I TRAVEL badly. Suburban Surrey with its fake Tudor architecture, manicured gardens, trim unused tennis courts and three-car garages is far from my idea of England.

How can there be a football club here? The question becomes even harder when the rust and dust of the Woking press box is encountered.

Fortunately, I had warned Mrs Light and was not smartly dressed. (Are you ever? Ed.) All five of the travelling FGR press corps were warmly welcomed by the home journalists, less so by the club. We had just two team sheets between us and no programmes.

Our news that James Norwood had not travelled was met with incredulity and joy. 'He is the one we can never contain', 'Even on the bench he is frightening', were a couple of responses from the Surrey sages.

As so often lately Rovers started slowly, but this time they did not quicken up. Woking looked the more hungry side throughout with FGR being strangely subdued. The midfield missed the determined presence of Sinclair and the service to the forwards was limited.

The prolific Jon Parkin huffed and puffed throughout to no avail and wide men Frear and Guthrie were too easily subdued by the excellent Woking defence.

The defining moment of the game was a penalty. It was a penalty because the ref gave it, but he was one of the few people who knew why. Clough’s penalty area challenge was no more than clumsy. Goalkeeper Arnold, as he usually does, dived early and to his left. Penalty taker Rendell had done his homework and bided his time before rolling the ball into the unguarded net.

Rovers never recovered and substitutions could not revive them. James Marwood’s day at Forest Green will surely come and Saturday would have been the occasion for a decisive dawn chorus, but there was barely a tweet. Like everyone else he found the Woking defence impervious.

One defeat since Christmas shows FGR to be on the right road, but it must be admitted by all concerned that Saturday's was a poor, if isolated display.

The upcoming visit to Lincoln will be difficult. They have a fine home record. Presumptuously, I offer some selection advice. Please involve James Norwood, he is a game changer; to omit him and include Fleetwood and Marwood would be wrong. Do that and start brightly – then anything can happen.

With Cirencester Town being seven matches from making history, their Saturday defeat to Slough was a shaker. It is a tough time for us soccer fans. I am avoiding mention of Cheltenham Town, not wanting to intrude on private grief. In any case their problems are self inflicted.

There is good cricket news to impart. Playing friendly matches before the clocks go forward our county team has shown fine form. A Hamish Marshall century and a fine all-round performance by James Fuller allowed Gloucestershire to dominate the two-day friendly against Glamorgan and next day a fine team performance brought victory in the 50-over match.

The whole ground looked splendid and good news – there are more parking spaces.

Good news also for Fairford C.C. Their Clubmark award has been extended – just reward for the good work going on there.

There is good news for cricket in the North Cotswolds. The MCC have decided to support the grassroots game and the Cotswold School at Bourton-on-the-Water are becoming a ‘Hub’ School. I will have more news about this next week as I am joining my former colleague Mike Gatting at the opening ceremony. Mike and I used to conduct tours of Lord's.

The dodgy football results at the weekend have caused too much weeping and wailing. A sense of perspective is needed. A few days ago Penny and I attended a charming diamond wedding party. David and Madge Smeeton had reached this notable milestone.

More than 50 years ago David was a serving police officer in this town. He was a sent to a ‘domestic incident’ in Down Ampney. He opened the door to be confronted by an armed man who had already shot two people. They were dead in the house.

What happened next earned David the George Medal.

Sport is thrilling and can be joyous but it does not really matter. What does is that we have, serving us, people like David Smeeton, prepared to do their duty whatever the cost.