Well, back with a bang or what? Eight goals, a sending off and a missed pen, this will bring the crowds back; but not yet by the looks of things on Saturday. No football for more than a month, the big boys down at Portsmouth, surely this should have been an opportunity to fill the ground with fans old and new. But how many turned up? Official figure said 58 I heard, but that must have included Winston the dog, and most of them were in the bar, sorry, clubhouse, for most of the afternoon. I bow to no one in my appreciation of the hidden delights of Ryhope, but surely a dozen or so can be tempted out of the Guide Post to watch a winning team? Maybe not, maybe not...
No wonder there is talk of relocating to pastures new if the Council don't start replying to correspondence about the ground, and the need to rebuild the changing rooms. I don't want to worry anyone, but I understand that a rumour is going round that there has been quite a good offer from Berwick upon Tweed. Seems a few of the semi-Scottish inhabitants have got it into their heads that the Northern League might just be on par, or possibly even better than the Scottish Third Division, and they have also realised that it doesn't involve going to Peterhead or Elgin on a regular basis. Seems the Highlands have a lot going for them, but the Quayside still gets its head in front when it comes to a good night out. So, Berwick RCA? It has a bit of a ring to it, don't you think?
I don't think we need to worry about train timetables just yet, although if we do, Will is the man to ask, if he can find his way to Whitehaven he can find his way to Berwick. No doubt it's one of those football rumours that multiply during the transfer window, and which have as much substance as the one from the taxi driver who claims he picked Lionel Messi up from Newcastle Airport the other day, and young Lionel wanted to be taken to the SOL, but only for half an hour, cos he had an appointment with a young lady in the Spider...