WELCOME to the football league sang the Barnet fans at the New Lawn on Saturday and there are certainly lessons to be learned from the opening game.

Messages reaching me in Manchester mentioned an overcautious second half but that is the extent of my criticism as I was not there.

Being a sentimentalist, I would have selected Sam Russell in goal and would have included Rob Sinclair in the mix, but sentiment does not gain you points or promotion as Manager Mark would justifiably say.

I must apologise to Forest Green Rovers fans who have discovered this column on line or in the Wilts & Gloucestershire Standard.

It is not ‘The Green Light’. That column is like the Monty Python parrot the Norwegian Blue. It is deceased. It has ceased to be. What you are reading is my regular Wilts & Gloucestershire Standard column that dates back to the dark days of the David Hockaday regime. Do not worry I am not going away and through the winter I shall be majoring on FGR.

The Wilts & Glos is loyally obtaining League Two accreditation. See you all soon, we must keep the banter going! This column will appear in the paper and on various websites, but the best way to find it is to buy the paper!

Fortunately, coach Richard Dawson ignored my advice on selection of our T20 side and stuck with his favoured side.

Two consecutive games have been won. A full house at Bristol saw Somerset firmly put in their place. The bowling unit did its job perfectly and the upper order batting fired on all cylinders.

Gloucestershire played to their potential and if they do that anything is possible. One more game is left at Bristol (2.3 v Northampton).

Mrs Light and I are heading there. She gets excited on such occasions so if you want to watch in peace give us a wide berth.

We beat the Glamorgan Masquerade’s by five runs, by the DL method. Sri-Lankan Thisera Perera has now settled in and is proving a true match winner.

At Cardiff, his yorking of Glamorgan Captain Jacques Rudolf (a South African of course) ensured victory.

When matches are rain affected the Duckworth/Lewis method comes in to play as Gloucestershire followers know well. It has brought us some unfortunate defeats. It was a joy being on the right-side Friday evening.

Mention of the D/L method reminds me of three definitions of hell. The first is losing a game by this method, the second disco dancing and the third out-door swimming pools.

Wiser and braver people than me will disagree, but I have awful memories of early experiences at first Filkins and then Cirencester.

In last week’s column I was rather harsh on old school friend Tony Clack who I harshly described as unsporting.

Tony was quick to point out that when in the RAF he swam for his regiment with some success, attributing his powers to spending so much time in the Cirencester Baths.

At school Tony earned the admiration of all of us by jumping out of the window of a wooden corridor classroom and landing on the Head Boy. He suffered the inevitable detention.

This weekend I have been in Manchester. What a wonderful city it is. The exciting media city is mind blowing as is the clean, efficient tram system.

People readily gave up their seats to Mrs Light and I. This was quite wonderful, but at the same time rather worrying. Do we look that old? There was also a lively Jazz Festival.

For all the efficiency of Old Trafford, Cheltenham remains my favourite place to watch cricket.

Next week I shall be pushed for space.

The T20 blast is coming to conclusion and there are two FGR matches to comment on.

I hope to see M K Jons at the New Lawn and be on the coach to Mansfield. Success may be had to come by and my advice to all of you must be, be patient. All will come right in the end.

We have the team, and are learning to be a valuable twelfth man. Wait until October and see how we are faring. That will be the time for judgements.