Last time, back in the spring, I'd managed a few test posts without figuring out how anyone might find it to read it.

Now, thanks to Gavin, I have a link to his popular TGS Photo site and, just maybe, someone might find me.

The original project stalled because of a sudden change in my personal circumstances. That crisis now more or less over, I should be able to keep it going.

In the meantime I have been appointed communications administrator for the Ryman (Isthmian) League, a part-time job which involves providing material for the league's website and bulletin.

Following on from that, I decided to venture upon writing a book about the league by visiting all 66 clubs in the course of the season. The book, inevitably, will be called Route 66 (I expect) and the title of this blog is an unashamed advertisement for it.

A pity, in a way. I rather liked the original name of Broadsider, reflecting both the fact that much of the summer material would be about speedway and also having a happy and more personal meaning.

I am now 14 clubs into the 66, which is a good start, and have enjoyed myself at the likes of Kingstonian, Tooting, Chipstead and Horsham YMCA. Less enjoyable was the latest visit, to Harlow, where the lights failed three times before play was abandoned after 20 minutes.

Next on the list, tomorrow as I write, will be the titanic Essex derby between Great Wakering Rovers and Tilbury. You might wonder why I won't be at one of the many intriguing FA Cup matches featuring Ryman League clubs and the answer, sadly, is that I decided to make my task more difficult by featuring 66 league matches. Why? Heaven knows, but I shall be brave and stick to it.

On the speedway front, one of the sport's great clubs, Swindon, have at last won the Elite League title, their first championship since 1967. Except thyat they haven't. Thanks to Sky, they can't call themselves champions unless they win the play-offs, which start on Monday week. My local Lakeside Hammers are through to the play-offs as well, with a difficult semi-final against Woverhampton, and have also reached the Elite League Cup final. They achieved that on June 12 but, being as how the other semi-final hasn't even been scheduled yet, enthusiasm may have waned by the time the final actually takes place.

My other local club, Premier League side Rye House, are also in contention for Cup honours and are as I write preparing for the first leg of their semi-final at Edinburgh tonight.

So, no doubt, speedway will feature in this blog for a few weeks yet.

But football, and particularly Ryman League football, is likely to be the main focus.

However, I can hardly ignore England's successful qualification for the World Cup, that being the big issue of the moment. Well done, chaps, and let's hope the unreasonable expectations which will now be placed on you by the media don't overwhelm you. Yes, we can win it, but it will involve winning three successive matches against, say, Germany, Brazil and Spain. Failure to do that really shouldn't be considered a disaster.

One small point: poor Mr Heskey has come in for some more stick. Well, maybe his finishing leaves something to be desired - but, as well as being our front-runner for this week's 5-1 win, he was also the spearhead for the 4-1 romp in Croatia AND, lest we forget, for the 5-1 in Germany which seems so long ago now. So he must be doing something right.

I suppose playing in a successful side doesn't necessarily guarantee anything. Ask Roger Wedge? Who he? You may well ask. He was a member of the only Leyton Orient forward line that ever scored nine goals in a game - and he never played another game for them, before or after.