Finally there's light at the end of the tunnel. Another massive week for the club has seen us climb out of the relegation zone for the first time in ages.

Saturday we entertained the wounded but nonetheless dangerous Lions in a vital fixture and we came out victorious thanks to an opportunist strike from our new recruit Tony Rougier.

It was a game of few chances and lacked the quality of other encounters but, considering the importance, that is excusable.

Both teams came to win the game but it was the Albion who looked the more dangerous, with Graham Barratt having his best game for a long time. And that is testament to his character.

He's come from a big club carrying a good reputation but recently he has had to find himself again, which takes more than ability alone. But even though he has been through a mini-crisis, he has finally come through it.

Now let's not get carried away, as we certainly aren't. It's just we've given ourselves a great opportunity to achieve our goal. The past few months we have improved steadily and now we are reaping the benefits and, with successive away games coming up, we will need this momentum to carry us through.

Firstly, we start with a game at Gillingham and I know you'll have mixed feelings about the return.

But, whatever happens during the game, just realise how far we've come as a club as, the last time you travelled to the Priestfield stadium, the Albion were a Third Division club fighting for its life.

Now we're a club back home with the right people in the right places and fighting to have another shot at the Premier League next season.

Wednesday sees us travel to Stoke for an encounter of monumental importance but one which we are desperately looking forward to. And one that, hopefully, will see us gain an increased advantage over our rivals.

Well, it's been a full week of training and very entertaining with it. Firstly, Geoff 'The Serial Liar' Pitcher came in with what he called his new gold tooth. However, on closer inspection, the bright orange molar has an uncanny resemblance to a cheaper metal. Thus, he has been dubbed 'the copper-toothed penguin'. But Geoff is adamant that its authenticity is 24-carat or is that 24 carrots?

Tuesday saw Blunkett (Dean White) put on a coaching session culminating in a very physical game in which John Piercy did a Chuck Norris and went missing in action or, to give it its technical name, 'John got elabbed'. Meaning, one of the more physical youth team players Adam El-Abd, who is renowned for such challenges, caught him with a 1970s' lunge that saw John motionless screaming 'owwww' like an extra from Platoon.

The Technique Brothers are now seeking revenge on the smooth criminal and can be heard muttering 'Get Dave on' and 'Yee hee' for no apparent reason. El-Abd was interviewed for the assault and was quoted as saying: "I'm a lover not a fighter".

Also we had our usual five-a-side game last Friday with the Gaffer picking two captains then posing them a question to determine who got first pick. It can be any question but this time it was a mathematical teaser of "What is six times nine?"

And the two captains involved weren't too forthcoming with the answer. There were a few shouts in the 70's and a couple in the 50's before one asked to phone a friend. And it's fair to say that the five-a-side took less time than the quiz.

Saturday March 1