One of the joys of following football teams that aren`t too good is that it makes you realise that the club that means so much to you may not be so bad after all.   Yesterday Southampton didn`t have a game, rather they were wallowing in the relief of the so called `mid winter break` following their narrow defeat on Tuesday evening in the FA Cup replay at Tottenham.   That`s two games now when the Saints have performed very well but come away with nothing to show for their efforts.

So, yesterday my football mind was fixed on other things - Gillingham managing yet another goalless, if not soulless draw away at Burton Albion;  Maidstone hung on to secure a narrow 1-0 win over Braintree (I`ve always wondered why Braintree is called Braintree - is there a magic tree there somewhere?);  Wimbledon contrived to lose at home to Fleetwood but were denied the inspiration of our street`s local hero Scott ("Six pack") Wagstaff due to an injury picked up in training;  Truro City also lost, meaning that the scramble for promotion at the top of Southern League South is becoming a bit serious.

But what is even more serious are the goings on at Fort William in the Scottish Highland League.  For some years now, The Fort have been pretty hopeless in terms of results on the pitch but in the process have garnered a large world-wide following of those like me who revel in and identify with the world of the underdog.  But something strange is happening up there in the lee of Ben Nevis.   After a win and a draw already this season, yesterday they went to Turriff in Aberdeenshire and won again, this time 2-1 against Turriff United.  That, combined with Lossiemouth losing at Deveronvale meant that Fort William now have seven points and have risen to third from bottom of the Highland League with seven games in hand (due to postponed matches) on the teams above them.

At this rate they might well end the season with a double figure points tally and for the first time in living memory finish above the bottom of the table.   For romantics like me, it is hoped that they might soon remember their place and get back losing ways......