Christmas has come earlier than usual in the Lowe household. Thanks to our non-involvement in the FA Cup this weekend there was plenty of time on Saturday to trim up.

Despite not having a lucrative tie in the cup it was a good week for the Reds as we have, at long last, secured a new ground sponsor.

Colane Tropical Mineral Water UK has signed up to have their name associated with Stanley’s ground and for just a brief moment I thought we might have been playing in the Tropical Accrington Stadium!

Joking apart, this is another step in the right direction for the club and the much-needed revenue will help to keep the wolves from the door.

On Saturday we make our first trip to AFC Wimbledon I was very happy to see them gain promotion to the league and I hope they do well.

We have had our fair share of ups and downs as Stanley fans but not much can compare to having your club and all its history sold down the river.

The way in which the Wimbledon fans have taken charge of their own future is to be admired; I have heard some Rovers fans saying that this is the model they would like to adopt.

The high level of fan involvement at Stanley was once again mentioned this week with Ilyas Khan wanting a fan to be on the Stanley board.

I hope whoever is lucky enough to secure that position is strong enough to silence the mockers and strengthen the links between all fans and the club.