A quiet(ish) weekend on the football front.  It began with the announcement by Gareth Southgate that neither Danny Ings nor James Ward-Prowse would feature in England`s game against Belgium, which came as a relief for us Saints fans who are fed up with our players getting kicked up in the air and/or tapped up by players from other clubs whilst on international duty. There were seven or eight of our other players playing for their native countries in places like Denmark, Ireland, Poland - even Mali! - so we hope they are all able to return safely from their travels.

Naturally enough, my attention turned elsewhere this weekend and I am more than happy to report that Gillingham were again worthy winners in a 3-1 victory over Oxford United which saw them climb to the dizzy heights of fourth in League One.  No wonder my neighbour is  over the moon.

Forest Green Rovers made the long journey from their Gloucestershire idyll to Scunthorpe and secured a 4-1 win which also propelled them to the higher reaches of League Two.  They were helped by our street`s local hero Scott ("No bacon") Wagstaff playing the whole game, thus bringing his experience to bear in a performance recognised as "excellent" by manager Mark Cooper.

It got even better with Truro City climbing to second in their league following a 2-0 win over Yate Town and Maidstone United managing a 2-2 draw against Havant and Waterlooville.  Sadly still no sign of the Highland League in Scotland springing into action, but Fort William stand ready once hostilities recommence, if ever.

So, no sign of parrot sickness this weekend, which is nice, but likely to re-emerge as Saints go to Chelsea next up.  But I`ll enjoy the peace and the absence of any mental health issues while it lasts.