down in front of the Paddock with him down there today?
AH
Oh, it could be and it depends on what sort of a mood Greg is in as well doesn't it as to whether they react to each other. But, if they do I think it will all be in good spirit and in good fun.
JP
And this is just the first chance we have had at a game really to have a chat about it since the news came through about I guess problems you would have to say with the ground at the moment. How much of a blow has that been to everyone who had all of that excitement and how much now does everybody, fans included, need to sort of step back a little bit, take stock and then see where Carlisle United move next on that front?
AH
Well, I think it is a case of continue with the dialogue. You have got to work out, we have got to work out what we feel is best for the club, the fans have got to have a say in that and we need to get to a position where we can move the dialogue forward meaningfully. That means that other parties, other agencies, have to be on board as well. So, we will continue doing that, it is no change for us as far as we are concerned. Yes, there has been a sort of an indication that we would need to provide more information, so we will sit down with the developers, with everybody else that has got a stake in this and we will work out where we go from here so that we can do that.
JP
Just to put it in layman's terms for those who perhaps don't know, am I right in saying that essentially to have the ground built it is an enabling project, an enabling development, you need so many different businesses involved and the council at the moment it would appear think that the city itself doesn't need so much up there, so much retail up there, and it would mean that you wouldn't have enough businesses to make the ground as it was originally proposed?
AH
It is the space that would be available, now we have got to be careful because we haven't seen the detail of the report, so I wouldn't want to comment too far. But, you are not too far wrong, the indication is that the square footage of land that would be needed, required, not that is available, that would be needed in the next ten years is 200,000 square feet. Now that wouldn't be enough to enable us to take the cash away to build a stadium as well as whatever units appeared up at Kingmoor Park. So, that is where the study that they have had is at, but we haven't seen the detail so we can't really comment much further on that.
JP
But, one bit of positive news at the moment, a few fans I have spoken to think this is terminal, think that it is done, but we are not at that stage yet, still negotiations, still could be scope for it to continue forwards?
AH
No, I think we have to keep talking because we have to work out what we feel is best for the football club. We have to make sure that everybody else is on board and feels that as well. Then we will either develop this place or move forward and get a new stadium, whatever it is we do we have got to make sure we have got it all right.
JP
Interesting to get the latest on that, we haven't really discussed the match but, hey, it is a gorgeous day, going to be two good footballing teams out there, what is not to look forward to?
AH
It is Swindon Town and I think when you have got a character like Paolo you always want to get one over on them, so I think the lads will be up for it today.