So the New Year arrived but sadly on the pitch there was nothing new to warrant a champagne cork popping fanfare. After the dogged spirit we showed on Boxing Day, one or two of us even thought we could go one step further and grapple the three points from the visit of Creepy. In subsequent reports Garry called us "lethargic" and to be frank, that was quite a polite way of putting things. I can honestly say only one display ever disappointed me more in recent years, and that was a 5-0 drubbing at St Albans. Keep that game in mind, it pops up again later.....

Now we all hear the word forum bandied about, and to most of us it means a situation or meeting in which people can talk about a problem or matter especially of public interest, although some may recall a Penthouse publication of A5 size that carried Forum as its name. At least that is what someone told me once! Since the conception of the world wide inter-web contraption, the idea of discussions has taken a whole new meaning and you can find message boards and forums on just about every subject - and the beautiful game is no exception. Virtually every club has its own outlet and some more than others. The level of content also varies and the BSP has its own, and trust me, that one is not for the fainthearted.

Boro has one main discussion site, and as it is titled as unofficial, it is open to lively debates over the team, the management and the expectations of the fans. It's usually a happy place to be but in recent days there has been a swing from the norm and some damning condemnation has reared it head. Passions are running high and the frustration at our on pitch results is understandable. With no win in four months in the league our very place in BSP is beginning to look under threat. Uncharted waters for the club? Well, put quite simply, no! We all knew that second season syndrome was a worry but let's cast the mind back to that second season in Blue Square south shall we? After a wonderful debut season culminating with a visit to the Britannia Stadium, we scrapped, scraped and clung to our league status by our fingertips... Yes, this was the season that St Albans put the five past us!

My memory tells me the Garry and Nick partnership was questioned way back them and Sir Len kept the faith. Four years on and the monster has come full circle. There have been observations from all quarters and of course, we fans all hold coaching and management qualifications and credentials, don't we? No? My mistake then. From reading some of the online debates I was under the impression that Boro were fortunate in having in excess of 200 qualified personnel that have all run football clubs in the past! Ok, that is a very tongue in cheek swipe on my part but it does show the passion that runs through the fans heart when they see their beloved club suffering.

For over ten years the Wilson/Greenwood pairing has taken little Langney Sports to a place that most would have believed impossible. With funding that is probably one of the lowest in this league, a part time squad is all we can afford to have at this moment in time and the full-timers will always be at an advantage. It is also an accepted fact that Eastbourne Borough are a financially well organised outfit and don't do things they cannot afford. It's part and parcel of the Boro ethos.

It is too easy to shout "throw some cash at the problems" and from the top tier of football down the ranks to the lower non league, there are clubs that are presently at the mercy of the financial world. Who would seriously have thought that Portsmouth were on the brink of a winding up order and unable to pay their players? My beloved Palace are in the same boat. Notts County are there as well. Closer to home we have Chester, Salisbury, and even Luton Town having to find £500,000 to finally lay the ghost of previous owners to rest. Lewes are still not out the woods either. Thankfully, I think it is situation that Eastbourne Borough FC will never find themselves in.

As to the future and the rest of this season? Survival is the paramount goal and I have the confidence in the management to pull it off. The guys in the red and black on the pitch need our support and encouragement. No-one likes to see them suffering defeat after defeat, or more recently draw after draw, but baying for blood from the sidelines isn't the cure! It's an old adage that "you pays your money" but it also baffles me why anyone would fork out hard earned cash and then simply hurl abuse at the players he claims to support! Am I sitting on the fence with my personal views? I do have ideas and theories but as I mentioned earlier we are all football managers at heart but only the chosen few can do the job for real. I watch most games, I kick every ball in my mind, I debate the teams news in my head but that is far as my career as a soccer coach goes. I certainly won't make them public for two reasons. Firstly, I couldn't take the ridicule and secondly, I don't want Garry's job!!!

We can take a welcome break from the battle at the foot of the table this weekend and visit the university city of Cambridge for an FA Trophy second round tie. Will we buck the trend and bring back the treasure chest of booty that goes with each successful round. Will the Amber and Blacks prove too strong, or will the bloody snow win the day. The next few days will provide some of the answers to questions above, and the next few months to the others.

I still have the faith.....