Having only just survived by the skin of our teeth at the end of last season, I have to confess that I was more than tempted to end my reign of seven years as a season ticket holder at the Albion before the beginning of this season. However, I decided against the idea (of course helped by the fact that once again, I squeezed the money from my old man) and converted from the family stand to the south, in the hope that the glory days from the previous time I sat in the South Stand, which included two title winning seasons and a play off final victory, could be relived.

Unfortunately it felt different this time around, as due to the excitement of the cricket season in which Sussex’s one day side have achieved plenty, and my own personal performances, it was no wonder that I couldn’t get excited about the new season. It was only the Wednesday before the Walsall home game that I really began thinking about it. Nevertheless, by the time Saturday morning had come, I was more than raring to go and already optimistic about the prospects of seeing a new-look Albion side from my new seat.

It was only fitting then, of course, that Albion’s very own player of the season the year before would go and gift Walsall the lead with a bizarre own goal midway through the first half. A pretty disastrous start in any circumstances, and despite a spirited performance in the second half, this was the deciding moment of the match. Weirdly enough though, things like this are exactly what makes football so great and unpredictable, and unlike many others I’ve spoken to, I really didn’t think it was that bad a show from the Albion. In fact, I almost decided to make the trip to Swansea on Tuesday night, having taken comfort from the fact that not only were we only three points off the top of the division, but we could have been thumped 7-1 at the hands of Colchester United, as per Norwich City!

Oh, and I’d also finally like to congratulate the absolute genius at the club who designed the pink and white striped Albion home shirt! Alas, he/she may have had their work cut out, as I fear that despite being designed specifically for females only, more men have gone and brought it! So much so, that the club appears to have been forced to put the men’s sizes in brackets on the Seagull Shop website! In all honesty, I think it’s a superb shirt, and will be going to purchase mine as soon as I have the sufficient funds.