Balague: A wonderful week for Biggleswade United

Let’s start with our win against Oxhey Jets on Tuesday night which lifted us up into fourth place in the table, our highest ever position highest ever since I joined this wonderful club.

Unfortunately Champions League work commitments meant I wasn’t able to be there but coach Cristian tells me that with certain players out with injuries and other playing out of position it was very much a case of digging in and improvising on a windy night against a difficult opponent

But Antonio Mitri managed to score the only goal of the game and the bottom line is that we have now gone eight games unbeaten amassing in the process 22 out of a possible 24 points and just us satisfying is that Tuesday’s game was our sixth clean sheet in a row, a truly amazing effort

But off the pitch it has also been an amazing week with my great friend from way back when in my days at Liverpool, Pako Ayestaran, paying us a visit and chatting to both players and coaches about his methods an ideology.

It was fascinating to listen to him and enormously touching to see the passion he has for the game not just at the highest level where he is used to competing, and where he has enjoyed so much success, but also at the grassroots level where we play. It was a truly humbling experience and one I know that our players and coaches will remember for a long time to come.

We were also honoured to welcome at Second Meadow another old friend of mine, Jon Smith, almost certainly the first of the great super football agents, one of the really good guys and the man who once managed the affairs of the likes of Diego Maradona, Ruud Gullit, as well as the entire England national football side.

He has recently published a book entitled ‘The Deal’ where he details his exploits in the world of football wheeling and dealing. It was a pleasure to welcome him to our house and, like Pako, I know how much he enjoyed his visit and also how much respect he has for the football played at our level.

Back to business and Welwyn Garden City will be our third home game on the bounce when they call in to Second Meadow tomorrow (Sat ko 3pm) before we really see just how far we may have progressed when we travel to league leaders London Colney on Tuesday night (ko 7.45pm).