But it's alright now, in fact it's a Gas!

There's something about playing Bristol Rovers that brings out, if not the best in Yeovil Town, then something not far off the best. We've faced the Gas in nine football league games now and won four, drawn four and lost just the once. If we could play them every week then promotion would be pretty much guaranteed at that level of success. Rovers' one solitary win came in last season's game at the Mem, when they beat by 3-0 a Glovers side shell-shocked by Russell Slade's dismissal two days earlier. That loss was well and truly avenged this weekend, a 2-1 scoreline memorable in particular for Terrell Forbes first football league goal in 370-odd games. The result leaves the Glovers in the dizzy heights of 12th position in the league table, on 18 points. That's six games unbeaten now and we really couldn't be going into one of the most difficult games of the season - Leeds, away - in better heart.

The other matter of any import this weekend was the 1st round FA Cup draw. As anyone reading this will now know, we were matched up with Oxford United, away. The U's are currently top of the Conference, or Blue Square Premier as it prefers to be called these days, and will doubtless be up for the cup as any self-respecting non-league team always is. There was a comment made on the green room which made I laugh, as we say in Zummerzet, and that was that Oxford were giving thanks for the postal strike, as half of their team would have extra time for training. Geddit? Non-league side comprised of postmen and the like... Oh, please yourselves.

Their fans have been understandably getting quite excited about playing a proper football league team anyway and have INVADED the green room just as I remember us doing when we were a Conference side and were drawn against the likes of Reading and Cardiff City in the 90's. Those were the days! Us internet warriors flooded the oppositions message boards and mailing lists, telling them how we'd be turning up in our thousands and that they shouldn't under-estimate us and how we were really good 30 years ago; and doubtless we were treated then with the same amused condescension that we are now exhibiting in our turn towards the Oxford fans. The wheel of life really does turn full circle in the end.

In all seriousness it's a nasty draw for us. As we know full well any team flying in the Conference will be a decent side and difficult to beat at the best of times. They'll have home advantage, a large-ish crowd behind them and no pressure, as they will officially be the underdogs. Added to that we don't as yet know if any or all of our loan signings will be allowed to play. Let's be honest, if our loanees are permitted to play then I'll be very confident of going through, even if it takes a replay. Without them, we might just struggle.

Just read: Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. It's the supposedly true story of an Australian bank robber and heroin addict who ends up in India and his life there. I say supposedly because it honestly beggars belief that one man can pack so many experiences into one part of his life and even at 926 pages long there's still another book of memoirs to come next year. It's a wonderful story whatever, well-written and it certainly sounds authentic. Some of the descriptions of life in the Bombay slum have to be read to be believed and at one time it felt like I was reading a fantasy novel, such is the completely alien world the author describes. It is a real world though, and it's right here on this planet right now. As I said above, the book is 926 pages long and in small type at that, so it's not a book to be taken lightly; but I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone. It'll open your eyes.