Bolton Wanderers were only one point ahead of Crawley Town at this stage last season and look what they achieved - Steve Leake

Sorry, what is that you are telling me? The game is off? What possible reason could there be for calling it off? B***er Covid, b***t Omicron. I had just managed to work out how to get my Covid pass as a shortcut on my phone, and now I will not be able to show the stewards how tech savvy I have become until December 29 at the earliest.

On the bright side, it does give our injured players a chance to further recuperate and get fit I suppose. I was initially disappointed that we had dropped out of the Sussex Senior Cup because of the priority of keeping players fit for the league, but I know that this decision would not have been made lightly and will hopefully pay dividends in a continued upturn in our league form.

We stand on 25 points now from 20 games, the sort of form that would see us probably stay in the Football League for a 12 season.

However, I know, and hopefully you do too, we are capable of so much more.

That was shown last Saturday when we limited one of the favourites for promotion to a fluke own goal and scored our two through good passing football culminating in clinical finishes.

I thought I would look back to years gone by to see how we had fared on Saturday December 18 but have only been able to discover two results. In the 2010-11 promotion winning season we did not play that day, because of inclement weather I believe, but we were in the middle of an incredible undefeated streak in the league, which started after our three two home defeat against Newport County in October, and lasted right through until the end of the season.

If we were to repeat that sort of form this year, we would finish on just below ninety (90) points. I know!!!! I am a red lens-tinted optimist, but funnier and stranger things have happened in the past. You only have to look back at last year. Bolton Wanderers, after 20 games had just one more point than we have now. They finished the season on 79 points and won promotion to League 1.

Further research into results on December 18 has flagged up a 1993 1-0 win away at Cambridge City in front of 315 fans, thanks to a goal from Robbie Carroll, and an ignominious 6-0 loss away to Croydon in the FA Trophy of 1982.

Thankfully only 375 paid for that game, with the Red Devils probably numbering less than 100. Younger supporters will probably be thinking, Cambridge City? Croydon? Who are they? Exactly, comes my answer. We really should be thankful for where we have come from and grateful for where we currently are. The away support at Orient last week would have doubled both those attendances.

So, 16th going into the weekend and, because of Omicron from the land of Covidia, it looks like the worst we can drop to is 18th.

Salford play Stevenage whilst Rochdale play Newport in the matches that could affect our position. I never thought I would say this, but “Come on Stevenage and Newport”

Saturday Morning

What to do while I wait for my daughter to take me Christmas shopping? I know, I will cheer myself up by watching England put the Aussies into their place in the Ashes. Moving on from that idea, game of patience anyone?

Saturday Evening

Are you a glass half full or empty sort of person?

The EFL League 2 results from today can be looked at either positively or negatively.

Yes, Salford City and Rochdale have both won dropping us into eighteenth place, just nine points clear of the relegation places, but Stevenage have lost, are six points behind us and we have a game in hand over them.

Using extremely red tinted glasses, Harrogate, Orient and Newport all lost and, in the case of the Yorkshire and London sides, are now catchable. The Welsh side however would be three points ahead of us provided, of course, that we win our games in hand.

I can dream, can’t I?

Happy Christmas and a healthy New Year.

Steve ‘red4ever’ Leake