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I had a shocking weekend. The show went well and all the family are fine. But it was bordering on cataclysmic as far as my fantasy football fortunes were concerned.

I promised myself this year that I was going to give it the required amount of attention. In the past, I've spent months with injured players or centre-halves who have long since left the country still in my side. Yet despite my change of attitude, I made the usual mistake last week of completely forgetting to make any alterations until the last minute.

I had finished rehearsing for Football Focus by 1120 BST and was chatting to the editor about how well Wayne Rooney was playing. He said he was tempted to stick the striker in his side even though The conversation reminded me that I needed to make adjustments to my already ailing team, so I logged on with minutes to spare before the 1130 BST deadline.

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My first full-time job as a sports reporter was for a local radio station in Manchester. One of my tasks was to take in interviews 鈥� the then manager of Manchester City - and edit them for our Saturday show. They were always entertaining.

I remember him having an argument with a collection of journalists over the quality of a striker called Robert Taylor. Taylor had scored against City in the for Gillingham and was snapped up by Royle about six months later.

One of the assembled voices had referred to Taylor as a 鈥減ub player鈥� in his commentary and Royle was not a happy bunny. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to realise that I have to work within a budget!鈥� he said. 鈥淲ho do you expect me to bring in... Ronaldo?鈥�

I was reminded of that story when City splashed another bucketload of cash this week. that the future looks bright in laser blue.

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Some football stadiums are a little ugly. Some are strangely positioned and architecturally awkward. Then there is Brighton's new ground.

As you drive over the brow of the hill from Lewes (I think I my geography is correct) you see the brilliant white roof meshing rising above the wheat fields.

I've been to many grounds on the opening day of the season but there was a real buzz at the Amex last Saturday - a buzz that only comes from years of frustration at not having a place to call home.

As I mentioned on 大象传媒1's when talking to Brighton's chairman Tony Bloom - it was almost like a Jane Fonda video outside the ground with all the whoopping and hollering going on.

I should also say thank you to the eight million people who have mentioned the difference in height between Mr Bloom and I.

It wasn't quite Gandalf and Bilbo as one person claimed, but I admit there was an alarming height difference.

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This is a very strange situation. I'm currently sitting in a snazzy gaff in waiting for Pele and Eric Cantona. Not a bad way to kick off the new season!

Summer always drags a little with no major football tournament.

Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke and England's cricketers have all done their bit to keep us smiling but it's nice to finally think about that bit of pig skin preparing to nestle in the onion bag (first cliche of the season).

This weekend is a special one for all Football League fans, where the Championship and other lower leagues rightly take centre stage. We're in the thick of it right from the start, presenting our first live Football Focus show of the season from the Amex Stadium in on 大象传媒1 at 12.15pm on Saturday.

It's a great story to cover and we've got the blue-and-white big guns with us to reflect on an emotional day for all Seagulls fans.

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