AS you read this, I'll be ready for our nice little trip to Whitby Town on Boxing Day. My wife thinks that we are mad for going all that way for a football match and I have to say that I agree.

According to the UniBond League, it is the Football Association who have compiled the fixtures this season, I just wish I could meet the person down in London who thinks Whitby is a holiday resort in Lancashire. But at least Stanley's away fixture at Gateshead has been brought forward from Wednesday March 5 to Saturday January 11. The wife will be glad!

As most of you will already know, Southport will be our opponents in the Lancashire FA Marsden Challenge Trophy after beating Great Harwood 4-0 at Haig Avenue. Harwood played very well and the score does not do the team justice. I am looking forward to the game at Stanley as Southport are one of the top sides in the Conference and it will be a good test of how far we have come. Southport are managed by Phil Wilson, who took Stalybridge Celtic up to the Conference from the UniBond League a couple of years ago.

Stalybridge are on a great run at the moment, having won their last five matches. David Miller, the manager, must be very happy.

I see that Sepp Blatter is at it again at FIFA. Now he is saying that referees are always right and can't be proved wrong even with video replays. It makes me wonder how we gave one person the right to run football, and it would not surprise me if he comes up with something that the FA will have to put into practice, forcing the Merry Whistleblower to make decisions which are not always good for the game.

Blood is thicker than water as Blyth Spartans recently found out, after dismissing their manager John Charlton they had to look for a new president as John's father Jack Charlton, brother of Bobby, has just resigned from the post.

Bacup Borough played Norton at the Crown Ground last Tuesday and easily came out 4-2 winners. They will also play at our ground on Boxing Day, when they entertain Blackpool Mechanics.

Merry Christmas to all the non-League teams and also to the Merry Whistleblower!

Only 19 games left!

In Eric's column last week, a subbing error meant that a paragraph about Padiham FC was missed out.

Eric would like to make it clear that he was wishing Padiham good luck for the season and hoping their floodlight installation - which will mean they can go up if they finish in the top two - goes ahead as planned.

He did not mean to wish Great Harwood the same thing - they already have floodlights.