I can tell you that it is not for the want of trying on the club's behalf.

In fact, as I understand the situation, Town have not been allowed to play this week and the reason is, quite frankly, bizarre.

Not a single game is being played in the Blue Square Premier this week because England C are in action - the league has an agreement with the Football Association in these matters.

Paul Fairclough's former England semi-pro outfit is playing Wales in a European Challenge Trophy Group A match at Exeter City's St James's Park ground tomorrow evening.

Now I admit that if my club had a player in the squad, I would not want to be playing without him.

But Town do not - and nor do Nuneaton Borough - so why could the Setanta Shield game not have been played tonight?

It would not, I suggest, deflect any of the glory from the national side.

This ruling does not affect the Conference North or South with games scheduled for tonight at Vauxhall Motors, Workington, Eastbourne and St Albans.

Nor does it impact upon the Football League where there are a number of games taking place this evening.

And it must be a recent 'innovation' as I remember Adam Quinn being pulled out of an England squad because the game clashed with an LDV Vans Trophy game between Town and Scarborough (remember them?) on the east coast.

Halifax still have a trip to Forest Green to rearrange and a county cup semi-final to fit in somewhere.

If they are forced to play three games a week at some stage before the end of the season, officials at the Football Association and Conference will have some explaining to do.

SOMETHING quite shocking happened at the Shay last Tuesday before Town's game against York City - a match official made a sensible decision.

As ever, there was a deal of concern about the penalty area in front of the South Stand prior to kick off - an area of the pitch that remained covered until 15 minutes before kick off.

An area that has seen no direct sunlight since 1992 was, in fact, almost as hard as the car park behind the stand.

So the referee decided that he would hold the toss in the tunnel.

That allowed the goalkeepers to choose the appropriate footwear with Halifax stopper Adam Legzdins wearing rubbers in the first half and studs after the break.

If only all officials showed that degree of sensibility the game as a whole would be a lot better.

YOU may not have noticed, but England have retained the Ashes.

The reason there will be no open top bus ride through London is that it is the women who have beaten the Aussies in their own back yard.

But they deserve all the credit they get after a superb six-wicket win.