WRETCHED weekend weather meant a “sofa” Saturday. Channel 4 Racing, Final Score and the Calcutta Cup was the chosen viewing.

The spirit and gusto of the victorious England rugby XV must be applauded but I can go no further. Modern rugby is too stop-start for me.

Saturday’s game was frequently halted by penalties, there being 21 in all, and the 11 substitutes made it difficult to follow.

I played truant and did not follow Forest Green Rovers' annual foray into Europe at Wrexham FC.

Foreign commentators speaking in strange tongues and a noisy, partisan crowd opposed to anything English, meant fulfilling a fixture there is a similar experience to that experienced by any home country club visiting the continent.

A draw there was a good result, although not quite so good after rivals Cheltenham Town had gained their 10th away victory at Barrow. Their progress seems unstoppable.

Normally the 19 points out of the last 21 gained by FGR would have taken them well clear at the top but such is Cheltenham’s form that they are still ahead.

Saturday will see me visiting Halifax which offers the chance to talk to Yorkshire cricket fans.

The chance will not be missed. Hopefully the FGR forwards will not miss theirs either.

Surprising news has come from Fairford Cricket Club. Vigorous and promising member Megan Balloch will not be seen much on the field this season. She has been selected as a member of the Welsh U17 soccer squad.

Megan, from Quenington, is only 15 which makes here call-up even more special.

One of the saddest local cricket news items of recent years was the enforced retirement of bowler Ian Saxelby. The story has moved on and Ian has just received his insurance payment for the career-ending injury. It amounts to £60,000.

Having taken a Maths degree while playing, Ian is working in Chepstow for a leading insurance company. He and wife Gemma have moved into a new house and are expecting their first child.

“I am back on my feet again,” says Ian. All of Gloucestershire should wish him well.

Poulton Cricket Club celebrate being 125 years old this year and are holding a Beer Festival from May 28-31.

A very exciting array of events is planned. There is the opportunity to sponsor a barrel, as Penny and I will do. David Dunn has all the details. The spring Bank Holiday in Poulton looks like being an attractive proposition.

It is never too late to add an extra dimension to a sporting life and this I am in the process of doing. Watching professional footballers washing their boots has now been added to my repertoire.

Late on Thursday mornings I join other members of the local media at the informal 'meet the press' sessions when Forest Green players train at the Royal Agricultural University.

At the end of the morning they wash their own boots.

These are modern boots with moulded studs and can be held under a fast flowing tap. They are clean in no time and dry quickly.

I am accompanied by friend and neighbour Reg Hill, who started an interesting working life as a professional footballer with Crystal Palace. As well as cleaning his own boots, Reg had to look after those of John “Budgie” Byrne who played for Palace, subsequently West Ham and, of course, England.

Reg looks on with envy at the ease with which the modern boot is clean.

In his day after cleaning the leather boots, dubbin had to be applied – a very lengthy process.

Ady Pennock allows unlimited media access to the players. There are at least three videoed interviews and radio ones as well. The players speak with one voice, praising the spirit within the club and their determination to take it forward.

While these cheerful exchanges take place manager Ady and his staff collect up kit, goalposts etc. All is thoroughly democratic at the RAU.

Next week brings a return to one of my former haunts, with a dinner in the Lord's committee dining room and a chance to listen to England cricket supremo and former captain Andrew Strauss.

The occasion is a fund-raising dinner held by Gloucester Exiles. Lord's holds many of these events and in my working life my duties included pre-dinner tours of the museum, pavilion and dressing rooms.

At one dinner I had to stand in as speaker because an alcohol-fuelled Scottish international had unsuitable material for a mixed event. There will be no such problem with Andrew Strauss.