While I would like to have a football pitch like a cricket lawn I know I will not get it.

The first day of the football season has to be the best day of the year. The sun is normally out and the league committee look ten years younger.

For the first ten minutes of the season everyone is at the top of the table and even last season’s worst player seems to play like Messi.

Now, for a number of years we have had some concerns as to the standard of the pitches down at Pleasington.

My personal opinion is that the pitches aren’t too bad. Yes, last year some of them were unplayable but my view is based on the standard of some of the other pitches I go to in the region.

I have, in the past year, been as far afield as Manchester and Liverpool to cover some games and I must admit we actually don’t have it that bad.

When I was in a Greater Manchester town last year you had to go through a small forest to get to the pitch and there wasn’t a blade of grass to be seen. This in October!

Another set of pitches had a small stream running them – those that couldn’t swim didn’t play very well.

And, in another area, the pitches were built on the side of a hill. Or something that used to be hill – not sure what it is now!

Also, for people my age we look back at other pitches we played upon in years gone by. At the end of some games you couldn’t tell which team was wearing which kit.

Football was best played in the air and your best chance of scoring a goal was from corners or free-kicks.

I would be the first to admit there is room for improvement on some pitches.

You have to realise it is not easy raising money to play in a bonafide league any more – that is why I sense some leagues are struggling to stay afloat.