This is happening quite a bit now with some of the bigger clubs if they draw lower league opposition opting to change elsewhere and travel dressed on the coach and then board it straight away and go off and shower back were they stripped off.

In fact Sky Sports cricket commentator David `Bumble' Lloyd, a lifelong Stanley supporter, had a right old go at the boys from Craven Cottage in his Daily Mail column on Monday.

I liked the bit where Bumble said they missed his favourite after match food of Clayton Park potato pie with a cracking crust and red cabbage plus pickles. In fact he said the Clayton Park pies had taken over at the ground from the famous Holland's Pies which seem to have been around the scene for life time in bakeries and fish and chip shops.

It seems a pity that for just one day these clubs cannot muck in with the locals and also give the opposition fans a chance to mix with them.

QUITE an eventful past few days and also an interesting month in my life.

My club chairman at Doncaster Rovers, John Ryan has just had a month at sea in the southern Atlantic to celebrate being 60 this year and I have found myself having discussions and taking dictation from all sorts of places.

I never thought I would here someone say I am in Port Stanley on the Falkland Islands or I am just sailing round Cape Horn. Never thought when I made a call I would land him on Copacabana beach in Brazil or I am on a coach heading into Rio? It makes life interesting in what is a grey old month and at a time when the media are saying it is the most depressing month on the old calendar.

Last Saturday I made my second visit of the season to Pride Park and who should be sat on my table in the guest lounge/restaurant but Stoke City manager Tony Pulis, Bristol City manager Gary Johnson, QPR's new manager – they have one almost every six weeks – Mick Harford and his assistant, Barnsley's ex-Rotherham manager and Man U player Mark Robins, and the former Derby County manager Frank Barlow joined us.

What a pleasant bunch they were and we had a good chat, especially with Gary Johnson.

I thought after Stoke City's 3-1 FA Cup tie home win over Arsenal that I had brought the Welshman some luck but then when I saw Tuesday evening's results and City had been beaten 6-0 at home by Cardiff City and then QPR had been hammered 5-0 by Nottingham Forest I wondered what these decent chaps must be thinking as I keyed in this column.

I think the real reason for the big turnout, and there were other club representatives there, was that County had put all their players up for sale the day before. Although Gary had told us he had come to watch his son Lee who is on loan from Ashton Gate at County.

I LEARNED something the other day I didn't know, heart pacemakers are replaced.

Avid Echo Sport reader and my friend in West Vale, Maurice Oldroyd, former CEO of BARLA-the British Amateur Rugby League Association who will be 75 this year, has just had his replaced after 10 years on controlling his ticker.

"All the fund and games was being done in the snowy weather and you know what my steep drive is like off Saddleworth Road," said Maurice.

"I got down and off to hospital for the replacement with Elland Taxis who I have used a lot in the bad weather but my district nurse took a right old tumble going down the drive from one of my house visits," he said. "I felt so useless as I watched her pick herself up and then tread carefully to the road to be reunited with her car.

"MOT done, I feel fine again to attend my House of Parliament meetings, RFL meetings and matches and is good to know the British Health system does care and look after you to the best of its ability."