Relegation Battle Breakdown & Ian Ashbee Interview

By: Matt | May 5th, 2009

The Monday night loss to Aston Villa has left the Tigers staring relegation in the face, with three matches to go. Although they are the lucky ones on the right side of the demarcation line, Boro and Newcastle as within striking distance, and survival. Here is a breakdown of the three teams and their chances.

Current Table

17 Hull City – 34
18 Newcastle – 31
19 Boro – 31

Hull City
Remaining Fixtures:
Stoke (H)
Bolton (A)
Man Utd (H)

The Stoke fixture has become the single most important match in the history of the club. Three points are a must, as while Bolton may have nothing to play for, its possible that United will need to win on the last day to fend off Liverpool, and will come out with all guns blazing. A last day situation where Hull need a win to stay up while United need a win for the title may seem appetizing for neutrals, but is quite a nauseating thought for us Tigers supporters.

Newcastle United
Remaining Fixtures:
Boro (H)
Fulham (A)
Aston Villa (A)

Nothing needs to be said about the Boro match. The weekly Monday nighter, the whole country will tune in not to enjoy the football of two of the leagues most abject sides, but the drama of the simple fact that the loser will be relegated. Plain and simple. Newcastle will want to be extra sure they get the three, as Fulham and Villa do not give up points easily on their home patches.

Middlesborough
Remaining Fixtures:
Newcastle (A)
Aston Villa (H)
West Ham (A)

Does not look good for them. First a Monday night trip to St. James Park, followed by two matches with Europa League chasing teams. While Villa might have it locked up, West Ham certainly do not, so will be pushing on the final day.

Predicted Final Point Total:

17 Hull City – 38
18 Newcastle – 34
19 Boro – 32

Ian Asbee Interview

CITY Magazine issue 45 May 2009

LEADER OF THE PACK

He is quite possibly Hull’s favourite-ever adopted son. It is only fitting that Ian Ashbee admits he would love to continue playing for the Tigers for the rest of his career…

Ashbee – more than anyone – has put the entire city on the map. They have named streets in honour of people who have achieved far less. This summer will mark the seventh anniversary of the day he walked into the club’s home dressing room for the first time. Then, he was largely unknown – a journeyman midfielder with a reputation as something of a hot-head, signed on a free transfer from Cambridge United.

Back then, City were playing at a dilapidated Boothferry Park. If Ashbee had shoved those dressing room doors a little too hard, they would probably have come off in his hands! All City’s fans were talking about was record signing Stuart Elliott and a fresh-faced youngster called Stuart Green. Ashbee slipped in almost unnoticed. The KC Stadium was still a dream never mind the dizzy heights of the Barclays Premier League.

Now, he is the most successful captain in City’s history. No, make that one of the most successful captains in the history of the game. Okay, so the major honours have proved elusive. Nevertheless, he is the first person to captain the same club through all four divisions of The Football League. It is a unique record, one which he is understandably proud of and one that is unlikely ever to be equalled.

His football life might have turned full circle but Ashbee insists he is still the same person he was in July 2002 when, then City manager, Jan Molby plucked him from under the very noses of League Two rivals Oxford. Since his debut against Southend – in which he was sent off by the way – Ashbee has won more battles than Genghis Khan. After almost 250 appearances for the Tigers, he’s still happy to go to war for the club that means so much to him. Yet, he’s been written off more times than the national debt – can’t pass, can’t run, can’t shoot. What tosh!

This season, Ashbee had proved his Barclays Premier League pedigree at the age of 32. However, City fans worried that their inspirational captain is about to call it a day can sleep safely at night for a little while longer at least. Ashbee has no plans to hang up his boots just yet. He is determined to continue helping the Tigers live their top-flight dream. So how long can he go on?

“I don’t know,” he says, as he sits on a bright red sofa, deep beneath the West Stand at the KC Stadium. “You’d best speak to the manager and ask him. I’m here for another season at least but I’d love to stay here until I finish my career. I’m 32 now but I’d love to stay for a few more years yet. This club is definitely part of me. It’s in my heart. The people, the city, it’s what has kept me here.

“It’s been an incredible journey, an unbelievable journey. I have achieved a lot in my career but I haven’t achieved everything I want. Every game, every opponent is a challenge. That’s what gets me out of bed every morning.”

It is emotional stuff from a private and guarded individual who – off-the-pitch at least – prefers to keep his feelings to himself. No-one, though, can deny Ashbee has completed one of football’s greatest-ever stories. After all, it’s not that long since he was preparing to play against the likes of Rushden and Diamonds, Torquay United and Boston.

Back then, City’s big games were derbies against York and Scunthorpe. Then came the back-to-back promotions, along with last season’s success in The Championship Play-Off Final at Wembley. It’s an incredible script, one that JK Rowling couldn’t even begin to imagine.

Today, Ashbee is holding his own against true world stars. Typically, The Barclays Premier League has held no fears for City’s ‘Captain Marvel.’ Like every other test he’s faced, Ashbee has taken the step into the top-flight. As he leans back on the sofa, he ignores the chime of his mobile phone that tells him another text message has come through.

“It (The Barclays Premier League) has been everything I thought it would be,” he explains.

“I’d not had any experience of it before so I didn’t know what to expect. Of course, I knew it would be a massive step up. I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a bit of apprehension on my part but I’ve probably dealt with that better as the season has gone on.

“Once you face these type of challenges, you learn to live with them. Overall, I think I’ve done okay. However, there’s still a lot do this season. You can never relax. You can’t take anything for granted because you know how good a league it is. In fact, in any division, if you take it easy then it will bite you back!”

Ashbee may have led City into the Promised Land for the first time in their history but once he’d achieved that many people thought he would be out of his depth. However, he has never backed away from anything in his life – whether it’s football or a game of tiddlywinks with his young relatives! One glimpse at the fixture list showed the size of the task Ashbee faced. However, he has never lacked self belief and denies he suffered from nerves, even on the eve of the big kick-off last August.

“It wasn’t nerves,” he continues. “There’s probably a bigger word that I should use. Apprehension? I don’t know. Anyway, I’m not a nervous kind of bloke really. You are going in to the unknown. That’s what you kind of worry about.”

Any self-doubt was blown away by City’s opening day win against Fulham. Ashbee, as ever, led from the front against a Cottagers’ line-up that included his now Tigers’ team-mate Jimmy Bullard, another player who knows what it is like to prove the cynics wrong. So, how important was that winning start?

“It was vital. We knew that people had been saying we were the next Derby and things like that. If we’d lost the first match at home everyone would have been telling us – ‘told you so’. But we won it… and we went on from there.

“We all stepped up. You have to adjust your game every season. That’s what we’ve done as a club and as individuals. If you can manage to do that pretty quickly – like we’ve done in previous years – then that’s a bonus.”

Such was City’s explosive start, talk began to drift to the possibility of a European place. And, as Ashbee and his team-mates gazed down on » their opponents from the lofty heights of third place in the table, it was as though they’d been in the Barclays Premier League all their careers.

“We made a lot better start than anyone expected but I wouldn’t say it (The Barclays Premier League) was easier than I thought it would be. I’d never say anything in football is easy. We’ve had to work harder this season and we’ll have to maintain that work-rate up to and including the very last game.

“Hard work is first and foremost one of the things that is highest on my agenda. That should always be maintained. Maybe one day, you might not have such a good day with the ball but your work-rate is still there for the team and for everyone else to see. That has always been my approach and always will be. I’ll never change.”

Physically, Ashbee looks the same as he did seven years ago although his body probably features a few more scars. Perhaps the hairline might be a little thinner; there might be a few more frown-lines on his forehead. There are some ‘trappings’ of life as a top-flight player. The leather jacket and jeans he’s wearing for the interview certainly didn’t come from Primark. And, as his all singing, all dancing mobile rings again, it’s clear he didn’t get it on a £30-a-month deal. However, Ashbee is not the type of person to get carried away by his recently acquired status.

“I always look back to those early days, without a shadow of a doubt. My first game, Southend at home, getting sent off. Not a great start. They were the days of coming off the pitch and walking down the dark corridor and into the old changing rooms. It was colder in those changing rooms than it was outside! That’s the kind of thing you never forget.

“I went back to Cambridge the other week and again, that’s the kind of thing that keeps you going. Luckily enough, I’ve had the experiences to keep me grounded. I thought Boothferry Park was a great place and I still speak to people who played there long before I did and they loved it. I appreciated all the history and the tradition as well but the club was ready to move on – and it’s moved on for the better.”

Ashbee wasn’t even City’s captain in his early days at Boothferry Park. The armband went to Greg Strong and then Justin Whittle and Marc Joseph. However, it wasn’t long before Ashbee’s qualities shone through.

“Of course, I’m proud to do the job,” he admits. “It would be a bit callous of me if I didn’t feel like that really. To captain a team through all the divisions is something I’m proud of, just like I was winning at Wembley last season and getting my hands on that trophy.

“But, I don’t want to stop now. I don’t want anyone to think I’ve achieved everything I wanted in football because I haven’t. I don’t think it (captaining the same side in all four divisions) will ever be done again. It’s something I’m proud of and I’m privileged to be captain of a club like this.”

These days, Ashbee is leading a side containing established internationals and players who have performed in the Barclays Premier League before. However, the likes of Kevin Kilbane and George Boateng have nothing but respect.

“I don’t think you can change the way you go about the job. I probably moan a bit more because I’m getting older but I think everyone around here knows that anyway! Anyway, there are too many people around the club who wouldn’t let me change – and too many good people around me away from football.

“I know I’ve made mistakes. I’m not proud of everything I’ve done. But I’m old enough now to know what’s right and what’s wrong. I try to do the same thing week in, week out.”

These days, it’s not just the local paper that is interested in City. The club’s players receive nationwide exposure. Ashbee could probably fill an entire week with requests for interviews. Not that he ever watches himself on TV though.

“Match of the Day?” he adds. “I don’t watch it. You know me. I never read the papers because if you’re not willing to read the bad stuff then don’t read the good stuff. When we beat Arsenal at The Emirates, I didn’t watch Match of the Day. When we lost here against Wigan, I didn’t watch Match of the Day.

“I try and keep things as level as possible. Whatever the result, it’s happened and you’ve got to move on. You’ll always have the memories. Maybe when I’ve finished playing, I’ll look back at some of the games and think about what we’ve achieved. But, once we’d beaten Arsenal, watching it on TV again wasn’t going to help us win our next game was it? It’s part and parcel of football. You win games and you lose games.

“Like I said what seems like years ago now, I never get too down when we lose and I never get carried away when we win. I’ve tried to maintain that throughout my career really.”

That win against Arsenal – and a string of other impressive results – suggested City would stay well clear of the relegation battle in their debut season in the top-flight. So, has the second half of the campaign been a frustrating experience?

“We’ve put some good performances in but it’s like this stage of the season in any league in that good performances don’t always translate into good results. If you play terrible and win then we’ll take that.

“We’ve performed very well in most games. Okay, we’ve been a bit sloppy and a bit inexperienced in the latter spells of some games and it’s kind of cost us like Tottenham at home. In the first half, we were all over them, much better than them. It has been frustrating but you have to go through that to become better players – and a better club – next year.

“Perhaps if we hadn’t done so well early on the expectations wouldn’t have been there. But expectations have always been here, ever since I came to this club. Before this season, they might not have been running at the usual sky-high level but we’ve not done anything different. We know what we’re about and we don’t bother what other people might say or think.”

That strategy has paid off and few players have got the better of Ashbee.

“Playing in the Barclays Premier League is what I’ve always wanted to do. You want to put yourself up against the best players around. I don’t worry about them. You respect people and of course, it is a challenge, but, you know me, I was never one to settle for mediocrity. You’ve got to strive to meet the challenges every day. As I said earlier, that’s what gets you out of bed in a morning.

“We’re up against people who have played at this level for years and they deserve respect. I’ll give them respect but once I cross that white line, that kind of stuff goes out of the window and all I’m worried about is winning games for Hull City.”

While there have certainly been some highs for Ashbee this season, a personal low must have been the fact he missed the clash against Manchester United at Old Trafford through suspension. It wasn’t the first ban of his career. It probably won’t be the last either!

“It was gutting but it was typical me really. I sometimes say things before I think. I put my foot in it at times. I was always going to do something like that. But, I’ll be back there with the team next season – and hopefully I won’t be suspended!”

It goes without saying that Ashbee isn’t even contemplating a return to Championship.

“I’m confident we’ll stay up. You wouldn’t expect me to say anything else, would you? It will be a massive achievement – as big an achievement as anything I’ve done at this club.”

But, what about the long-term future, the day when he has to hand over that armband and his first team place? A switch to management, perhaps even coaching?

“It’s far too early,” stresses Ashbee. “I’m probably not the right temperament to be a manager. There again, you look at some of the people. As you get older, you never know what you’ll do. The later in your career, the more you think. Who knows? Perhaps I’ll go into the media.”

Now… that really would be a challenge!

ASHBEE’S GUIDE TO THE BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE RUN-IN:
Monday 4th May

Aston Villa (Villa Park)

“They’ve been a great side this season although they have gone off the boil a little bit. I’m a Birmingham City fan but you’ve got to take your hat off to Villa. Martin O’Neill has done a great job in charge and has brought on some outstanding young players. They’ve done well although I thought we more than matched them here at the KC and we were very unlucky not to get something from the game. If I remember right, it was the disputed penalty right at the end and Kamil Zayatte’s own goal. They are a good side but we’ll go there with confidence.”

Saturday 9th May

Stoke City (KC Stadium)

“We know exactly what we’re going to get from them. We got exactly that down at their place and again, a dodgy penalty decision probably cost us the three points. Nothing should surprise you about them. However, they are a lot more than just Rory Delap’s long throw-in. I’ve got a couple of good mates there and they’ve got some good footballers. We know what they are about. Like us, they’ve proved a fair few people wrong this season. We know how they try and play. They deserve as much respect as anyone else.”

Saturday 16th May

Bolton Wanderers (Reebok Stadium)

“We were unlucky in the home game against them. We could have had four or five but Jaaskelainen was absolutely on fire for them. There’s not a lot you can do about that. It will be a big day for the gaffer (Phil Brown) but I’m sure he’ll be approaching it like any other game. He’d love to go back there and win – as we all do when we’re up against our old club. It would be nice to do it for him although they are a decent side. There again, there’s no such thing as a weak team in this division.”

Sunday 24th May

Manchester United (KC Stadium)

“An easy finish. A three point banker for us! Scholes, Giggs, Rooney, Carrick, Berbatov, Ronaldo… where do you stop? It will be a great day, a great occasion. They’ll have won the league and we’ll be safe so it should be brilliant for the fans – and for the city of Hull.”

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