......and is as ever was.  Well, here we go again for the Premier League resumed hostilities this weekend after a few short weeks of relative calm.  Somehow football doesn`t seem quite `right` with no fans in the grounds and somehow the excitement has been diminished.   Which is just as well really, as my beloved Saints lost 1-0 away at Crystal Palace yesterday.  They played OK - nothing special - but for all that, Palace had their goalkeeper to thank for keeping out two late chances to deny the Saints anything from the game.

It`s almost as if it is written that Southampton are destined to lose the first game of every new season - I think it`s something like 26 seasons now since they won the season opener.   I feel too for my Gillingham supporting neighbour as his team suffered a similar fate losing 2-0 at home to Hull City.

With Truro City not starting their league campaign until next weekend and Fort William currently off the Highland League radar, it was left to Forest Green Rovers to regain some pride among the teams I follow.   They travelled to Bolton Wanderers and came away with an impressive 1-0 win against the former Premier League and Cup winning club to begin their League Two campaign in fine style.   It was thanks in part to our street`s local hero Scott (`Make mine a Vegan`) Wagstaff who came on in the 82nd minute to use his vast experience and guide his new team mates through the closing stages of the game to ensure victory.   Not all bad then, but for me and my long suffering neighbour, things can only get better.  Well, they can can`t they?