So we returned to BSP action after what seemed forever and an age. The supporters club coach was full and several cars also made the way to Nailsworth, home of Forest Green Rovers. As we approached it all seemed very flat and empty countryside. All this changed as we dropped down a winding road into a beautiful village, crossing the cattle grids on our way. The sat nav guided us up the other side and there before us was The New Lawn, FGR stadium. An impressive structure from the clubhouse side.

Having got a dry parking space among the puddles, the open doors of the bar were just too inviting to ignore and the first round hardly touched the side. I like this not driving a coach lark! Meal of the day was bangers and mash in onion gravy, and it certainly made a change to some of the burger offerings we have suffered so far on the road. In fact by the time the fans' coach arrived, they had almost sold out!

The home fans were a very welcoming bunch and we mingled amongst them prior to kick off. This is a part of our league that I really enjoy. It's nice to be able to drink with the opposition with no fear of safety. At 2.45pm we ventured to the turnstile to hand over our £15 quid!(not too bad though as we were under cover and had seats) The stewarding was first class, and a friendly policeman took a nice group photo of a few of us. Policeman eh? We've not seen one of those at the Lane lately. Another sign of how well our club is thought of.

The game itself was nothing to write home about, with FGR fighting for points and ourselves wanting to cement a mid-table place. At the end of the 90, we were jubilant to be taking all three points back south. You could see what the win meant to the management, players and the fans alike. We stood and applauded for a good five minutes or so with the squad coming over to say thanks as they made their way back down the tunnel.

Now once a season, our club's hierarchy are foolish enough to open themselves up to a "Fans Question Evening". Colin Hutchinson was the master of ceremony for the evening and was a true pro at his first fans event (I wonder how many similar evenings he hosted at Stamford Bridge?). It was open house, and Len, Garry and Nick were happy to field questions on every aspect of our club. I think that everyone that attended, and it was the biggest gathering I have seen at a forum, were impressed with the answers we received.

In difficult times we are still on a good financial footing, with the committee only allowing works to be done that we have the funding for. Priorities are discussed and the club is still moving forward in a positive manner. New players will only be brought in if they are considered better than what we have. No knee jerk reaction signings. The fact that the CIC is getting off the ground is also encouraging and that we fans can feel a real sense of belonging to the Borough set up.

The chit chat after the meeting dispersed confirmed to me that we are a very well run club, and we owe a huge debt to the Committee and all behind the scenes that Eastbourne Borough FC is a stable club. I am sure many of our league counterparts would swap places with us in a shot!

This Saturday sees former "big" club York visit us, subject to the rain stopping and pitch being ok. Only three seasons ago we would have considered this a "Cup Final". Now it's just another team to try and outwit. Oh how far we have come.