Never mind how many sleeps 'til Christmas - there are seven Saturdays 'til our season's greetings...

Whether Crawley Town fans can watch it, either at the People’s Pension Stadium or at another in a probably far-distant town remains uncertain. The important thing, though, would be that the Reds were playing again.

Saturday September 12 is a very late start for our winter game especially as we have not been able to complete the suspended season like clubs in the Premier League and the Championship. That could certainly mean that anticipated strengths and weaknesses among our rivals may not materialise and form could appear to be more like a lottery. As with everything else we shall have to suck it and see.

Reds fans have no reason to be apprehensive. The mood of quiet optimism at the club in recent weeks has been encouraging.

Club chairman Erdem Konyar spoke of the opportunities to progress rather than indulging in wild promises and guarantees of a golden future. Manager John Yems is backing his judgment and signing the players he thinks can enhance a successful campaign.

The latest arrival is 20-year-old winger Zaid Al-Hussaini from Derby County. His three-year contract is evidence that he is viewed as being capable of playing a full role at a club that can make real progress. Additional signings are in the pipeline but the difference this year is that there has not been a wholesale clearout of players meaning that team selection will not become a matter of trial and error.

The season elsewhere is approaching its climax. Relegation to the Championship has been settled with Watford and Bournemouth dropping down and the final promotion spot from the Championship via the play-offs is close. Some bizarre results have occurred with perhaps the most bemusing being Brentford pressing the self-destruct button in their final two games.

Prospects of shorter journeys to Crawley’s away fixtures have been dashed as both Boreham Wood and Barnet failed in their efforts to reach the National League play-off final.

Our near neighbours Dorking Wanderers also missed out on promotion to the National League after their defeat at Weymouth. It is hard to believe that in 2000 they left the Crawley & District League switching to the West Sussex League which provided more local fixtures.

That club’s progress through the ranks of junior, intermediate and senior non-league football has been sensational and achieved over a smaller time frame than our own.

It shows just how much can be achieved in football if you are able to find the right balance between nurturing the talent at the level in which you play and prudent club management that can build on success on the field of play. We need not rush towards our target. We will get there.